Weekly Forecast: February 20-26
After weeks of big, existential readings we come down to earth and into a somewhat chaotic situation. I’m hoping, however, that this contrast will be refreshing, as we take what we’ve learned from our experience of Major Arcana cards like Strength, and apply them to the minutiae of our daily lives.
And, to be honest, it sometimes feels good to get back into the rhythm of taking care of business, and no card expresses this mixture of strenuous action and deep satisfaction better than the Seven of Wands. Tasks, projects, bids for attention - all manners of requests on our time are surfacing in the beginning of the week. See where you can find pleasure in checking things off your to-do list. Have you been stuck in your head, deep in analysis, planning, and hypothetical scenarios? The demands of life might feel like a welcome change of pace. Let your focus land on the task that’s immediately at hand; it’s likely that another one is right behind it, and you may enjoy this game of whack-a-mole once you get warmed up to the intensity.
There’s also something mysterious underneath the motion and occasional stress of the Seven of Wands. Sometimes this card can reflect an internal angst that’s surfacing through hyper-productivity or lots of motion. Are we trying to outrun something? Propel ourselves into a future we can’t quite pinpoint? What’s clear, however, is that we have something important to work out, and the only way to do that is through action, experimentation, and actual lived experiences. In this moment, mild discomfort, irritation, and friction are an important part of the process and not a sign to abandon our course of action.
I’ve written a lot about how the sevens in tarot have this strange, fairytale logic, and in the case of the Seven of Wands, it’s a moment of trust: that our instincts will lead us to the right path; that our mistakes will train us for what we’re truly after; and that our intuition and subconscious will be working their magic under the surface as we strive to live a life that’s meaningful to us. Am I asking us to view feeling harried and overbooked as a sign of spiritual growth? Maybe I am! What’s clear, though, is that we have to move our way through this; stopping is not an option.
The wands suit can usher in a great deal of change. After this initial phase of action, see what new information has revealed itself. What are you working towards and what path did you just clear (even if unintentionally)? The Eight of Pentacles holds down the center of our reading, representing a place of concentration and productivity. Scattered energy becomes focused, deliberate, even meditative. Trust that your big goals will be realized so long as you do the work, then try to enjoy doing that work, uninterrupted.
Looking at these two cards, I get a sense of a busy life, well-lived. This is not a time for reinventing the wheel; we’re busy refining and settling into the routines we’ve worked so hard to establish. Yet if there’s a sense of boredom or stagnation in these places (which, let’s be real, can happen) the Ace of Swords arrives at the end of the week as a beacon of inspiration. A new idea, arrangement, conversation, book, or other conduit of information is jolting us out of our usual assumptions and pushing us towards a new horizon.
All of these cards, however, appear quite harmonious, and this is a tarot reading that seems to be describing multiple levels of a busy and whole life. With that in mind, it’ll be important to respect and embrace the many layers to our existence. This is not a time to be threatened by the facets of your humanity, in other words! There may be no problem to be solved at this moment, even if the demands on your time occasionally feel challenging, imperfect, or conflicting.
Potential surprise/reframe:
The Ace of Swords is doing something interesting here. It’s unclear whether its energy represents a new chapter just starting to emerge or a welcome contrast to the busy, solid rest of our reading/lives. And in any case, the whole point and challenge of Aces is that we don’t know and we shouldn’t try to figure it out! Resisting the urge to make a new idea or experience “into something” can be quite a challenge, yet it seems as if we need some lighthearted wonder in our lives right now - we’re doing so much with these complicated, adult other cards as it is. See where you can feed your natural curiosity, think outside the box, and, most importantly, let surprising and new forms of information into your life. Aces are gifts from an outside source; whether it’s a person, resource, experience, or any other conduit, be sure to cultivate openness so that you can recognize and receive it when it comes.
This week, embrace:
Determination
Focus
Multitasking
Monitoring your energy levels
Intellectually stimulating activities
This week, Avoid:
Distraction
Taking on tasks that don’t benefit you
Procrastination/Avoidance/Daydreaming