Tending to Your Wild Realm

This post is coming to you on a Tuesday because, in a rare fit of wisdom, I decided to lean into the collective experience and give myself Memorial Day off. There’s something about a block of time that’s held by a group of people in the same way - almost like a spell that’s being cast - that invites a feeling of safety and sacredness. In other words, I didn’t feel quite so guilty stepping out of my routine and relaxing.

Strangely, while puttering around the house and daydreaming, I found myself yearning to write a forecast. The more I write these (and it’s been going on seven years now), the more I come to rely on them. I want to know what the week holds, too! I also realize, however, that these readings are more than a writing exercise; they’re an act of seeing in an intuitive sense that is, to be frank, sometimes taxing. This has always been the case, but something lately has been bringing me home to myself, inspiring me to see the work I do here in a different light. Strange as it may seem, I still chafe at calling this an intuitive or spiritual act, when it very much is!

Part of this is recognizing when it’s best not to read: When you’re stressed out, overburdened, or overwhelmed by emotion. Or, like yesterday, when you’re feeling burnt to a crisp by modern life.

There can also a sense that a reading is out there, waiting, and not quite ready to materialize. I used to have this feeling in college when working on a long paper. After sequestering myself in the library and researching, gathering books and articles like a squirrel hoarding nuts, I’d experience a strange sensation of blankness. I’d pace around outside, go home, look out my window on the top floor of a Baltimore rowhouse. It felt lazy, but also deeply necessary. And then the feeling would dissipate. Something would click in. And I’d sit down at the computer and let the words unfurl.

I’m having this sensation today, and after trusting myself to unwind, I’m doubly excited to see our first card on the table, The Empress. We haven’t seen this archetype of abundance and power in quite some time. It’s the first card in the Major Arcana sequence that brings us into the wild, expansive, and unpredictable world of nature. The “real world,” in other words. This week, it’s inviting us to tend to our surroundings, immerse ourselves in experience, and use our senses to nourish our creativity and ambitions.

As a card associated with nature, The Empress invites us to trust the seasons of our emotions and energy. Sometimes we’re bursting with ideas and ambition, and others we’re drawn inwards to let things process and percolate. Notice how you’ve been prioritizing caring for yourself, trusting your intuition, and getting close with your surroundings. These are all acts of power, even though they may not be seen as such in our culture.

The Empress also brings in an air of mystery and potential. Change may be on the horizon, so note the ways you’re finding yourself called to ground yourself, gather your resources, and realign with what really matters. This, thankfully, is a very joyful process. Pleasure, celebration, and even a little decadence is on the menu as we uplift ourselves so that we can better move into the future.

Speaking of which, our next two cards are extremely forward-facing. The Page of Wands and Knight of Cups show two different parts of us marching forward from the lush lands of The Empress. It’s making me think that the efforts we make early this week to celebrate ourselves, our communities, and explore our senses will be instrumental in fueling our goals. We can think of this page and knight as emissaries being sent from the realm of The Empress. How can we supply these parts of ourselves with the tools and resources they need to succeed?

The Page of Wands represents a goal in the external world, most likely having to do with career or creativity. Is there something you want to learn, launch, or lean into? Do it this week and from a place of abundance, joy, and excitement. This will best be done with an open mind, unabashed energy, and lots of humility. The pages are just staring out, young and gawky. Expect to make some missteps or even fall on your face, but in the most charming way possible. Don’t hide being an amateur, it could actually help you immensely.

Meanwhile, the Knight of Cups shows us making headway into an area regarding relationships, spirituality, or self-expression that we’ve already been working on. Notice where you’ve been taking risks and have perhaps graduated from page-level awkwardness to impressive proficiency. Use your Empress self - your connection to nature, self-care practices, and strong sense of identity - to forge new territory. Take risks, ask for what you want, and pursue what has deep meaning for you.

Doing what you need to ensure that your actions are in service of your full self and a lush and fulfilled life won’t always make sense to other people. It might not always make sense to you in the moment, much like my instinctive day off. However, this week has the promise to show us how small acts of enjoyment can build our strength while keeping us rooted in the present. Tending to ourselves is an act of courage in this busy world, and we’re going to need it fully as we launch our endeavors via the Page of Wands and continue our pursuit of meaning with the Knight of Cups.