Weekly Forecast: April 22-28

This week, my friends, is all about rethinking our relationship to change. It's a topic that's long overdue for editing and fresh energy, as these cards show so clearly. Just look at the polarized options springing forth from The Wheel of Fortune! The next few days give us the calming opportunity to bring some space and shading into a formerly black-and-white corner of our world.

As anyone who's dabbled with tarot knows, the cards have a cheeky sense of mischief. Not wanting to address a topic? All of a sudden pointed clarity is staring you in the face. Looking for a specific answer? The cards act coy. 

In my opinion, there's no card that embodies this vague, teasing energy more than The Wheel of Fortune. It's initial impression is usually confusing. Just what on earth is going on with these mythical creatures congregating around a circle heavy with odd symbols? They're just hanging out in the clouds? 

This is a card focused on the energy and inevitability of change. And, perhaps not so surprisingly, it's overwhelming and unknown qualities. Hence, the indecipherable wildness of imagery. 

When we see the Wheel of Fortune we know that change is on the horizon. However, that's all  we can decipher. There's no specificity, clear-cut answers, or details. The Wheel is spinning, but we don't know where it'll land just yet or what our new world will look like.

 This week we're confronting and working through our initial reactions to a personal Wheel of Fortune situation: The newness and lack of clarity is overwhelming and, in our attempt to grasp some comforting certainty, we're reverting to old patterns.

Which brings us to the Five of Pentacles and the Ten of Cups. I can't help but chuckle a little when I look at these cards. Talk about polarized thinking! It seems as if we're approaching the upcoming change with a very black-and-white mindset. Either our Wheel of Fortune will spin and deposit us in the bucolic emotional utopia of the Ten of Cups or we'll end up in rags, struggling to survive.

In this sense, these cards urge us to take a breath and center ourselves before getting spun out into either manic idealism or fatalistic negativity. One of the wonderful things about change is that nobody knows how it'll unfold. Not us and certainly not some judgmental stranger ready to blame us for the outcome.

And so these cards are, with a healthy dose of classic tarot humor, pointing us back to ourselves and the present moment. What can we do to focus on our experience right now? To make room for change to unfold? And, most importantly, to care for ourselves? 

The trick to the Wheel of Fortune is that is reminds us how change is a constant part of life. We're always navigating it, in one way or the other. We have practice. We have ourselves.
It always keeps spinning, but if we stay anchored in what we do know - aware of our desires, skills, talents, and sticky spots - we can always land on our feet and, better yet, work with the motion to grow. 

Until then, all we can do is enjoy the ride, and know that the stakes are low so long as we continue to value and care for ourselves. 

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Weekly Forecast: April 15-21

As I write this a remarkably beautiful day is beginning in Durham. The rain and storms have cleared out the fog of humidity, making the air crisp and breezy, full of life. A similar change in weather is happening in this reading, unfolding in our emotional lives instead of the physical world around us. 

I look at The Fool as the manifestation of all of Spring's hopeful, energetic, and thriving energy. This character has the same daring and tenacity of a plant bursting forth after the winter. Fresh and tender, yes, but also putting so much towards its own growth and doing so without apology. 

We're undergoing similar changes this week, awakening from a period of seeking, confusion, and doubt with an almost shocking sense of clarity. The air has cleared and we've been transformed into something new, though we may not be so sure of the how, why, or what next. 

And, indeed, The Fool is the symbol of newness. The first card in the tarot deck, they show us the power of beginning, and not just for the first time. Our lives have seasons, too, and this card appears to point us to an important fresh start unfolding in this very moment. 

While The Fool is a charming and welcome card in almost any spread, it's also a challenging one to digest, because this card represents risk-taking, vulnerability, and a road ahead full of mistakes.

Here, however, the cards have a beautiful interpretation of the fears that arise when we sense ourselves embarking on a "Fool path." 

I'm struck by the mirroring happening here, as the archetypal power of The Fool, flanked or held back by his adorably awkward animal companion, transitions into the Page of Wands. Both face forward, to the future, yet they have some enlightening differences.

