Weekly Forecast: October 3-9

I’ve been thinking about the inherent melancholy of fall a lot lately. Maybe because yearning and pining are some of my favorite activities; there’s something so delicious about the tension between wanting something and not having it, witnessing change and being aware you can’t stop it, the push and pull of loss, growth, and change.

This week the tender, mysterious side of growth is coming into astounding focus. It’s a week where we’re being asked to step outside of the usual daily movement of our lives and consider the bigger picture. In fact, we may find ourselves pulled there against our will. The Hanged Man is a card that speaks to moments when we are, as the card illustrates, hamstrung in some capacity. Sometimes it’s of our own choosing, but usually it comes with a heavy emphasis on circumstance. Where do you feel stymied, stuck, and like you’re being forced to wait? Fortunately, The Hanged Man tells us that this is actually quite the blessing, and even carries within it the seeds for a spiritual breakthrough, but that doesn’t lessen the difficulty of finding yourself in this card’s position.

An attitude adjustment, however, is surprisingly powerful. Think now about how you can make the situation of waiting, indecision, or sacrifice enjoyable. If you have the time, why not savor it?

This reminds me of an inside joke I share with my sister about how, when we were bored as kids, our mom would spout off a litany of potential activities that we absolutely did not want to do. “You could… go for a walk, do a puzzle, write a letter…” We’d roll our eyes dramatically, incensed and annoyed, as if doing something so lame would be worse than being bored itself. To this day, we’ll start listing these activities at each other when we find ourselves languishing or without a plan.

What’s funniest about this, to me, is that it suggests an inner mechanism for embracing boredom. It may not be elegant - I certainly rebel against it in utterly ridiculous ways - but I think it’s there for a reason. Important information, whether it’s from our subconscious or a higher source, needs space in which it can reveal itself. Silence, too. As well as a certain state of receptivity. Can we only receive certain information when we’re bored, blank, and, therefore, open to something surprising and new? Maybe so.

Make room for this type of inner sassiness this week as well as space for nothingness. What does boredom have to teach you? Where are you feeling restless? And how can you push beyond this resistance and gift yourself space of blankness, emptiness, and absence?

We may find ourselves feeling more dreamy in general - looking to imagined futures, playing with ideas that feel blurry and hard to pin down, and these will be fruitful to explore. The Hanged Man is about a slippery type of initiation, one that has us feeling both out of control and confused. It’s not glamorous. It’s not exciting. And, often, we’re the only ones able to discern the important message being offered.

The Eight of Cups hones in on the specific nature of our revelations, with its solitary figure making a moonlit journey into a mountain pass, leaving a whole row of upturned cups behind. This week is asking us to embrace a subtle form of bravery and walk away from conventional paths. It’s likely that there’s a part of your life that’s requiring you to take a risk, to go off on your own just because you know it’s the right thing to do.

Look at the bright red shoes and cape on the main character in this card. The color of passion, red shows us being driven by something visceral and essential. And we’re walking away from something that’s “good enough,” all the cups in perfect order, standing up. But one is missing, and we can’t really be certain that they’re all full to begin with.

Consider where you’re feeling an absence, emptiness, or sense of potential. If it feels tender and raw, pay even more attention. The Eight of Cups is about risk, and true to its group, touches on themes of emotion, spirituality, intuition, and deeper meaning. The journey is starting from a sense of restless (but almost coy and enigmatic) discomfort in The Hanged Man, requiring us to take the first steps in the Eight of Cups… and then breaking through to the powerful satisfaction of The Empress.

In many ways, our reading is showing a bridge between two Major Arcana cards. This is wonderful because a) sometimes The Hanged Man can point out very long-term scenarios. Not the case here! (Phew) and b) it gives us a very helpful, actionable path forwards via the Eight of Cups. So, to be very simple: allow the passion revealed in a moment of boredom to inspire your first steps towards a sense of abundant fulfillment.

The Empress is a card that’s all about embodied pleasure. This can be romantic as well as personal - how we inhabit our bodies, celebrate the abundance of the natural world around us, and care for what’s important. With a combination of luck and effort, we’re emerging into this space at the end of the week. Find ways to give thanks for the beauty in your life, amplify, it and share it with others. The boredom isn’t lasting long, breakthroughs are on the horizon, and the afterglow will be spectacular.

This week. embrace:

• Waiting

• Leaving space for emptiness, boredom, not-knowing

• Taking a step back to rest and let things percolate

• Moving towards a brave new future

• Prioritizing passion, emotional fulfillment, deeper meaning

• Embodying, celebrating, and sharing beauty and abundance

This week, avoid:

• Over-analyzing what you want

• Filling your time mindlessly

• Challenging energy or input from other people

Get creative:

• The Hanged Man: The word I keep hearing when I look at this card is “percolation,” and I’d like to use that metaphor to connect this card to the Eight of Cups: the red in the hanged man’s legs needs to percolate into the cape and shoes of the eight of cups. To bring this down to earth - how can you use time and stillness to transform the energy of something you’ve been experiencing recently into something you can use? The first step is awareness: meditate or journal about something you’re already doing that brings you a feeling of contentment and satisfaction that’s otherwise missing in your life. Once identified, imagine how you could expand its presence.

• The Eight of Cups: I’m feeling a need to edit here; that we have to peek into our wall of cups and see what’s been happening after all this time. Maybe some have evaporated entirely while others have grown stagnant. What’s no longer filling you up? How can you give yourself permission to walk away from it? Be ready to see some surprising, even uncomfortable things. I also feel like a ritualized libation (wow, is that phrase satisfying to type) is in order - craft yourself a beverage that feels new, exciting, and somehow symbolic of what you want to invite into your life. Fill your cup with it daily, envisioning its energy both sustaining you and diffusing itself into every corner of your experience.

• The Empress: If you’ve been looking for an invitation to get decadent, this is it! But I’m also feeling drawn to the environmental aspect of this card as well; find a time to tend to your space, whether it’s putting your garden to bed for the season, repotting your houseplants, or picking up at the local park. Perhaps follow this activity with a sweet treat, honoring both the responsibility we have to enjoy and care for the sources of pleasure in our lives.

