Weekly Forecast: August 12-18

Invest in yourself by walking away from drama.

Good morning, forecasters. This week's group of cards is giving us a refreshing message that can be hard to follow in real life: What if the most thorny-seeming conflict isn't ours to engage with? And what if we can walk away, unscathed, towards our bigger future as planned?

The Five of Swords shows the challenge that springs from its realm of communication, thoughts, and the mind. When words are used to hurt or manipulate things can get painful, fast. I think it's fascinating that tarot chooses the most damaging symbol for the least tangible meanings. As anyone who's ever heard the rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me," and thought, "Hmm.. I'm not so sure of that!" this card has a lot to say.

The rest of the swords cards can be similarly dark. Without action, change, feeling, or grounding, too many thoughts can often leave us stuck or injured. Here, the issue takes on a more social dimension where things compound quickly. This card may show up in a tricky group dynamic, manipulative person, or overall drama. Wherever it is, you're likely already aware of its power.

Speaking of power, the swords can also be huge attention hogs. Visually, they're the most dramatic so we assume that their meaning is as well. What I love most about this reading is that the other cards challenge this idea thoroughly.

Is there a part of your life that seems to be taking up a lot of mental space? Is it eclipsing other tasks, pleasures, and connections with its messiness? And, most importantly, are you tempted to lavish it with extra attention? As if you just dug deeper you could figure out the root of all the chaos?

Well, this is a week to step away from all that, and I just love how The Fool is the card that's inspiring us.

Here, we get a taste of The Fool's cheekiness, because even though this archetype is a signifier of innocence and new beginnings, he's also been around the block enough to know when to cut his losses and leave. There's obviously been some preparation with his knapsack: he's chosen to take only what he needs (and none of the baggage from other people's drama.)

What this card also says is that we can let the light of our own journey lead us away from tangles of other people's inner (and outer) conflict. Doing this is an act of love, both for ourselves and the other. The Fool allows himself to follow what's good, trusting both in his ability to lead and his ability to navigate whatever comes his way. The trick is to pack light, be light on your feet, and prioritize your instincts.

Since the Five of Swords is in the past, it seems to be somewhat of a known quantity. Perhaps something very familiar and alluring. An old puzzle to solve, an old story of conflict, doubt, or limitation. Yet there's a new story that's eclipsing it this week, so expect some blow-back while remaining true to your new and solid path. On the other side of The Fool's journey? It's the Queen of Pentacles, indicating that we're prioritizing an open and stable life for ourselves, one where we can care and honor our needs and, perhaps, extend a loving (and conditional) invitation to any past drama-creators on the other side.

I find it interesting that I chose to use a Marseille deck this morning, because this Fool is different from the Rider-Waite-Smith version. Most notably, the desperate-looking cat glomming itself onto the Fool's leg. While you're on your way out, choosing not to give this conflict more air time by pulling on each broken thread to try and get a picture of the whole, there will be plenty of invitations to do so from the people involved.

Keep walking and the cat will calm down. Maybe it will go back to the tangled confusion of the Five of Swords or maybe it'll start to travel with you, calm and glad for the perspective of distance. Either way, we're all graced with the presence of mind and spirit to chart a new and far better path for ourselves.

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Weekly Forecast: August 5-11

The coming days have us struggling to reconcile the uncertainty of our future with the conviction of our inner calling. We're moving towards some unstable territory - the good old fashioned unknown.

What tools are we bringing with us? It's the restless intellect of the Knight of Swords and the headstrong charisma of the Queen of Wands. Not too shabby. So why is the Five of Coins appearing next?

Ruin and misfortune are serious topics. Yet they're also scene-stealers. We can bring them up (and, unfortunately, other can as well) to derail any future movement away from what's familiar. This most commonly comes up around money: what if we become destitute, ruined, and make a fatal error?

The fact that this line of thought often goes to the catastrophic so quickly is a big hint: Anxiety might be leading this inquiry instead of prudence or wisdom.

Let's return to our court cards because they're showing us something fairly new and radical. The Knight of Swords, an intrepid seeker, is moving away from the Five of Coins. We can see he's struggling uphill against some force, yet his path is a gorgeous rainbow array of colors.

This week it appears that we're moving away from old, apocalyptic ideas about money and pioneering new, more authentic territory. It's not easy, that's for sure, but there's a huge well of energy and inspiration keeping us moving and motivated.