This week, these cards tell us, is a pivotal time to refocus on our own individual journeys. We all walk through life as ourselves and, no matter how hard we try, we must face the inevitability and uniqueness of our own path. Though we might want to hide behind distractions or other people's experiences, doing so ultimately leads to frustration, dissatisfaction, and anxiety. 

Why, in other words, would we want to side-step the transformative new start of The Fool and downgrade into the sometimes charming, but in this case trifling, stance of the Page of Wands?

This Page deals in the fiery realm of action and, as all pages do, represents youthful enthusiasm and inexperience. It seems like we may be tempted to re-frame our current moment, either to ourselves or others, as something inconsequential, silly, and bumbling. Just another experiment on our path, nothing to see here! 

Deep down, however, we know that this is big. That we have something at stake - a closely-held dream, important calling, or inexplicable pull to try something new. Downplaying this importance allows us to feel safer. If we fall on our faces who would laugh? It was only a joke, after all.

This is where the power of The Fool becomes evident for this is a card that sees the sacredness in taking risks, the power of living passionately and seeking to transform. Vulnerability is power, we don't need to have any certainty to begin, and we don't need to explain our journeys. The Fool owns and celebrates their mistakes, risks, and choices. He takes them seriously and dares to stand by his path of growth.

So the pull we feel this week to downplay the changes unfolding within us isn't one to heed. This is a time to practice constantly refocusing on our own experience, focusing on our Fool's journey. That means being mindful of the urges to engage in self-deprecating talk, undervaluing our talents and dreams, and hiding behind new projects we don't feel completely aligned with. 

Because there's an interesting thread here in that following our initial instinct to downgrade to the Page of Wands is leading us to the Eight of Swords, a familiar and well-trodden route of anxiety, collapse, and stalemate. In not taking ourselves seriously we take a detour into a dead end instead of continuing along a wide-open yet-unexplored road. 

Let's choose instead to stay present in our newness and invest in pursuing what makes our hearts beat faster. We're up for the challenge and ready to unfurl. 

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Weekly Forecast: April 8-14

Gentleness leading to inspiration.

What a treat to have a slow and healing tarot spread for the week. It seems as if we've been grappling with some especially big issues as of late and The Star is always a welcome figure in times of overwhelm and stress.

That's not to say that this reading is 100% calm and inner-peace. It builds to an energizing crescendo with the Knight of Wands, a card that inspires us to charge into our future with creative zest. A nice mix if there ever was one.

So what do these cards have to tell us? Rest, re-calibration, and re-connecting to the source are of the utmost importance for us in the coming days. The Star is one of those cards that invites us to refocus on ourselves. 

We may have some baggage around the idea. How often are we told that putting ourselves first is selfish? This accusation gets thrown about so frequently that it actually points towards the radical nature of valuing and centering around our own experiences.

What happens when we choose to pursue a balanced life? When our inner experience dictates our outwards actions? When we value our own rhythms, desires, and needs? 

Doing these things, it turns out, allows us to know ourselves better. And when we know ourselves better, we come face to face with our own power, desires, and motivation. It makes us powerful, and that can threaten the status quo.

If we've been feeling creatively stymied lately and stretched too thin, The Star is pointing us inwards to regain our strength and re-orient ourselves to our inner compass. Don't worry if this isn't resoundingly clear. What if we don't know what our inner compass looks like, let alone where it points?

It turns out that none of us do 100% of the time. Never mind the wildness of modern life and other people, our own inner landscape is constantly shifting and changing. The good news? It's ours to explore and value.

This week we're being encouraged to take space for ourselves, lavish our own feelings, thoughts, and desires with attention, curiosity, and care. A key component of this card is detaching from outcome: plans, productivity, goals, ideas of what is and what isn't. Immersing ourselves in self-care in however that manifests for each of us is inviting in a special kind of knowledge.

See that cute, odd bird perched on the tree behind the central figure in The Star? This delightful creature represents knowledge. While we're focused on connecting to our source, dipping our toes into the healing pool of our intuition while being sure to feed back into it, the breakthrough and information we've been seeking with so much effort is naturally fluttering into focus. 

Let yourself step back from the pressure of seeking and create space in your life. You can give yourself the gift of time and attention, even if it's in small bites, and doing so is actually far more effective in gaining clarity than muscling your way though it all with forceful diligence. 