Weekly Forecast: September 26 - October 2

Okay, friends. We have an unusually straightforward reading this week: Embracing our ability to make choices around our resources is leading to growth and action. Not so hard, huh? Reading done? Not quite yet…

Before we get into the details, I’d like to say that, reading beyond the cards, this is a time to enjoy how the power of natural focus frees up space in other areas of our life. We’re touching on themes of pentacles - daily life, material possessions, the physical and tangible - and doing so is bringing us immense clarity. That also means that we can take the pressure off of other aspects that may have been clamoring for our attention in the past, trusting that they’ll work themselves out as time goes by.

Our relationships, creative pursuits, intellectual lives… all of these can get some breathing room; better yet, we can go to them when we need pure enjoyment. Take this moment to gift yourself a clean slate, wipe away any stale thoughts or worries, and reassert your presence at the center of your life.

Speaking of assertiveness, we have the most convivially assertive cards in the deck leading our reading for the week. The King of Pentacles is the kind of character who charms their guests with ribald jokes, plies them with delicious food and good company, to the point that, when they leave, most are unaware of the plots and plans they’ve agreed to. Power by seduction? In a sense; but this week it’s not manipulative or canny. We’re able to touch on our abundance and share it with others in a way that invites them along the journey with us.

Accept your natural charms and generosity this week, reach out to others, and don’t be afraid of forge new alliances and hatch new plans via mutual celebration. This is truly a card of abundance, and it’s interesting that it’s coming after the Autumnal Equinox for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Many things are coming into fruition, many fruits are ready to harvest. What has been ripening in your life that you can now pluck and taste?

It’s important to note that much of this success, while it seems effortless and exciting, is the result of our hard work and stamina. The King of Pentacles finds success in making things appear frictionless, but let’s step behind the curtain and give ourselves some praise and respect for the diligence and follow-through we’ve mustered - the process from planning the crop, to planting it, tending it through the growing season, and now harvesting it. We did it all, working with the environments around us, of course, and it would be a shame to deny ourselves the affirmation of recognition.

And I just have to note that this a week when, if things have been feeling challenging and out of sorts, the varying puzzle pieces that have been confounding us come together. With some help and luck, yes, but also because the time is just right. (Come to think of it, The Seven of Pentacles does channel that moment when, after staring at the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, you suddenly find that one missing corner piece you swore you’d lost.)

Revisit any ideas or plans that have stymied you recently, perhaps even ones you abandoned years ago. You may be surprised to find an easy solution in this present moment. Or that you can suddenly see what you were unable to before. The King of Pentacles is instructing us to accept our accomplishments, integrate them with our understanding of ourselves, and use that confidence boost to address a pivotal change in the Seven of Pentacles.

What’s the deal with this tunic-clad person leaning nonchalantly on their hoe? Are they lazy? Bored? Simply taking a break? Or, perhaps, do they just need to gaze lovingly and longingly at their garden?

Take time this week to daydream and get lost in reverie. It’s actually an essential part of our work process. If something feels like it’s missing, give it time to emerge. As you’ve likely guessed, The Eight of Wands shows us that breakthrough is imminent, and that when it comes, things start to move quickly. Take temporary lulls in action as an opportunity to gather your wits, take a breath, and get a good look at what you’ve built for yourself - the next steps are coming quickly.

Get a carful of seasonal gourds and the largest pumpkins you can hoist; throw a party with your closest friends; host a meetup for your area of expertise; orchestrate a grand gesture of generosity. All the ways you can embody the King of Pentacles are setting up the breakthrough of the Eight of Wands. They’re also giving us both an outlet for our joy and a chance to recuperate before things start moving once again.

This week, embrace:

• Generosity

• Community uplifts and events

• Leading with “soft power”

• Self-appreciation

• Taking a step back to gaze lovingly at your squash garden/recent accomplishments

• Diving into action when the path finally feels clear

This week, avoid:

• False modesty

• Distraction from the task at hand

• Stinginess

• Rushing into the final phase without rest and/or a quick moment of deliberation

• Trying to turn back after something’s launched

Get Creative:

• King of Pentacles: Let yourself really feel this card. While Kings tend to be an outward-facing bunch, there’s something to be said about how we have to know our own power in order to wield it. So, this week, do something to recognize and embody the power you’ve been building to shape your material world for the better. Plan a kingly celebration just for yourself (why am I picturing a medieval banquet/me eating a whole rotisserie chicken with my hands? … this may be my King of Pentacles moment ;), wear some finery for the day and feel resplendent, or hold court with the people who can share their perceptions of your recent accomplishments with love and goodwill.

• Seven of Pentacles: This card has the most magic in it for us this week. It’s mysterious, vague, and just the type of tarot invitation for further exploration I love. Do some open-hearted meditation on the image in this card, specifically the boisterously abundant vine the main character is beholding. Close your eyes, settle into yourself, and see how your imagination/intuition/higher-self/subconscious images the recent bounty that’s come into your life. Pay special attention to things that are surprising and not at all what you thought you’d planted when you started this garden.

• Eight of Wands: While this card is delightful - think the exhilarating rush of a carnival ride - it can also be overwhelming, especially after all the earthy, feet-on-the-ground energy of these pentacles. Simply build in some room in your expectations of the week for change, new energy (people, tasks, projects), and movement, knowing that it’s just the type of shake-up you need to move to the next phase of this chapter.

Weekly Forecast: September 12-18

There are times in life when the clouds begin to part and the murkiness of a transition, conflict, or challenge subsides. This week is one of those times, as The Lovers brings its energizing zest to a new chapter of our lives. The clouds, however, will be dissipating at different rates for each of us. Be sure to reach for any moments of beauty and inspiration while accepting your current place on the journey; Major Arcana cards represent impactful moments and entire chapters of our lives. There is so much time for this card to reach its full expression, and this is just the beginning.