What fearful ideas around money and material security are coming up for us now? Where might they originate from? How are they helping or hindering our growth? Taking time to explore these questions will help ease our path forward and shed some light into an area that's often tangled with expectations from society, our cultures, and our families.

It can be frightening to step away from the traditional ways of doing things or to find that you value a security that's outside of the norm. Fortunately, the norm is so restrictive that there is so much outside. The energy this week could manifest itself in the desire to take some time off, relax instead of pushing through a new project, or, on the more extreme end of the spectrum, start taking a new career path more seriously.

Whatever form it takes for you, the radiant Queen of Wands is right in the center, mediating between the passionate questioning of the Knight of Swords and the doom and gloom of the Five of Coins. This powerful archetype is directing us to center our decisions around ourselves and to make them with the goal of amplifying our joy, reach, and energy.

Perhaps the Five of Coins, after a small crisis of confidence, is simply a reminder that you'd feel more confident and free after paying down your credit card debt and then investing in a new course. Rather than swinging to the worst case scenario - being evicted out on the street because you spent money on something you're interested in! - this card brings us to our center. What makes us feel best. It's usually a combination of things, and we're the only ones who can figure out the right mixture.

Additionally, this card highlights a more tender aspect to our reading. You'll notice that the Five of Coins in the only card with two figures. There can be closeness in suffering, and it's worth asking whether adhering to some limiting or anxiety-producing ideas about what you can have or do is keeping you close to someone

The Queen of Wands asks us to consider what we really want and to expand into the reality that going for it in a balanced way will open us up further to both ourselves and the people around us.

And, finally, let's take one last look at the Knight of Swords. With his back turned towards the Five of Coins, he's asking new questions and bravely pushing towards his own truth. It seems like we're ready to chart our own path and discover answers that are more complex, radiant, and truthful for ourselves. .

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Weekly Forecast: July 29 - August 4

Ah, dear friends, this week's forecast is very specific and clear: It's an important time to think about how we try to mask our feelings through decadence. Whether it's spending, sex, affection, food, or any other sensual activity, we're running the risk of overindulging in these areas to cover up some bittersweet endings active in our life.

If you could've seen my face as I turned over each card, you would've gotten quite a hearty laugh. First, the King of Pentacles, made me give a hearty chuckle. "So we're going to be having quite a good time this week!" I thought. Then, the Queen of Pentacles, which seemed to speak to a unique power-couple of enjoyment, as if we're working towards owning our lives in a bright and bold way. Then, the tune changed drastically with the Ten of Swords. There's a lot more under the surface here that deserves our attention instead of pleasure-seeking and fun.

Power couple aside, the two pentacles cards here are giving us options. Are we using our personality and time to mask our suffering, focusing on how others perceive us? Or are we being more focused and mindful, striking a balance between our comfort, strength, and emotional tenderness?

While the King of Pentacles focuses on his role socially - how he's seen by others and his skills for making them feel good, happy, and taken care of - the Queen directs some of these traits inwards. It's an important time to ask ourselves how we're taking care of ourselves. Are we making room for some struggle along with all the joy? Do we see these things as compatible or in conflict?

I see a level of distraction here. Not only is the Ten of Swords a card of discomfort and sadness, it's one of endings. We may be in the last stages of letting something go that's been on its way out for a long time. The King of Pentacles suggests that we've been hiding some of the stickier aspects of this change for others, perhaps because we're afraid it makes us look foolish or vulnerable.

Thankfully, the Queen of Pentacles is holding down the middle of the reading and offering us a middle path. Now is a time for gentleness, understanding, and for using our comforting practices healthily and for our own long-term benefit. That means no overspending, eating, or socializing to mask uncomfortable truths or feelings, and being aware of this pull is the first step. The second? Using it as a sign to turn inwards and ask ourselves what's really going on with all the tenderness of a dear friend.

Even better? Reaching out to one to commiserate and share. We don't always have to be the hosts or givers, and sometimes leaving space to receive is even more powerful in our relationships, allowing them to move to the next level.

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Weekly Forecast: July 22-28

What do we do with our misfortune?