Paying attention to the little things is reigniting our creative sparks. It starts out as a slow burn with the Two of Wands as we begin to dream about changes, adventures, and new possibilities. Doing our Star work, however, is allowing us to rejuvenate and feel empowered, zesty, and capable. 

Soon enough, what seemed impossible, out of reach, or ill-defined, comes into blaring focus. It's the swashbuckling Knight of Wands entering into the picture! With him comes ambition, energy, and focus, though we'd be wise to make sure that it's all in service of The Star. Otherwise we'll burn out and run straight into the same patterns we were experiencing before.

This week is a time to take a deep breath, center around yourself, and feel encouraged to block out all the rest. Know that doing so is valuing your energy and experience, not being selfish or cruel. When we act from our true sense of self we're able to bring our best into every situation, relationship, and venture. Now that's truly and genuinely inspiring. 

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Weekly Forecast: April 1-7

Can doing less bring us more?

This week we're being asked to step back and evaluate the rituals, tasks, and obligations we're engaging with. Are they bringing us satisfaction? Are they moving us forward? And, most importantly, are they even ours to begin with?

The Hanged Man is a card whose enigmatic presence often foreshadows some frustration. After all, we're often told that doing more is the key to any breakthrough. How can we make headway if we don't have any momentum?

Yet this idea that we can somehow will perfection and progress into existence is dangerous. Often it's a trick to keep ourselves occupied and distracted so that we don't have to sit with out itchy and inconvenient feelings.

Our feelings, however, are often far more interesting than we give them credit. The Four of Cups shows us feeling a tinge of ennui as we begin to slow down. We think we know the lay of the land and it is, to be frank, boring.

But the more we sit with things as they are, the more they're able to reveal themselves fully. This week introspection and quiet are our friends, and while we can expect some resistance - pesky inner voices and doubt, for example - we're really collecting useful and surprising information.

The Four of Wands is our final card for the week and it shows us where we're going - the reason why we're feeling called to take a step back. This card is a beautiful illustration of the importance of freedom and space in our lives. What do we need to feel enlivened and creative? How much structure is just enough to keep us feeling safe and oriented? And how much openness and room for growth do we need to stay on our toes, inspired and ready?

This is a gentle group of cards in that it's not asking us to do anything radical or wild. It's just that sometimes, in our busy and intense culture, it sometimes feels radical to stop and take stock. Now is a wonderful time to ignore all that pressure-filled messaging. The Hanged Man and the Four of Cups show us operating under some intense and powerful intuitive guidance. Trusting our feelings and internal compass won't lead us astray.

And sometimes it's difficult to see what's no longer working and hard to recognize that what we're doing may not even be for our benefit. The Four of Cups asks us to peer inside our cups - our relationships, emotional expenditures, and energetic output - and see whether they're flowing both ways. Does giving outwards bring something back in? This can be through gratitude, personal satisfaction, inspiration, support, and more.

If, however, a cup turns out to be a secret sinkhole, sucking our energy and leaving us feeling depleted, now is a wonderful time to say goodbye and accept a new, fulfilling opportunity on the horizon.

In order to flourish we need freedom. The wands suit inspires us to see space, movement, and energy as our allies. Think about the element associated with these cards: fire. When building a bonfire you don't want to stack sticks together, one against the other. There's no space for oxygen to circulate and, thus, no fire.

We have to travel light and leave room for our flames to grow, and this week is all about being mindful of what we have in our lives. Anything extra, crowded, or uninspiring doesn't have to be there and letting go can usher in the energy we need to thrive.

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Weekly Forecast: March 18-24

In order to receive, you must let go.

It feels nice to be safe and certain of our lives. Security is nothing to scoff at - we need to take care of our physical selves, provide for our basic needs, and doing so isn't always easy. Having enough is a huge privilege, but if we cling to it too long it can become stifling and limited.

This week we're at a point that's difficult to reconcile. We may feel that asking for more after having worked so hard to get the basics seems greedy, as if we're tempting fate. Why go and invite in the unknown with any changes if we're fed, clothed, and safe? 

We can see this position reflected in the Four of Pentacles, and I love how this card shows the sense of stability and pride that comes from providing for ourselves. Sometimes this card appears as a wonderful affirmation - we've made it and it's time to celebrate and get to know all the facets of what we've built for ourselves. 