The Lovers is about choice and agency, but unlike The Chariot it deals with divine forces instead of personal willpower. Look to the world around you for inspiration and beauty, small invitations for next steps that feel authentic to you and your soul. Lofty language, grand concepts, big stories - all of these will help encourage the energy of this card, so if you’re not feeling it naturally, be sure to take matters into your own hands in ways that feel delightful to you alone.

Actively engaging with The Lovers will be important as difficult and very earthly matters come into focus mid-week. The Five of Pentacles is a challenging card. There may be issues with money, health, or, more broadly, the basic functioning of our everyday lives. Things feel like a struggle, and we’ll need all our energy to stay our path or simply get through the day.

Having The Lovers at our back, however, is just the energy we need to weather moments of difficulty. We may be tempted to use whatever challenge is active as a litmus test for the big plans, dreams, and choices we’re holding close to our hearts. To which I say: just don’t! Momentary hardship doesn’t have to be a referendum on our identity, life decisions, or desires. In fact, The Lovers is asking us to use our lofty ideals and grand imaginings for support during stressful times. Wanting something and not having it yet, or wanting to do something and having some difficulties, is par for the course. And, as this reading suggests, the discomfort is temporary.

The Page of Wands concludes our reading, telling us that while we may feel hunched over and struggling through a headwind in the middle of the week, by the end we’ll be upright and in possession of a new idea to guide us forward. How can temporary setbacks and material limitations actually inspire us to innovate? This card is nudging us to lean into difficulty and treat it as a wise teacher. It’s also an affirming emissary for The Lovers’; we’ll need the practical passion of this page to bring our loft Lovers’ ideals into fruition this week and beyond.

This week, embrace:

• Embracing a choice, change, or new chapter

• Enacting your values, honoring shifts in identity

• Romance, myth, utopian visions

• Muscling through daily difficulty

• New ideas and sparks of inspiration

This week, avoid:

• Shrinking from your personal agency or vision

• Treating temporary setbacks as defeats

• Large expenditures, retail therapy, financial irresponsibility

• Backing away from your dreams

Get creative:

• The Lovers: I think this card is asking for a grand gesture this week. And while it appears to be outwardly about romance, it’s more about a devotion to a higher calling. So, take some time to feel out (NOT think/analyze) a grand vision that makes you feel alive, energized, and inspired. Search for a piece of art - a poem, image, or song - that brings you closest to how you feel when you think about this calling/future/vision and revisit it throughout the week.

• The Five of Pentacles: I’m feeling drawn to the rags in this image and think it would be a powerful act to spend some time mending, washing, or restoring an item of clothing you wear frequently. Perhaps even break out the shoe cleaning supplies that lurk in the dark corners of your laundry room (am I the only one?). As you clean, stitch, or shine, focus on how you can always bring your care to what you have when you feel lacking, and in doing so, restore and revivify yourself.

• Page of Wands: The pages are such rascals; they don’t care how goofy or awkward they look when trying something new. In fact, they may not even be aware of their lack of mastery. Like the truly young, they think their passion equals expertise. I think a healthy dose of this cockiness may actually be helpful for us this week, especially when it comes to shaking off the weight of the Five of Pentacles. So, when you find yourself transfixed with a new idea or plan (I’m thinking on the low-end of the “difficulty/responsibility” spectrum) just do it. Have fun, take a small risk, and leave your self-judgment at the door.

Weekly Forecast: September 5-11

When I started turning over our cards for the week I felt the excitement rising: the gloriously fulfilling Ten of Cups followed by the free and celebratory Four of Wands? And then… womp, the grief of the Five of Cups. Certainly not the rising crescendo of joy I’m sure we’d all appreciate. Yet there’s a constructive tug hidden in the melancholy end of our reading, so bear with me. Let’s dive into why the mournful figure of the Five of Cups is actually quite encouraging, more of a section healthy path than an injurious detour.

This reading is about how good things - growth, expansion, and particularly meaningful connection - can uncover deep hurts that need to be felt. It’s not the usual narrative where our joy simply multiplies. The Ten of Cups looks like a card of happy endings, but it’s not the happy endings we’re familiar with in film, novels, or television. The ones where, having achieved a romantic partnership or crowning accomplishment, the story ends. The main character is fulfilled and content at long last.

While I’ve seen this card appear in situations where people are idealizing the happy ending, chasing these simplified narratives, this week is about the true expression of the cups suit at its best - open, loving, generous, visionary - and what happens after the happy ending. Where the real, complicated, and meaningful magic happens.

With the Ten of Cups starting the week it’s likely that there’s an abundance of joy and connection available in our lives. Things are coming together, we’re being seen by those around us who really matter, and all sorts of gifts are becoming visible under the resplendent rainbow of cups. Take a moment to be proud of the work you’ve put into your relationships, including the one with yourself. How have you been growing your connections with others, taking risks to both reach out and receive? Love is in the air in all its shapes and forms. Appreciating the love here right now and the beauty it gives to your everyday life is absolutely called for, and it’s likely you can do some celebrating with the ones closet to you.

Speaking of celebrating, The Four of Wands springs from the magic of the Ten of Cups with an exciting invitation to collaborate, create, and innovate. It’s likely there are new partnerships forming, so pay attention to who sees your unique spirit and can work with you to enact your plans, whether they’re romantic, creative, or practical. This card is all about open structures creating just enough scaffolding and freedom for truly great achievements. I always think of a bonfire when I see this card (wands are associated with the element of fire, after all) and how you need to be sure there’s enough room between the branches for oxygen to flow, otherwise the fire gets stifled and snuffed out before it can blossom into something spectacular.

Be aware of the power you hold to shake things up, to make space in your life for that creative oxygen to flow, and the people who are excited to build with you. Don’t be afraid to do things differently or step outside of old patterns and approaches. What’s most important is that you keep things light, flexible, and enjoyable. Work, travel, and activities out and about in the world can all be fun instead of laborious this week. This is also an auspicious card for launching new endeavors, bringing likeminded people together, and partnerships of all shapes and sizes. Follow where your energy is flowing naturally, join hands with people who share your passion, and start creating.

