Weekly Forecast: Dec 19-25
This week has us considering new plans and straddling the line between precise thinking and enthusiastic go-getting.
We start our reading with The Fool, a delightfully optimistic character who represents new journeys and experiences. We’re about to to embrace change and set off in a direction that is full of unknown possibilities. All we need to do is stay balanced and remain in the moment. As we can see, if The Fool becomes distracted he runs the risk of falling off his tightrope. Fortunately, over-seriousness is not the answer here.
The key here is to remember that balance is a process and not an end goal you can achieve. Furthermore, it's something that requires constant motion, adjustment, and concentration. See how the Fool is about to place his second foot onto the tightrope? He’s about to embark on a journey with lots of wiggling, shaking, and correcting if he intends to remain on the rope. It doesn't always look dignified, but it can be a lot of fun if you stay focused and keep moving forward.
In fact, The Fool seems pretty enthused about it all. He's grinning and holding a sprouting staff over his head. Optimistic? Yes. Foolhardy? Quite possibly. Yet looking closer we see the ground is not so far away. The chances we’re about to take will yield maximum joy with minimal danger. There’s just enough of the unknown to make it exhilarating and worthwhile. If we’re not a bit scared moving forward, we may not be moving anywhere worth going, and certainly not somewhere all that new.
Here, tension is a good thing. Without it, the rope would fall to the ground in a jumbled mess. Sometimes our paths need the pull between two poles (or several) to become something we can walk on. And who said a little suspense was a bad thing? Certainly not this gleeful Fool. He knows and trusts the rope beneath him, despite (or because of) the fact that he doesn’t know so much about it.
Our other two cards are placed at either ends of the rope when we look at the spread as a whole. To our left is the Page of Knives, a young green man who is staring at us, the viewer, blankly. He’s dry, focused, and intellectual. As a page, he represents a new fixation or preoccupation. We’re becoming familiar with a new skill, honing our vision, and using a laser-like focus to come to a conclusion. We’re not there yet. We’ve yet to throw the knife at the target, and we may even miss it several times. We need practice, but we’re getting somewhere and we have plenty of motivation to move us along the way.
On the left is a delightful salamander with a red-plumed helmet: The Knight of Wands. He’s all about slithering full-speed ahead towards his goal with a focus on action, accomplishment, and movement. A salamander go-getter if you will. He is passionate, rowdy, and confident… maybe even a little bit conceited, though you could never say he doesn’t get things done.
We’re clearly at a moment where our urge to act is coming into conflict with our newer desire to plan, practice, and think things out. Our old M.O. was to jump right in and figure out the details later. Instead, a newer part of ourselves in showing up, urging for some thought consideration. Confusing! Especially considering how underdeveloped this new way of thinking is.
Rather than pit these urges against each other, this reading suggests that we’re proceeding as we should. It is quite advisable to look before you leap, just as it is important to actually do something with the ideas in your head. It’s all about finding a balance between the two. So welcome the uncertainty and make room for a push and pull. Respect both the urge to plan and the urge to act. Consult both, and you’ll find yourself moving along in an exciting new direction.
And though there’s not much certainty with regards to outcome, there is an overwhelming focus in these cards to embrace and take joy in a sense of fun and exploration. Being too measured and “adult” in this situation will stifle your creativity and take up the valuable room needed for growth.
Having The Fool, a quintessential card representing new journeys and a childlike sense of wonder, sandwiched by a Page and a Knight, the youngest of court cards, is as close to a green-light for excitement and enthusiasm as I can imagine. So don’t tamp down your passions here. Focus on putting one foot in front of the other, make room for all the wiggling and adjustment it takes to maintain balance, and don’t forget to look up at the sun and enjoy.