Weekly Forecast: April 3-9
Oh my, this week has a distinctly meandering and mystical quality to it. I’m imagining the feeling of walking up to an exhilarating ride at the fair – one of those bright and jazzy ones that whips you around while spinning upside down. After striding up confidently and exchanging our money we step aboard and secure ourselves with the not-so-comforting rickety seatbelts. Our bravura fades as we realize there’s no going back. We’ve never ridden this particular ride before. What will it feel like? Why are we doing this again?
I love rides at the fair for this reason. It’s a leap of faith. I certainly don’t’ need to be running up to the Cyclone, feeling brave and excited. I’m doing it for the rush. To take myself out of the mundane and feel new – first feeling scared, then shiny and triumphant when my feet touch the ground again.
The cards for this week show us taking a similar leap of faith, one that’s motivated by our feeling of plenty, not neediness. We start out embodying the assertive and adventurous Queen of Wands. This is a card that uses confidence and solidity to catapult to the next level. Fiery, brave, and passionate, she seeks out challenges with the knowledge that they will only sharpen her skills. This week we want to be sharp, to be on the cutting edge, and we’re seeking ways to push up against our limits and boundaries. We know it will take us somewhere new.
This is both the fuel and pluck that brings us to the carnival ride in the first place. Once we get there, however, the mood shifts.
There’s nothing like the feeling before the ride starts. I usually close my eyes, feel the breeze on my face, and take a deep breath before it all begins. It’s all nerves, anticipation, and a bit of self-doubt thrown in the mix. We see a similar effect with the Eight of Cups, our central card. All the chutzpah that brought us to this new place is fading. We feel vulnerable and nervous, full of anticipation before the gears start moving and taking us forward.
When we harness our pluck and strength to start something new we set things in motion that are out of our control. This week we’re being invited to lean into the feeling of vulnerability that comes after decisions. Once we put something out into the world, the world then responds. We can’t say what will come next. We must trust that the bravery that brought us this far is sending us in the right direction.
The Eight of Cups is an encouraging card here. Like the figure in the picture we’re climbing up the stairs with our eyes closed. It’s a beautiful depiction of calm faith and awareness. With closed eyes we can contemplate our inner workings. How are we feeling? What are we noticing arise in this tender time? How do we feel just before the ride begins?
This card also shows us that we’re ready for new things. Ready to add more excitement, bounty, and fulfillment to our lives. We have eight full cups, why not set out in search of more?
If at any time we doubt this search during the week, we should look back to the Queen of Wands for motivation. We are powerful, determined, and creative, just like her, and ready to actively create as rich and magical a life as we can imagine for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with plenty and vibrance. The Queen of Wands doesn’t stand for self-limitation and neither should we.
So after we’re buckled in, thinking about life, and relinquishing some control to the universe, where do we go next? This cycle isn’t quite ready to wrap up this week and we don’t be doing any of the dramatic spinning of the ride itself. Instead, The Hierophant shows us that we have some mystical surprises in store for us as we wait for the action to start.
What insights and beauty will we find when we take our own special risks this week? Pay attention the little moments of encouragement, insights, and signs that pop up. They can be interior observations, memories, dreams, and even synchronicities and signs in the world around us. Special things are afoot, in no small part thanks to our bravery and desire to experience new things.