Over It (and Onwards!)

Hello everyone, thank you for bearing with this late forecast. The holiday wildness swept me away, and here we are on Tuesday diving into a new batch of cards. Last week’s reading ended up being wildly pertinent to my life (using the Queen of Cups’ equanimity and understanding to navigate conflict… oof!) and I’m very excited to see what the cards have to say about this next phase.

Before we begin, a few quick announcements:

If you’ve been here a while, you know I have a somewhat perverse affinity with the “difficult” cards in the deck, so when I saw that the Ten of Swords was up first in our reading, my immediate thought was, “Yes!!” Why one earth would I be so into this heinous image, you might wonder? Well, after my exerperience with the Five of Wands last week, this card really fits my energy. And, yes, I am being a little bit dramatic. I am not, in fact, expiring on a beach. But a part of my soul is!

I’m being a little cheeky here, but also enjoying the way this reading is resonating. It’s actually quite in line with the latest installment of “Ask a Tarot Reader” on the podcast, where a listener asked about how to deal with challenging cards. Sometimes, these cards reflect our feelings rather than an actual event. So part of me feels like I’m lying stabbed on a beach, utterly flattened by a situation, but it’s not all of me. And, in fact, I haven’t been flattened IRL. This is good news. What can I do about it?

This is all making me think of how a lot of people first get into tarot when they’re teenagers. It’s an angsty time and the archetypal imagery of tarot really captures all of the heightened emotions that accompany our growth into adulthood. Being an adult, it also seems, reveals a potentially-universal truth: you never really feel fully grown and these phases of angst - mini-adolesences - pop up periodically. How dignified!

In the coming days we’re seeing how a personal transition is unfolding in a less graceful way than we hoped or intended. See if you can reframe belly-flops, finding yourself face-down on a desolate shore, and simply being over it as moments of growth, even triumph. Because this is a ten of swords and we had a five centering our reading last week, it’s possible that a recent annoyance or conflict has revealed a phase, relationship, or project that’s simply not working. (5 x 2 = 10. Some energy has doubled, even metastisized? Here I am, being dramatic again!) Walking away from a vision or situation may be the most important thing we can do for ourselves and, thankfully though not enjoyably, the Ten of Swords shows us that this message is anything but subtle. We can’t miss it, but we do have to get through it.

The key to moving on is, refreshingly, the Eight of Pentacles. I’ve been seeing this card and its presence in our collective readings as a taciturn yet supportive teacher. The coach that looks at you struggling and, instead of relieving you with an easier assignment or going overboard with encouragement, simply nods and says “you can do it, keep going.” Identify what you’ve been working on - an ongoing project, as the Eight of Pentacles represents a longer-tem endeavor or goal - and let your devotion to it fuel your life. Prioritizing time and space to work will help soothe the difficulties of the Ten of Swords part of your experience while giving you the opportunity to invest in your future. There may be a social component to this, too, as the Five of Wands from last week showed discord in groups or spaces that require collaboration. Don’t let this energy distract you from your practical goals. Continuing to invest in yourself while moving forward is the quickest and most sustainable way out of th Ten of Swords headspace if you’re also gentle and accepting of yourself along the way.

We end the week with the intrepid Page of Wands. A burst of energy is just around the corner! I’m seeing this as a breakthrough from the confusing swamp of conflict and mental overload from the Five of Wands and Ten of Swords. Trust in your individual vision and experience, especially when it comes to what lights you up and feels energizing. Your individual voice, wants, and needs will be integral for the next stage. Prioritizing space from draining situations and people will help you grow the spark that comes into your awareness as the week comes to a close. You can do it, keep going.