But, like any tarot card, it's meant to be a stepping stone on a larger journey. After all, our lives are animated by change, and clinging too hard to what we know can often leave us stuck and out of sync with the larger rhythm of our life.

This week we're presented with a choice and it may feel big and intimidating. The Ace of Pentacles is appearing center stage, tempting us with an alluring offer. It's asking us to accept a shiny new gift, but in order to do so we must put down one of our pentacles. Staying with what we know effectively blocks us from this new energy. Remaining in the four may seem safe, but it's no way to grow.

Luckily, the Ace of Pentacles is a gentle card. New things can often become the perfect receptacles for our anxiety. Because they're all potential and possibility we can offload all our general anxieties onto them, burying something shiny and new with frightening futures. 

The Four of Pentacles, while a place to celebrate once you've reached it, can become mired with conservative thinking. Instead of seeing opportunity in newness it sees paths to loss. This is a wonderful time to dig deeper into our ideas of how much we can have and all the roadblocks that we put up in the face of emerging excitement. Where do these thoughts come from? And why might we look to them in the face of something truly exciting?

Oftentimes these protective mechanisms have a lot to do with our ideas of maturity and responsibility. The fourth card in the Major Arcana is The Emperor, an archetype that, to be frank, is amazingly adept at triggering old wounds around our experiences with our parents.

Is there something about this new pursuit that's bringing up our ideas of how we "should" behave? Are we silently following old ideas of what responsibility looks like, only to trap ourselves in inauthentic thought patterns?

The King of Cups emerges on the other side to show us that there's another path. Stability doesn't have to be rooted in utter certainty and known quantities. We can be much more fluid, creative, and flexible in our approach to life while maintaining our sense of responsibility. 

If anything, this card shows us how we can gather power from embracing the unknown. This is a model of leadership that accepts and trusts in change. If it's inevitable (as we all know) then we can jump on in, a fish swimming in the waters, and navigate with confidence. Sometimes things will be challenging and sometimes they'll be calm. But we can always trust our experiences and the wisdom we've accumulated along the way to guide us.

In this mindset, the Ace of Pentacles is a small and beautiful invitation to move further along our path, not some scary entity here to disrupt and challenge everything we've worked so hard for. If there's something exciting on the horizon - an idea, hobby, opportunity, or practice - that you'd like to pursue - this card says go for for it.

Start simple and let it be what it is - something new and exciting that's still small. Exploring new things doesn't mean abandoning your security, it simply means building upon it. And that's what security is for, after all. Providing a foundation for our growth and expansion. 

 It can add to our sense of stability and bring in the energy of newness and opportunity. If it doesn't work out, we can always change course. But to turn it away for fear of losing what we already have would keep us feeling stuck. 

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Weekly Forecast: March 11-17

What does it mean to make ourselves at home in the world?

The Eight of Wands shows us just how much is happening around us: movement, choices, people, energies, and more. The scenery changes so often - how do we know where we belong or where we even are?

The Queen of Pentacles asks us to turn away from all this and focus inward. The wildness is optional, after all, or at least a large portion of it is. Pretending we can take it all in and still function is a true fool's errand and a surefire recipe for overwhelm. 

 Wherever we go, there we are. Usually people use it to curtail any escapist fantasies. Moving to a new town still means we're bringing our same old selves with us.

But what if we look at this saying from a gentler standpoint, one centered in the nurturing lushness embodied by the Queen of Pentacles. No matter where we go or what happens, we will always have ourselves to turn to. 

What if our vantage point, our body, and our true self was the home we could come to again and again? This week is the time to direct all our love, respect, and care towards tending to it. 

Because life continues to careen forward, as we can see with the Eight of Wands. If we're not careful, all this action can take us away from ourselves, spinning us away from our center and sweeping our feet off the ground. It's better to care for ourselves and invest in the things that make us feel whole, like our life is enough. We are enough. So that these wild currents of life, with all their tempting options and additions, can swirl around us and not sweep us away.

