The Glorious Mess of Authentic Growth

I was so relieved to turn over these cards - finally a gentle(r) reading! After a spate of intense tarot images, things begin to soften this week. We begin with the perspective of the Three of Wands, feeling clear eyed and ready for change. This is a very generative card. Think of how you’ve been secretly making moves towards a goal or vision. Have your actions, subconscious or un-labeled, been pointing you towards a secret desire? A path you’d like to continue down?

I love how this card instructs us to act as a sleuth. As we peer into our recent movements, what do we see? The Three of Wands shows us opening up to possibilities and these possibilities are very active; they’re unfolding in the world around us, on the ground - the arena - where the action happens. It’s not the conceptual action of the Two of Wands where planning is its own rewarding task. Instead, the energetic charge of life itself leads us where we need to go. Let yourself get curious and excited about whatever opportunities are making themselves known this week. Try new things and let yourself envision what might happen if you continue to do more of what you’re enjoying right now.

The earlier cards in the Minor Arcana have a tender excitement to them. They remind us that beginnings are full of magic, and although we might feel some pressure to rush through them and into something more established, taking the time to feel their charge can lead us to places we couldn’t envision on our own. Because of this, the beginning of the week is a wonderful time to let yourself delight in the pleasures of whatever you’re doing. In fact, see where the pleasure is coming from - might it point you to something important? An edit that could bring everything together, a clue that reveals a new talent or emerging facet of your personality, or even a risk that you’re now read to take.

Although the coloring of this deck is a little loopy, you may notice that the Three of Wands features a body of water. Placed next to our second card, The Star, it's as if this water flows into the calming pool to the right. I’m seeing these two cards as being in direct conversation with each other. Paying attention to and following the growth and energy of the Three of Wands is, in some way, an act of healing. In the other direction, engaging in healing via The Star enables us to step more confidently into the future emerging in the Three of Wands.

There’s a natural focus happening here. Let yourself trust the rhythm of your growth and healing. How have both become more closely intertwined? What do you notice as you continue to tend to your inner world while reaching towards the outer? There may be some back-and-forth, a need to explore and then retreat. This is natural and part of our process this week, like the in breath and out breath. Rhythm and consistency may be important and even inspiring as we move through the next few days.

The end of the week brings a different but equally important energy - the chaotic Five of Wands. Looking at this card, it would be easy to recoil a bit. It’s not the calm and enlivening world of the Three of Wand or Star at all. There are so many people! So much push and pull! Yet I’m heartened by the fact that we’re moving up in the sequence, going from the three to the five. In tarot, these cards - the middle point in each group of the Minor Arcana - represent a moment of challenge. Sure, it would be nice to stay in the placid world of The Star, but doing so would also restrict our growth. We’re not meant to stay protected forever. Be aware that transitioning out of this experience will feel like a jolt to the system, but try not to fight against it. Whatever challenge the week gives us, we’re ready for it, and we can always return to the rejuvenating practices of The Star and the perspective of the Three of Wands to regain focus and strength before jumping back into the fray.

Occasionally, a five will give us a choice: to proceed or abandon our path and plans. Readings can be vague here - it’s up to us! But this week is different and I feel confident saying that whatever challenges the Five of Wands represent are worth pushing through. In fact, they’re signs that we’re on the right track. Backed by The Star and the Three of Wands, we have more than enough focus and wisdom to navigate whatever the Five of Wands gives us.

Because of this, it’s worth noting that the issues that appear in the areas of our life that touch on wands themes - ambition, movement, creativity, passion - might be smaller than they seem. Look for good intentions when working with people. This card can often represent conflict arising from well-meaning but overly enthusiastic people/social situations. And, above all, practice reveling in mess and chaos. Some of the jostle of this card might end up being enjoyable, inspiring, or even fun, especially if we’re able to step away from our expectations.