It may be that all this action and abundance grows overwhelming towards the end of the week. Just look at all the happenings in our first two cards - both are full of people and movement. Taking time away will be crucial if we want to recharge our batteries, and most importantly, we’ll likely need the solitude to tend to some complicated feelings triggered by flourishing and being seen.

I’m struck by how the two cups cards show grief hidden within fulfillment. Five is half of ten, and it’s as if the bounty of the Ten of Cups includes within it some of the pain of past losses. Having felt the joys of the early days of the week, we may find ourselves brought back to memories of times when things were not so joyful: when loss swept through our lives; when what we had got swept away and we had to pick up the pieces and move on; when we had to make a difficult choice to choose more for ourselves at the expense of a fading dream or path.

It will be helpful to view these emotions with kindness and see their appearance as a reminder to tend to ourselves, integrate our past with our present, and gain perspective on how far we’ve come. Make time for yourself to feel freely, commemorate any losses or milestones that rise into your awareness, and to thank your grief for being just one of the cups nested in your current experience of abundance. Because the Ten of Cups is about feeling it all and loving life for it, even when it’s hard, and especially since you’ve grown to a point where you can hold it all and love yourself for it.

This week, embrace:

• Appreciating and enjoying your close relationships

• Relaxing into what’s working out in your life

• Abundance! Celebration!

• Invigorating creative and romantic partnerships

• Thinking outside of the box

• Launching new projects

• Honoring the grief you carry and the form(s) it’s taking right now

This week, avoid:

• Overthinking things (notice we have no swords here??)

• Treating grief as a sign of failure

• Pushing through burnout… and into more burnout

Get creative:

• Ten of Cups: Like all cards in all readings, this will appear on a spectrum for each of us. For some, it’ll be abundantly obvious while for others it may take some sleuthing to uncover. In either case, take a day in the beginning of the week for a little experiment: approach everything as if you already have everything you want. Notice the beauty around you as if it’s just for you. Let yourself really take it in. That’s it. There’s gifts all around you. Now, imagine and act from the idea that even more is coming your way. What does it feel like?

• The Four of Wands: I can’t believe I’m about to do this, but behold this entirely cringey scene from the classic cinematic masterpiece that is… Garden State:

I have to admit: this totally captures the energy of the Four of Wands. So, I’m giving you free rein, whether you’d like to channel Natalie Portman’s manic-pixie- dream girl freestyling or not, do something utterly weird and outside the box at least one time this week. (And then tell us about it in the comments below.)

• Five of Cups: This week is really asking us to lean into and respect the memories, themes, and feelings brought up by the Five of Cups. Looking at it now, I’m noticing that I’m drawn to the bridge to the left that symbolizes new paths forward after loss. So, I think it would be a beautiful gesture to take a walk by yourself (or imagine being accompanied by your pain, grief, or melancholy) - perhaps even one that has a bridge where you can look down and envision the emotions and memories flowing through you - “water under the bridge” - as you move forward.

Weekly Forecast: August 29 - September 4

It can be easy to assume that big questions require big answers, and, more importantly, that they require one big answer. How often do we hear stories of potent epiphanies? The entrepreneur coming up with their million dollar idea in the shower, the detective finding one pivotal clue that breaks the case open, a chance encounter with some powerful person who gives us the opportunity of a lifetime. This week we’ll be tempted to look for singular answers, but fortunately our cards have a much more interesting (and joyful) vision for us.

The Hierophant shows us in an inquisitive and philosophical mindset, both seeking out deeper meaning or a crucial next step and looking for it in the usual places: from traditional paths and teachers, established power structures, or well-worn stories we’ve inherited from our family or culture. Honor whatever questions are driving you forward at this moment. This is a Major Arcana card and tells us that we’re engaging with big themes; it’s likely that whatever we’re turning over and over in our minds is both important and impactful. We’ll need all the information and guidance we can get, but it’s equally important how we get it and where it comes from.

I’m struck by the contrast between the interior space shown in The Hierophant and the lush landscape of The Nine of Pentacles. We may be feeling stifled by the confines of tradition - “the way things should be” - while also assuming that it’s the only route to the wisdom we’re seeking. So, take a moment right now to see where you may be preemptively hemming yourself in. What is feeling itchy, uncomfortable, or limiting? What assumptions are you carrying with you about how you gain knowledge and what you “need” to move forward?

The Hierophant often refers to power structures around knowledge, and this week you may be coming up against them. Be particularly aware for where you cede your power and agency to experts, leaders, or teachers. While this sounds intense, the lesson this week is more gentle, as we’re being asked to both take in established wisdom while filtering it through our experience of everyday life. We can learn from both simultaneously, and what is more mature and freeing than that?

The Nine of Pentacles shows open expanses instead of enclosed, stony halls. Yet it’s not a scene of wilderness. We can see a house in the background and the main figure stands in front of a vineyard, grapes ripe and ready for harvest. They rest their hand gently on the top of a wall of pentacles, inviting us to consider what earthly accomplishments are supporting us at this moment. Where have you built something lush and lovely for yourself? How is the abundance around you supporting your plans for the future? What’s more, this card gifts us an image of both structure and wild abundance. The two can co-exist delightfully, and may already be doing so in our own lives.

The Hierophant has some acetic, strict overtones to it, and we may be tempted to assume that responsibility requires suffering or denial. Sometimes in searching for the key to unlock a door in our life we neglect to enjoy the beauty unfolding around us - slow, consistent, and still miraculous. The Nine of Pentacles is a strong and emphatic rebuttal. This is a week to challenge ideas around what it means or looks like to be an expert or accomplished: success does not have to mean suffering, wisdom does not have to come from hierarchy. Gift yourself time this week to take in and enjoy the bounty around you. Let yourself relish the act of caring for yourself, your community, and your home. Don’t rush - why have you worked hard to build all this if you can’t let yourself enjoy it?

What’s crucial here is that enjoyment brings about wisdom and growth the same as formal learning, striving, and hard work. If we allow ourselves to synthesize The Hierophant and The Nine of Pentacles, in other words, we’ll be in an excellent position to get to where we want to go.