I'm sure you all have noticed the tarot card ominously occupying the center of our reading this week: The Tower. A tricky one, to be sure, this card hits us over the head with the upsetting inevitability of suffering. Painful things happen in life and no matter how much maneuvering or planning we do, we can't steer around it.

What's intriguing about this reading, however, is the presence of two fiery wands cards on either side. At first, we might think that the rush of the Eight of Wands is leading us straight into a Tower moment, but on the other side we see an empowered and stable Knight of Wands. It's as if the Tower has hardly harmed us. What's going on here?

A facet of the Tower is that its misfortune and pain comes from the outside. We may have a hand at ignoring some signs to alter our course, making for an even harder fall, but often times these moments come completely from the external world.

If we can't escape the Tower, what we do with its presence makes the biggest difference, and this week we have all the daring chutzpah of the wands suit to guide us.

In the coming days we'll be using our verve, ambition, and actions to transform the Tower most active in our lives. Because the Wands are so proactive, I have a feeling that this Tower facet is already known to us. What areas in our live are causing us the most pain? Is there a chapter in our self-narrative that needs an empowering edit? Most importantly, what can we do about it now?

The wands suit reminds us that motion, creativity, and agency work in harmony. We can think, process, and debate all we want, but our enduring legacy is in our actions.

What's more, acting keeps us in the present moment and allows our energy to move freely, preventing stagnancy and frustration. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Tower this week is actually an old phenomenon being called to the surface. Is there something we're growing right now that challenges how we used to think of ourselves? Sometimes the Tower is more than ready to come crashing down, and the energy it releases is a welcome and invigorating surprise.

Look to the wands suit to explore this area further: What bold moves have you been making lately? How might they challenge old structures and roles you've found yourself in?

It appears as if we've been working towards something and now it's just starting to take flight. We can see this in the headlong rush of the Eight of Wands. Far from being manic, this card often appears when things are flowing smoothly because of a great deal of past effort and planning.

The Tower, then, is a bit of a hologram. We're calling up the specter of past limitations just as we near a breakthrough. Pushing through, however, is giving us all the confidence of the Knight of Wands. Healing, it seems, is on the agenda this week, and we can be sure that continuing to make decisions that further our growth will only transform our experience of the Tower and ourselves more quickly.

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Weekly Forecast: July 15-21

What does it mean to give ourselves the space we need to heal?

We often think of isolation or solitude when it comes to nursing our emotional wounds. Indeed, this approach can be helpful. In seeking to retreat from the confusion of the outside world we can better see what needs care and attention.

But isolation and stagnation can quickly spring from this approach when it's taken too far, which is why we have Temperance in the center of our reading. This week, it seems, we're processing some painful experiences through the Three of Swords. Instead of retreating, however, we're being invited to usher in the freeing energy of the Four of Wands.

Sometimes the Three of Swords can bring up feelings of fear: What if we're walking towards needless pain and suffering? I've found, however, that this card usually refers to past wounds being awakened through present experiences. A hand brushing against a bruised area.

With Temperance at the center we have a particularly empowering stance. How can we use our adult wisdom to channel the initial discomfort of the Three of Swords into something else?

There's a fascinating interplay here - difficulty inspiring motion. It's not the tired idea of having to suffer for art, or struggle equaling value. Rather, we're being asked to take our challenges and old wounds and move with them, seeing if they have anything else to say.

Which brings us to the Four of Wands. In tarot, these cards speak to structure, but the Four of Wands has a very iconoclastic take on the concept. It is, you might say, minimal: What is the minimal amount of guidance and stability we need to flourish?

In the Four of Wands we see creativity, joyful expression, experimentation, and community. How can we balance and blend this with the energies of the Three of Swords?

Some things that come to mind: Breaking out of our exclusively solitary mode of healing, bringing insouciant energy to old limiting ideas, making art from past traumas, going to the gym after a good crying session.. I think you get the point.

With Temperance in the center we're in an excellent position to play with all of these techniques and then some. Choosing to peer into the intersection of creativity and struggle will be quite rewarding. And it might uncover a far more uplifting facet to our already familiar struggles.

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Book Review: The Power of Tarot by Liz Worth

Find The Power of Tarot on Lulu or Amazon

Author Liz Worth. Photo by L!N Duperron.

