Entering a New Era

This is such a joyous spread, dear readers. Almost so joyous that I’m afraid to dive in and put it in writing. But I’m here on a mission - to read tarot for you! - so in we go.

I’ve done a lot of tarot readings and a lot of weekly forecasts, which means that I’ve had to write about difficult subjects. Death, grief, loss, catastrophe - the experiences held in cards that would make a wizened crone in a B movie gasp in horror as she turns them over. You know the ones: The Tower, Death, the Three of Swords.

If you look at my most popular posts, it turns out almost all of them feature these cards. While they’re upsetting to look at, their presence in readings opens the door for discussions on these difficult facets of life. Things are hard, there’s no way around it, and it’s affirming to give words to this and share the experience.

The nicer cards and the happier readings are, unexpectedly, trickier. A pet theory of mine is that we find it uncomfortable to speak openly of joy, possibility, and success, afraid we’ll invite in bad luck, criticism, or be seen as boastful. As a result we don’t have a robust vocabulary for these experiences. There might be beauty here. Joy is just joy, right? But I’d like to peer a little deeper this week, especially since our reading features three bright, beautiful, and positive cards.

Our array starts with one of my favorite cards in the deck, the Four of Wands. I’m seeing this as the context for our week; we’ve been busy building and/or deconstructing our life so that it has a sustaining balance between order and chaos, structure and freedom, connection and independence. Look at the bounty in this card! A canopy of fruit, flowers, and leaves is strewn between four wands. While they’re mostly stripped of greenery, small tufts of leaves sprout from their tops. The scaffolding in our lives is very much alive, solid, and growing.

Think about the ways that you’ve been creating a vibrant life for yourself recently. What have you been cultivating? What have you been pruning? As a wands card, this four is all about action, so the details of your situation might not be immediately evident. In other words, you’re already doing it, and have been for some time; now, the task is to name it so that you can continue to grow with intention. What happy accidents, bursts of inspiration, or new strategies have brought you a sense of contentment and promise?

I love the Four of Wands because it shows us how structure can give us both protection and freedom. You have to relax to be in the Four of Wands, trusting that you don’t need heavy stone walls to keep you safe. In this vein, take a moment to commend yourself for daring to make changes in your life - these edits are often difficult, especially when they expose us to scrutiny and risk. While we can read the story of the Minor Arcana from one to ten, we can also read it in reverse, as a jourey back to the source and what really matters. Congratulate yourself on the wands you’ve put down recently: the relationships that sapped your energy; the projects that kept your wheels spinning; the ambitions that were never actually yours to begin with. Four open wands are, it turns out, more than enough if they’re the right ones for you. Plus, you’re not alone.

Gathering our supporters close brings this week a sense of celebration. It’s likely there’s something in your life that needs its time in the spotlight. This may come naturally - an event or milestone - or require a little digging. Whatever it may be, get loud and boisterous about it. Four of Wands situations are deceptively simple, but they don’t come along all that often or by accident. Give loving, enthusiastic credit where credit is due, both to yourself and your co-collaborators.

So, yes, we’ve seen the Four of Wands before, it’s true. But it’s been a long, long while since we’ve had a visit from our central card, the final archerype of the Major Arcana, The World. While beautiful, this card is incredibly epic. We’ve reached the end of chapter, dear readers. Maybe even a volume of the collected works of our life story. That the Four of Wands leads us into this card is very interesting. I’m seeing it as a way of identifying, articulating, and celebrating our hand in creating a meaningful life. We’ve been doing the work, dancing the dance, and while it felt small at the moment, it’s not small at all. We’ve arrived.

There’s a chance that this arrival isn’t epic or obvious. The feeling I’m getting from this reading is gentle contentment. I’ve had some very profound experiences with The World card that did not feel at all profound in the moment. Insights are hiding in simplicity this week. If you’re feeling dissatisfied and prone to self-deprecation, wait it out. Don’t make rash moves. The presence of ease isn’t a sign of inconsequence. This week, it’s quite the opposite.

Our overall card for August is the difficult Five of Pentacles which shows us grappling with issues around career, money, and caring for our lives. At the end of the week, however, we seem to have an answer to this quandary, or at least a first step, in the charming Page of Pentacles. Look at the wonderful similarities between this card and the Four of Wands. Both are lit from behind by a vivid lemon yellow, the color of creativity. This surge of energy has been building for some time, and after a new perspective of our larger journey via The World we’re figuring out how to harness this energy to sustain our lives.

Pay enthusiastic attention to how our feeling of liveliness, passion, and motivation translates into any possible new paths to help support your life. Pages are the novices of tarot; this does not have to be big. It shouldn’t be big. This is a huge reason why I love this reading so much. It’s telling us that we are enough as is, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and that the most practical thing we can do is identify what lights us up and then, in true pentacles fashion, slowly, deliberately, and delightedly invest in it as we move forward.

If you’re not feeling The World, don’t despair. As I mentioned above, this card can be strangely tricky. After all, how many big life shifts have you experienced that didn’t reveal themselves s consequential until later? I’m thinking about how I moved to North Carolina without much thought, assuming I’d leave after a year or so. Well, that was ten years ago, and this has ended up being a better home than I could’ve imagined and the backdrop for many pivotal events in my adult life.

Rather than try to force an understanding of The World, lean into its movement. Some tarot readers call this card “the world dancer,” which I used to think was incredibly cheesy. Over the years I’ve become less of a butt, and also seen how leaning into the motion of change can help shake off uncertainty, or at the very least wake us up to our own vitality and energy. Paired with the motion-loving wands cards, this theme seems especially relevant. Get out there this week, dance around your kitchen or with friends, feel the wind in your face. It might reveal some hidden insights or it might just feel really nice.

The title for this new era might not be obvious yet, but it will come in time.