Grappling with these themes is hard work no matter how you cut it, and fortunately we’ll be granted (or gifted) a reprieve at the end of the week as The Three of Cups saunters onto the scene bringing with it a punchy joie de vivre and desire for celebration. Let yourself raise a toast with trusted friends, treat yourself to a night out, or celebrate in whatever way feels the most delightful. Ask yourself, “Where is joy, celebration, and abundance happening in my life right now?” and move towards it. There’s an interesting pull here, an invitation to step out of the serious halls of The Hierophant and into the wide open spaces of the Nine of Pentacles and Three of Cups, as if living our lives fully could be bringing about the answers we’re seeking more than any established knowledge could.

This week, embrace:

• Balancing formal knowledge with lived experience

• Appreciating and embracing your own expertise

• Savoring every day life

• Sensual pleasures

• Celebration, gatherings, and socializing

• Expressing joy, love, and appreciation

This week, Avoid:

• Overplanning

• Looking for explicit guidance, instructions for what to do from outside sources

• Rushing big questions or decisions

• Seeking/prioritizing epiphanies

• Making things overly complicated

Get creative:

• The Hierophant: I think this card needs some softening this week. Consider how you can swap yourself in and out of both roles illustrated in this card: the giver and receiver of knowledge and wisdom. What knowledge and wisdom do you have to give or have been giving others? Where are you an expert? Look both at obvious accomplishments and more subtle ones. You may want to explore what people come to you for guidance for. Switching roles, think about what you want to learn: what are the next pieces of wisdom you’re seeking and who/what can you identify as a potential teacher?

• The Nine of Pentacles: I could just live in this card which makes it hard to think of just one facet to focus on. It’s the grapes, however, that really grab my attention this week. We have an old arbor in our backyard that’s close to falling over. The paint’s peeling and someone accidentally cut down half of the grape vine that grows there. Usually, I forget about the grapes, only noticing them when they’ve been picked over by birds and possums. This year, however, I caught them just in time and we were able to eat whole bunches of bracingly tart grapes. It was delightful. So, this week, think about what gifts you need to enjoy right now, before they fade. It could be something you love to do during this particular time of the year or a gift for yourself you finally have the ability to purchase. Whatever it is, make an effort to be intentional in giving it, remembering that enjoyment begets enjoyment, and that you are worthy of receiving support and love from yourself, too.

• Three of Cups: This card always makes me think of cocktail recipes, so we’re going there! I’ve been enjoying “Bee’s Knees”: 2 oz. gin, 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz. honey syrup (1 part honey dissolved in 1 part water), shaken in ice and strained into the prettiest glass at your disposal. Any fancy libation will do, just make sure you enjoy with two or more people, and raise your glasses to good company, love, and the joy of being alive.

Weekly Forecast: August 22-28

Heartache is back on the menu this week, but it’s not an unfamiliar dish. We’re still dealing with the tenderness that came to the surface two weeks ago when the Three of Swords was our central card. Now, however, it’s leading us into the week. We’ve been striding side by side with our tender hearts, getting to know each other. What challenging feelings have been accompanying you lately, and how much more friendly can you be to yourself now that you’ve had some time to better understand what you’re going through?

This is a week to give your heart what it needs. It’s not for nothing that the pain in our first cards comes from three swords stuck in a robust red heart. In tarot, swords deal with the mind; let’s not use our thoughts to twist the swords lodged in our hearts. Self-criticism, beating up on yourself because there’s nothing else you can do to escape challenging situations - all of this will only prolong our suffering. It brings to mind picking at a scab, whether out of anxiety, discomfort, or boredom. Ultimately, we re-open the wound, and let the painful cycle repeat itself.

It’s worth considering if there’s some ritualized act going on. Are you using your swords-like capacities - reasoning, logic, argument - to re-open your wounds? Do you feel more comfortable arguing with your feelings than actually experiencing them? (And)/or are you hiding a fear of what would happen if you let these wounds heal? What would happen then?

Well, this reading has a lovely alternate path for us to take. The Six of Cups shows a place of sanctuary and the healing that can happen when we step away from the piercing questions of the swords and into the replenishing waters of the cups. This is a deeply intimate and personal card that calls on themes of innocence, nostaligia, and childhood. Spend as much time as you can reconnecting with what brings you pure, unadulterated joy or deep relaxation. You may find inspiration in your childhood interests - look for gestures, rituals, and activities that remove you from the sharp thoughts circulating in your mind, gently placing you in a softer, calmer state. In true cups fashion, these will involve themes of beauty, poetry, love, and emotion.

So while this isn’t a resounding “yes!” of a reading, it is, in my opinion, quite meaningful and encouraging. We’ve been doing the hard work of staying with our hearts, even when they’re aching. Even if it hasn’t felt like we’ve made the progress we imagined, it may be because we’re seeking a solution to a problem that isn’t even a problem to begin with. Having a beating heart means it will be hurt eventually, and how else would we remember the preciousness of being alive?

It will be important to make room for rest in the beginning of the week, as things shift notably from internal witnessing and healing to the very busy, externally-oriented Seven of Wands. This card could go two ways, and it definitely shows us that we’ll have some finessing to do if we want to avoid angsty burnout or needless conflict.

Taken mindfully, this card shows an increase in energy and willpower - healing in service of growth through action - that will have us wrestling with our lives in real-time. Challenging? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

If we rush through the Three of Swords and Six of Cups, however, or try to avoid their messages, we may find ourselves wanting to vent our frustrations on those around us, creating unnecessary drama and conflict as a means of distraction. Be on the lookout for irritation, judgmental thoughts, and the urge to push through your own agenda. The next stage will require some force and initiative, but it should be the kind that gives you a rush of enthusiasm and focus, not angst or resentment.