I’m always on the hunt for clear, accessible, and insightful resources for people learning tarot

I teach tarot to all levels of students regularly. It’s a pleasure being able to offer face-to-face support in a field that’s overflowing with resources, both written and digital. Because of this, people often come to me confused and eager for clarity; In my role as a teacher I hear so many questions about tarot that often go unanswered in traditional books full of card meanings and spread configurations:

How does intuition work?

Do I have to know astrology to learn tarot?

What does tarot have to do with fate or free will?

What kind of questions can I ask the cards?

All of these are important questions that deserve full attention, especially considering that their answers are often complex. Liz Worth’s new tarot book, The Power of Tarot, deftly addresses these questions and so much more. In its pages, Worth seeks to thoroughly explore what tarot is, where it comes from, and how readers can use it themselves.

An experienced tarot reader, journalist, astrologer, and writer, Worth brings refreshing clarity and rigor to the often spiritually poetic topic of tarot. If you’re looking for a concise and well-thought-out look into how and why we read the cards, this book is for you. I personally didn’t realize how much I had been missing this type of perspective until I started reading. There were many times when I found myself exclaiming “Amen!” aloud in my local coffee shop, much to the surprise of the person next to me. Take this gem of a sentence, for example:

I don’t “pick up” messages from anyone’s energy. I don’t read their thoughts. I don’t see spirits standing at their shoulders. Tarot reading is card reading—I literally read the cards.

Liz Worth, The Power of Tarot, 32.

You might say Liz Worth is a pragmatist, but in the deliciously open sense where there’s plenty of room for magic and mystery. And I find it immensely satisfying to find a book that just sticks to tarot without bringing in a whole bevy of other modalities and confusing an already complex and intricate topic.

Worth does an excellent job demystifying tarot, clearing up the fog around issues like its history, intuition, and timing, among many others. If you’ve been looking for a comprehensive and refreshing guide to what the cards can do and how you can use them, I highly recommend this book.

It’s not just for beginners, either. Worth touches on important topics like ethics, romance, work, and boundaries that readers of all levels can benefit from. Regardless of your level, you’ll find yourself with many new insights and ideas to expand and challenge your practice.

What I love most about this book is that Worth uses her experience and expertise to give readers’ information. From there, she empowers them to make choices that resonate with their path and worldview. This is a book that respects and prioritizes the sanctity of each person’s journey and autonomy. In a world full of prescriptive spiritual rules, it’s both powerful and refreshing.

The anecdotes Worth offers from her life and professional practice give a nice intimacy to the book. I’ve found that personal stories are the most impactful: We get to see how a reader shapes their own relationship to the cards. From there, we can better envision and decide what we’d like ours to look like.

A huge strength of this book is its organization. You can tell that it was meticulously planned out, if only because its sections flow so organically into each other. These are touches that I especially appreciate - a great deal of hard work and consideration went into this book, giving it a wonderful flow, logic, and voice. In other words, you can sit down and read this book with the impression that you’re getting a one-on-one masterclass in the beliefs, mechanics, and philosophy of tarot from Worth herself.

This book isn’t for you if…

You’re looking for card meanings or tarot spreads

You want to explore astrological and other correspondences

This Book is for you If…

You’re curious about what tarot is, how it works, and what you can do with it.

You want in-depth answers that go beyond the basics in tricky topics like intuition, fate, ethics, and boundaries

You want to see how a tarot professional has used these questions to shape their practice

You want to develop your own relationship to tarot

Full Disclosure:

Liz Worth reached to me with a proof copy of this book for review.

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Weekly Forecast: July 8-14

This week's forecast it a departure from the usual: While shuffling four cards jumped out of the deck. Not one to pass by a fun happening, I decided to keep all of the cards. Paired off, they change the dynamic of the forecast quite a bit and I'm loving it!

Our top two cards are from the Major Arcana and, fascinatingly, they're mostly black and white in an otherwise zesty and colorful deck (the Apparition Tarot Deck by Spirit Speak.) This adds to the archetypal power of the cards. This week we'll be dealing with issues of fairness and values.

Below them we have two Minor Arcana cards, both in the suit of swords. So, in very un-subtle tarot speak, we're going to be spending a lot of time thinking about what is right in our lives and the world around us. Where is justice being done and where is it lacking? And how can we have a hand in righting the imbalance?