Doing this can be wonderfully practical. After all, what group of cards is more about combining the practical with the magical than the pentacles? Pay attention the home within as well as the literal home you find yourself in. Feather your nest, spend time being cozy, use your space as a sanctuary where you can regroup and stretch into the corners of your full self. 

The amazing byproduct of all this is that the frenetic pace of the Eight of Wands can be transformed into the stable Two of Wands. Here, instead of advanced and complicated plans unfurling quickly, we have the oh-so achievable luxury of using our life and our sense of self as a solid foundation to explore options. 

Whatever we add to our lives must be in service of the important magic we're already cultivating. Anything else is just a distraction and we deserve our full attention.

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Weekly Forecast: March 4-10

Build something beautiful, leave what's gone behind.

Sometimes we don't know we're over something until we've moved past it. It's a bit of emotional jet lag. Life can propel us into whole new timezones and catching up requires some gentle acclimation. 

This week's reading gives us both the magic and splendor of building and choosing grander paths along with the bittersweet realization that we can now see some things that don't work. There's a sense of balance here - between the beauty of what's new and the sadness of moving beyond something we wish could've worked out for the better.

What's more, the joy and satisfaction of the week is upping the contrast. Seeing how good we can have it shows us how insufficient some aspects of our past situation really were. Above all, our challenge is to celebrate the new, keep working towards what we want, and give ourselves plenty of time to process and mourn what we're leaving behind. 

But let's get back to the magic, shall we, because this is the true heart of the reading. We're dealing with the Three of Pentacles, a card of diligence and creativity, and The Lovers, whose romantic and complex meaning serves as the major focus of this week.

We can really pat ourselves on the back right now, even if it seems premature or foolhardy. Whether we can see it clearly or not, the choices we've been making to shape our lives are bringing us towards a very new and somewhat wild change. The Lovers shows us the boldness and vision that's required to make a choice just for us. Listening to our desires, taking them seriously, and then daring to do something about it? It's not small stuff, that's for sure.

Fortunately, we're taking baby steps towards this goal, hence the grounded Three of Pentacles. This shows us that any work we do in real life is paving the way for future openness and opportunity. Which is a nice way to balance the sometimes-intimidating nature of The Lovers. 

So stay your course as you keep at it this week. Trust in the process and know that the grand vision isn't necessarily a specific goal, but a situation where you feel as in love with your life as the passion shown in The Lovers. This can come with a great deal of surprise - we're often shocked by what really gets us going! - and is completely and utterly centered around what we want, societal norms or pre-packaged life trajectories be damned.  

Make room for the sadness, too. When we realize life can be bigger than we thought, the smallness we're leaving behind is especially tender and poignant. Feeling it connects us with our past experiences even more so that we can keep expanding and know the pieces of life that are no longer for us. 

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Weekly Forecast: February 25 - March 3

This week's energy combines the dreaminess of imagination with the refreshing clarity of decisiveness. Rarely are such crowd-pleasing cards seen in the same spread: the gorgeous cups with the charismatic Queen of Wands. So what does it all mean?

Well, for starters there's a distinct order to these cards, and it's one that might feel a bit indulgent at first glance. This week the Ace of Cups is leading the way and it's our job to follow its effusive and nurturing example. 

When we see aces in any reading it's a welcome sign that a gift is entering our lives. This gift can be literal, but more often than not it's more of a shift in focus and mood. The Ace of Cups centers around the joy and inspiration that arises from authentic and loving connections. What more beautiful way to illustrate this than a cup overflowing into a fountain of water with a chipper bluebird and stunning lotus floating above?

There's certainly an element of good luck to the aces, and that requires us being brave enough to reach out and claim the good fortune that's coming our way. Since this bit of bliss is tied to the cups, we need to be especially alert for any negative self-talk around emotions. The only enemy to the bounty of the aces is our inability to welcome them into our lives.,

If we feel undeserving or blocked, we risk blocking this welcome and important change. A shadow side to this ace is that when we let go and accept goodness - allowing ourselves to feel excited or joyful - we can sometimes open the door to other feelings as well. As a wise man once told me, tears are just drops of water moving freely. Feeling our feelings without judgment is one of the biggest gifts we can give ourselves. And leaning into them is opening up a huge range of possibilities.