This week, embrace:

• Taking time to rest

• Self-compassion, being with your suffering

• Getting in touch with your senses

• Pastimes, places, and people that make you feel safe and connected to your true self

• Re-entering a challenge with focus and humility

This week, avoid:

• Rumination, self-criticism, spinning stories to fill the void

• Illusions of control

• Fast-forwarding subtle or difficult growth

• Venting your frustrations on others

• Workaholism

Get creative:

• Three of Swords: This week we’re focused more on the swords in our hearts. What are they, specifically? Take some time to identify the top three ways you’ve been using your mind to (re)injure yourself in moments of vulnerability, sadness, or suffering. Just practice awareness of these when they pop up, nothing more.

• Six of Cups: One facet of this card we didn’t touch on is space. Here, we have an interior courtyard, a place that’s both open and protected. Choose a space in your life this week, real or imagined/mental, to which you can retreat when you feel overwhelmed by the stormy emotions of the three of swords. Don’t skimp on creature comforts - this is a week where every little bit of coziness counts, and it’s actually combatting the harmful jabs and barbs of the Three of Swords. You may want to invite a trusted friend or family member to join you there and share in both the burden and bounty of your emotional experience.

• Seven of Wands: Well isn’t this an angsty character? There’s something about this card that reminds me of a training montage. That moment in a movie when our hero has to undergo a grueling regimen of exercises and challenges to build endurance, preferably set to a blaring pump-up jam. It may help to imagine yourself in a similar heroic situation when important constructive challenges arise. Channel your bristling energy, embrace that it’ll be difficult, and revel in the strength you’ll be building.

Weekly Forecast: August 15-21

I’m curious about your first impression of this reading. These cards are direct, even a little confrontational, and from my “tarot trained” eyes, they provide a strong contrast to the impressionistic, fluid readings we’ve been experiencing lately. This summer has seen a lot of change (not to mention questions of identity, and restlessness, but this week big questions come to a head: we’re finally in a position to get conclusive answers and make pivotal decisions. First, however, we need to seek out support and input.

Where do we go when we need knowledge and guidance? Who do we go to for insight into tricky questions or during moments when our path is unclear? It’s not surprising that a card that has gone by the title “The Pope” comes with some baggage, and true to its themes, The Hierophant can reflect situations when institutionalized or traditional sources of knowledge and guidance are restrictive and even destructive. Not this week, however, because we’re entering into the space of this powerful card with the discernment and clarity of The Queen of Swords.

Swords have been front and center in our readings lately. We were visited by the intense, grief-stricken Three of Swords last week, which led us to a new and inspired search for answers. So we have a linear progression here - the themes of last week, particularly the insights we gained by facing them, has led us to a position of increased awareness and power. Take some time to consider how much more secure and informed you feel coming into this week. What do you know now that was out of reach just a few days ago? We’ve made the journey from Page to Queen - a tarot promotion! Allow this change to sink in and trust that the new information has transformed you.

True to the themes of healing brought up last week, we’ve been making big and surprising strides in the area of our lives most impacted by the stormy emotions of the Three of Swords. The feeling I’m getting is one of discovering and asking the right questions. Something about reconsidering and revisiting our grief - both old and new - last week has led us to powerfully transformative questions. And when we discover these and ask them a la the Page of Swords, it can be surprising how far they take us. If inhabiting the Queen of Swords feels too advanced or you’re gripped by a desire for caution and slowness that’s holding you back, remember that this card is all about wielding one’s mind responsibly and with confidence. Now that we know what we know, it’s time to act on that knowledge and let it shape our lives.

Not only this, but the Queen of Swords, like all queens in tarot, is adaptive, flexible, and innovative. Our seeking isn’t about blunt and prescriptive answers, it’s about using the truth of our perceptions, beliefs, and desires to shape a life that’s meaningful for ourselves and others. That will look different for all of us, but it brings about more justice and equity in the world at large.

Which brings us to The Hierophant. This week is a time to look outwards and seek support, guidance, community, and connection. It’s likely that the parts of your life this card touches will have to do with your experience of the Three of Swords in last week’s reading. Where has your grief or woundedness held you back? What part of your life does it impact the most? It’s clear that there’s a great deal of supportive energy around finding guidance and support with these issues, and they may not be obvious. Keep an open mind towards gatherings, group opportunities, and forms of education. Going into these spaces with the self-respect and intellectual powers of the Queen of Swords puts us at a unique advantage to sift out any boring, limited, or extraneous content. If groups or more formalized learning situations aren’t your thing, in other words, you can still gain something potent from them this week while feeling extra-empowered to take what you need and truly leave the rest behind.

There’s an interesting convergence happening around The Hierophant as well. We see the Queen of Swords partner, The King of Swords, on the other side of this card, almost as if they’re both meeting within its hallowed halls, taking on the roles of the two supplicants in the foreground. Perhaps a chance encounter with a powerful ally is in the works this week? Be on the lookout for someone similarly astute and questioning who is maybe a bit more blunt, assertive, and openly ambitious. Partnerships forged in riveting conversation, similar aspirations, and complimentary characteristics are very much supported by this week’s reading. Whether it’s business, pleasure, or a combination of the two, it’s likely that you’ll meet, reconnect with, or have an exchange with someone asking similar questions to you and who can give you a pivotal piece of information about your journey.

This week, embrace:

• Making big decisions

• Settling into a newfound sense of independence, self-direction, and knowledge

• Processing how your healing is telling you where to go next

• Healthy discernment

• Trusting your perceptions and ideas

• Learning opportunities: groups, classes, gatherings

• New connections or re-connections with like-minded people

• Partnerships, launching business ventures, communicating something new

• Taking on a position of authority

This week, avoid:

• Equivocating

• Downplaying your knowledge and experience

• Eating your words

• Hermiting/excessive solitude

• Looking for perfection in group or learning situations

Get creative:

• The Queen of Swords: This card seems to be bridging the gap between our final card last week, The Page of Swords. Both have cloudy backgrounds, suggesting there’s still some clarity we need to find around our grief and pain shown in the Three of Swords. The storm clouds haven’t quite departed - what can we learn from them? Spend some time in the beginning of the week contemplating how you’ve navigated this recent rough patch. How did you handle this difficult situation and what are you proud of? Since swords deal with communication, I highly suggest writing a sincere and precise letter of appreciation to yourself. Get specific, lay it all out, and let yourself be fed both by your growth and your love for yourself.