These cards highlight the importance of taking space to ponder these serious questions, preferably in solitude and far away from the wildness of our modern society. Giving ourselves the permission to block out outside noise is awakening us to what really matters. Any time we spend this week detaching healthily to heal and mull things over will be well spent.

Because we're also seeing outside injustices mirrored in our own experiences. It's a tender and personal path. Justice, our starting card, can often be intimidatingly abstract. "What do these ideas mean in my actual life?" we might ask. Here we have something outside of us awakening inner wisdom and insight into our past experiences. This is a time to walk towards any discomfort or defensiveness. What might be hiding beneath the surface?

With The Hermit we see that an inner truth is coming to light. It's a good time to ponder and interrogate our own moral code. How are we using it to better our lives and the lives of others? Is there a part of it that's not being acted on, causing stagnation and tension?

I can't help but think of the horrors of the news cycle presently and perhaps there's a thread to pull there. We may find ourselves triggered and tempted to turn away. These cards show us that we have a fine line to walk if we want to do justice to our emotional lives and our need to enact and support justice for all.

But I'm also heartened by the Four and Two of Swords, some of the most positive manifestations of their often-maligned group. They encourage us to trust our perceptions, gain clarity by stripping away confusing chaos, and to focus on what we can do in the here and now. Channeling our swords insights into action is the best way to do justice to these powerful cards.

And, indeed, it seems like we need some action. Not only is it important collectively, but individually as well. Spend this week examining what areas of the large concept of Justice ignite you the most. Like The Hermit suggests, this can take some time. Lean into the process: By the end of the week two paths will become clear. Choose the one that resonates the most, and don't hesitate to act. The most powerful and healthy communities are built by people who know themselves and know how to leverage their talents, skills, and resources for the greater good.

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Weekly Forecast: July 1-7

The energy for this weeks starts off ponderous and heavy. We're clearly taking our lives very seriously, considering the traditional viewpoints of The Hierophant that initiate our reading. Yet, as we can see from the undignified face-plant of the Ten of Swords, these ideas and strategies have reached far beyond any semblance of helpfulness. In fact, they've overtaken our sense of self, and now we must contend with a back full of swords.

The spikier cards (usually the swords, no surprise there) can sometimes dominate a reading, making their themes seem overarching when they're just one voice in the chorus. Such is the case here, since the Seven of Wands concludes the week. It seems that we're jumping up from the injuries and pressures of the Ten and back into action quite quickly.

In other words, we're more than ready to change our orientation and get back in the fray.

A rewind is in order: What big societal, familial, and/or traditional pressures are causing us to collapse? This will hold the key to our rebound and rejuvenation.

The Ten of Swords suggests that we're at the point in a long process of healing when we've reached critical mass. We have no choice but to confront and let go. Beautifully, it looks like we're more than ready to do so. Our healing has progressed far beyond our past struggles; now is the time to tap into our budding wands energy and counter our internal pressures with external, creative action.

Over thinking and intense self-awareness will only hold us back. We might want to explore how we use these strategies to keep ourselves stuck in a familiar place of under-performance. The Hierophant here seems to be running that show (we can see his red robes sliding from the prone figure's shoulder in the Ten of Swords.) What old and external pressures are beginning to leave our lives? Or, at least, feel inauthentic? Now is the time to examine how they've wounded and shaped us and, most importantly, to say our goodbyes.

In case this ponderous energy seems too much, the Seven of Wands is here to remind us of how much energy and excitement there is in our daily lives. This card asks us to channel the angst and pain from The Hierophant and the Ten of Swords into our pursuits, whether they're creative, professional, or physical. What are we doing for ourselves that makes us feel light and alive?

This card tells us that our lives are our masterpieces: In creating and caring for them we show ourselves how powerful we can be, and how we can free ourselves from the limitations of beliefs that have never been ours to begin with.

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Summer Solstice Tarot Reading on Open Magic Podcast

A delightful spread from Spirit Speak’s Apparition Tarot Deck

I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling transformed after the Summer Solstice this past week.

And, in case you missed it, I did a special tarot reading looking at the energy and opportunities springing from this time of the year.

This far reaching reading looks at the next half of 2019 and dives in to the archetypes we’ll be leaving behind and the opportunities for growth and celebration emerging in the future.

Give it a listen below or find it wherever you get your podcasts. (And do leave us a review if you feel inspired, it helps more than you know!)

All the Best,

Gina