So let things be sweet and tender this week. Notice how it makes you feel to look at life as if it's supporting you, not fighting against you. And adopt a healthy dose of romantic whimsy. The Ace of Cups is leading to the Seven of Cups, one of my favorite trickster cards. Here, we see a massive creative outburst. Where we once felt stuck we now see a glimmering array of choices, paths, and options.

This can be as delightful as it is destabilizing. How on earth do we choose? But before we rush into decision-making we can learn a lot from observing and exploring. What is tickling our fancy, after all? And how did we get to a place where the world seems to bloom with options? It's worth remembering what brought us here so we can call upon the same forces when we feel stuck in the future. Digging a little deeper can give us insight into the conditions we need to thrive.

Most importantly, however, this week is teaching us about the pivotal role of inspiration in our lives. Opening up and following what makes our heart sing through the Ace of Cups is opening up a whole new vista. And while the cups often get pigeonholed into themes of romance, they also have a beautiful lesson about connectivity and personal fulfillment. Following what's emotionally satisfying and invigorating can be shockingly effective. After all, our reason often catches up after the fact.

Which, for the impatient among us, is where the Queen of Wands comes in. This card brings some gravitas to the first two. Seeing her shows us that this moment, though we might think of it as a bit too far-fetched or veering away from the practical/responsible, is a key part of our process right now. We have to follow our hearts to know what to do next.

The Queen of Wands is a card of passionate decisiveness. She acts with energy and is unapologetic about following her path. Like her, we conclude the week feeling secure in our next moves, not because they make complete logical sense or sound impressive to others, but because we took the time to identify what we truly love. What's more certain or inspiring than that?

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Weekly Forecast: February 18-24

We have the unique opportunity this week to mull over some important decisions. Now is not a time for speed, trust falls into the universe, or rash actions. Rather, any powerful feelings around change are merited and useful. So long as we don't let them become paralyzing, that is. And the good news is that we have plenty of time. 

With Justice and Judgment bookending the seemingly passive Seven of Pentacles, one could look at this week's spread and see us being hemmed in by epic experiences and realizations:

Is the principled action bringing us to a pivotal and momentous change? Do we need a kick in the pants to move us from the introspection and critique of the Seven of Pentacles and into the sometimes-jarring "a-ha" moment of Judgment?

It's not quite as simple, and the key card here is not one of the Major Arcana. Instead, it's the placid Seven of Pentacles: we are holding the reins (or, in this case, hoe) and we have time to examine our past choices so that we can listen to our inner voice moving forward.

It's not a glamorous moment, but it's one where we can do some important work that will make things so much easier down the road. Because taking stock and peering closer at the everyday brings us closer to our own experience. That way, when we have to make changes or figure out what we really want, we have actual evidence to call upon. Not the alluring bombast of these Major Arcana cards, but real insight into our human experience. What we need right now is a loving gaze into who we are and what we've done so far.

In the story of these cards we can see that our current situation is the result of a period of hard work. What's more, it's hard work driven by important ideals and values. We were planed and principled, fully inhabiting the role of Justice, and now the data is in. Whatever we've been cultivating has sprouted, grown, and borne fruit. 

Our task now is to take a look at what we've cultivated - what's worked, what hasn't, and how we've felt about the whole process. We're not after a big epiphany and we can do ourselves a favor by striping away any judgment and pressure. Our challenge here is to see things for what they are as well as our role in creating our current situation. 

As we peer into what's actually happening we can see what it's done for us and, perhaps, who we've become throughout the process. Some of what we find may be surprising and it's our job to value each discovery equally. Maybe something that's going smashingly doesn't resonate with us at all. Maybe a certain task we though would be dull is actually enrapturing and fun. 

Underneath all this examination and circling back to our personal experience lies a valuable intuitive message. It's as if we're archaeologists, carefully brushing away dust and debris on a normal looking patch of earth to slowly reveal something unknown and important. This would be our Judgment moment, that time when our intuitive voice becomes loud an unmistakable. 

So this week we can patiently take stock and see what feels authentic and what doesn't, trusting that we're working towards the clarity of Judgement and that we don't need to rush. Intuition and guidance can be hiding in plain sight and sometimes our task is to gently tease it out and give it room to speak more loudly.

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