• The Hierophant: Sometimes I feel like hefty cards like this need simple, digestible action. In that spirit, find some way to learn something in a group. That’s it! Possible ideas: take a class, attend a seminar, listen to a podcast with three or more people, host a salon with your friends, read tarot in a group… anything that brings people together to gain and exchange knowledge. It does not have to be big or flashy, because I think that will be coming of its own accord IRL; this gesture is to simply augment/call in/bolster the energy of the card.

• King of Swords: Do you remember those dating boardgames from the 80s and 90s? The ones with the baseball card-esque decks of boyfriends, complete with stats and personal anecdotes? Since this card is appearing as a potential ally entering into your life, let’s get embarrassingly granular. Spend a moment writing down the ideal traits and characteristics of a person who would be a powerful partner in whichever area of your life this reading is touching on. What is your ideal King of Swords? Some questions to get you started: What do they believe in? How do they communicate? What is their guiding value in life?

Weekly Forecast: August 1-7

Well, judging by the cards above, August is starting out with a bang, not a whimper. A bang that leads to plenty of whimpering? I think so.

As we can see, we’re visited by one of the most arresting images in tarot, The Tower. A humbling experience, this card shows us what happens when a structure we’ve staked our sense of security on crumbles spectacularly. There’s no way around it; this is a challenging and often painful experience. Yet it’s important to note this: whatever is crumbling was meant to fall.

The Queen of Cups is extending her graces throughout the month. Not only is she leading us into the week, she’s the official “card of the month” in August’s forecast. This queen challenges us to remain connected to both our emotional/intutive selves and our practical selves. Rather than seeing these forces as in conflict, The Queen of Cups embraces the complimentary nature of passion and responsibility. Can we use our practical, problem-solving skills to be responsible for our own passions: desire, beauty, and connection?

Having The Queen of Cups leading off both this week and the month as a whole is telling us that the skills we’ve been practicing (and the facets of ourselves that we’re becoming acquainted with) are coming into focus right now. In fact, they’re the key to our growth and, perhaps on some level, survival.

Because, yes, The Tower can sometimes show us moments when we have to deal with something that feels annihilating. And, like everything in tarot, this occurs on a spectrum. Each of our experiences of The Tower this week will vary in intensity. It could be an external event, a shift in our self-perception, or something we’ve depended on crumbling before our eyes.

Take time to devote your loving attention to yourself this week, and reacquaint yourself with all the ways you’ve stepped into prioritizing your emotional and spiritual development. This is a time to re-commit to any self-care and spiritual practices that make you feel whole, centered, and alive. The Queen of Cups isn’t a flashy card at first glance, but she emits a magnetic pull, one of a person who knows themselves deeply and is committed to staying present for all facets of life, including the painful parts.

I wonder, too, if The Tower may represent a backlash to the new and increasingly bold ways we’ve been drawing boundaries to protect our inner space and creative/romantic/spiritual lives. Again, remembering that The Tower needs to crumble will be pivotal. In some cases, we don’t even need to participate in the collapse. If there’s someone around you being harmfully dramatic or reactive, simply stay in the lush and healing world you’ve been cultivating for yourself. Like the Queen of Cups, keep your foot dipped into the waters of your emotional truth, feel the beauty of the world around you, and let it all nourish you no matter how intense the rest of the world may be.

The King of Cups enters the scene and I’m feeling this card as an external presence. Look for someone in your life whose emotional maturity equals yours and whose ways of coping, understanding, and living with The Tower compliments your own. In other words, there’s partnership to be found in this moment of difficulty that may end up being pivotal. Think of allies, supporters, and mentors: who can stand with you and reinforce your experience of reality?

There’s no way around it, this is challenging energy. Yet I can’t think of a better team to face the intensity of The Tower. I’m also reminded of the immense difficulty of witnessing something or someone crumble. Both The Queen and King of Cups embody fluid, strong, and healthy boundaries. If you feel pulled to rescue, compensate, or intervene in someone else’s tower moment, don’t. There’s so much to take in from the seat of power you’ve carved for yourself - rushing into someone else's flames won’t help either of you.

This week, embrace:

• Re-committing to your personal practices

• Prioritizing beauty, deeper meaning, and spirituality

• Emotionally mature supporters and partners

• Your choices to lead a life that works for you

• Facing uncomfortable truths

• Embracing the healing potential of collapse, endings

This week, avoid:

• Getting sucked into drama, bids for rescue

• Catastrophizing

• Reacting immediately instead of reflecting

• Savior-complexes

• Changing your beliefs, choices to accommodate others

Get creative:

• Queen of Cups: It feels like we’ll need a sanctuary this week. I have several ideas: 1) An actual space - make a nook that really goes for it in terms of showcasing your romantic, poetic side. Pillows and string lights? Objects of beauty? Line them up! 2) A ritual you can turn to - think of something that makes you feel connected with your body and emotions. Meditation? A languorous bath? A walk in nature? Hold this in your back pocket and use it when you encounter The Tower. 3) A mental space - if you don’t have one already, think of a place you can travel to in your imagination. Like option 1, it should contain things and exist in an environment that makes you feel both safe and inspired. Unlike option 1, it’s not contained by the pesky rules of reality! Get decadent and travel there when you feel the destructive pull of The Tower.

• King of Cups: While we’ll likely have a King of Cups IRL, I think this would be a good opportunity to identify King(s) in other places. Who do you view as an emotional role model? Someone who inspires you with their maturity, poise, and dedication? I think we run a risk of playing it small this week or muting our seeking dreamer selves, so this person or people should be trailblazers, too, people unafraid to live life on their own terms: authors, poets, artists, and more. List or simply visit these people’s work as you go through the week so you can remain connected to your larger self and a world beyond however the tower is manifesting right now.

• The Tower: This one in simple: wait. If something is collapsing in your life, just let it fall. The Tower can invite panic and frenzied action. Resist the impulse. Time allows the fire to die down, the clouds to disperse, and the reality on the ground to become real.

Weekly Forecast: July 25-31

Sometimes the most straightforward readings are the hardest to write about. I drew these cards on Sunday and immediately felt a sense of excitement and recognition. Here is a reading about gratitude, abundance, and important next steps in search of something meaningful. Wonderful! So why was it so hard to sit down and translate these cards into words?

Rather than force it, I decided to do what usually calms me when I’m feeling edgy and creatively thwarted: cleaning. I thumped around my house, flinging closet doors open, excavating odd tchotchkes from forgotten corners, emptying drawers of shriveled tubes of ointment and scattered cosmetic samples. I had all sorts of narratives about what was “happening” chomping at the bit, ready to run free and take over - something was wrong, I’d lost my touch, if I didn’t write now, I’d never write at all! Antsy and irritated, I channeled these feelings into action, noticing the treasures that surround me: the row of photographs above the mantel, a bouquet of flowers from a friend, a bedspread that I unequivocally adore. Laying my hands on actual objects in my home was calming and kept the stories at bay.

After ceremoniously dumping an armful of items that have always irritated me into boxes for donation, I felt a wave of calm come over me. I’d made a change, removed small things that tied me to stale memories or unhelpful feelings (hello, the guilt of keeping weird gifts you don’t actually like!); I felt both cleansed by my stomping about and connected to my environment.

And then I had a hearty chuckle. Standing there actually panting from irritation and exertion, I realized that I’d completely enacted the story of our first two cards: the Nine of Cups and Seven of Swords. Here, we see a need to focus on our emotional connection to what gives us meaning in our lives (cups) while diverting the restlessness and meaning-making that can distract us from what really matters (swords). Underneath both of these cards is a massive upwelling of energy - creative, ambitious, irrepressible. Which begs the question: What is trying to come through you this week and, most importantly, how do you feel when creativity comes knocking? It may be wily and strange, even uncomfortable. Where do you go when you feel this urge to change, create, or grow? Do you mistake this burgeoning energy with something else entirely or try to repress it?

It’s going to be important this week to cultivate a sense of curiosity around this. Some of us may be well acquainted with how creative energy moves through us. Others, like myself, might not recognize it at first. Treat this topic as a new land to explore. Gather your notebook and get out into the field to observe.

It’s likely that there will be some challenge and conflict involved. The Seven of Swords is a sneaky character, and there will be a tendency this week to overanalyze the situation, perhaps as a way of escaping something good and generative. What stories do you tell yourself about your ability to change your life? Where do you go and what do you do to escape exciting and challenging growth?

The Nine of Cups leads the charge this week and, while being a resoundingly positive card, it is nonetheless quite confrontational for some people. Watch out for fears and limiting beliefs around displaying happiness, satisfaction, and affection. And, most of all, being content with what you have. It will be helpful to look around you and see what bounty you have to offer. Is your perception of your resources, both emotional and material, in line with how you present yourself to the world? You may want to ask trusted others about where you hide your talents, gifts, and the sparkling parts of your personality people want to see more of.

While we can expect some prickliness, this card tells us that these things are already here. It’s not a question of seeking, building, or cultivating. Look around you (clean your house?) and get friendly with the abundance in your life, especially emotional and spiritual abundance. Gather strength and confidence from your close relationships, call up old friends, reach out, and share what you have.

There’s a pull to escape into the intellectual realm in order to avoid and protect this week. The Seven of Swords has been popping up left and right these days. Have a sense of humor about your trickster self, but don’t take their messages seriously. This week is a time to sit with your feelings and your gifts, not spin elaborate stories about what they mean or explain away beauty and wonder.

A powerful pull to walk towards the unknown arrives at the end of the week. It turns out staying where we are and being curious about ourselves is leaving space for a new path to emerge. There is some melancholy and wistfulness here, however. The Eight of Cups is a profound and mature card. What path are you headed towards that is yours and yours alone? This is a card that asks us to consult our deepest self about what’s next and no one else. You may find it helpful to retreat from outside information and excitement so you can better tune into yourself. The new steps, however, are emotionally powerful and can lead to something immensely heart-centered and nourishing. Trust yourself and make room for fear and trepidation; the risk is worth if if you’re heart is with you.

This week, embrace:

• Counting your blessings

• Being proud of what you bring to relationships

• Connecting with cherished friends and new acquaintances

• Finding and engaging with creative outlets

• Observing what wants to come through you

• Tuning into your intuition for guidance

This week, avoid:

• Naysayers!

• False modesty

• Overextending yourself

• Seeking solace or safety in “more” (people, possessions, projects, etc.)

Get creative:

• Nine of Cups: Cups are all about feelings, so resist the urge to overanalyze this prompt (hi there, Seven of Swords, we see you!). Think about the beautiful, nourishing, and consistent things you have going for you in these three areas of your life: relationships, spirituality (or, depending on your belief system/preferences, creativity/intuition/nature), and beauty. Write down three things for each. Get creative with the categories, too, or simply float over them and just think of nine things you’re grateful for right now that give you a sense of connection to your best or higher self. These are your nine cups. Spend the week caring for them and appreciating them (and practicing holding them aloft for all to see without shame).

• Seven of Swords: This week, I’m feeling the call to balance this card with an element not present in our reading. Think of it as reading the negative space in our spread. Like my very quotidian personal example of cleaning the house, the intellectual intensity of the swords is best tamed by the grounding element of earth. So, think pentacles this week - what can you do to get our of your head and into your body? Some suggestions: exercise, massage, gardening, and…yes… good old fashioned house cleaning.

• Eight of Cups: Ooh, I really feel like this card is going to lead us some places. There’s a lot of mystery here, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the new moon on Thursday. Since we have a lot of supportive energy here (happy, high-level cups cards), it may be helpful to choose and create the darkness we’ll be charting our path through. Find some time in the dusk or evening to be with yourself. A stroll down the driveway or through the neighborhood would do. But make it magical and meaningful, guided by the question: What steps can I feel my inner self start to take and how can I help clear the path in my outer life?