Weekly Forecast: May 1-7
There’s a lot of intense energy in flux this week. We may find ourselves feeling impatient, prickly, or dissatisfied. We have plenty of energy and no desire to take things slowly or engage in self-reflection.
Why is this?
The King of Wands shows us that we’ve recently pulled off some very impressive feats. We’ve reached a kingly place: confident, stable, and accomplished. In the suit of wands this refers to creativity. Where in our lives have we took a creative leap that has paid off? Instead of commemorating ourselves and what we’ve done, however, we’re rushing onto the next thing.
We see the King facing to the left, looking back at where he came from, while our card for the present, The Knight of Pentacles, is facing the opposite way, charging into the future and looking both deflated and intensely fixated at something in the distance.
There’s tension between these cards. Instead of reflecting on the past like the King, we’re skipping to the teenage overzealousness of the Knight of Pentacles. Rushing forward towards something new, our tunnel vision is leaving us removed from the moment and feeling anxious and enervated.
I love this depiction of the Knight of Pentacles. The figure on the horse looks anything but enthused. And yet he’s riding a massively powerful horse that’s ready to rear ahead. This is a card that speaks to moments when our ambition overshadows our limitations and even our true desires.
If you’re going to be charging ahead you’d better be into it, not dragging a heavy pentacle like the knight we see here. Perhaps there’s something heavy and stifling about wanting to turn the fiery creativity of Wands into the solid, predictableness of a Pentacle. Maybe we’re not quite there yet this week. Maybe we don’t even need to go there at all.
There’s a distinct undercurrent of tension here: passion vs. obligation. What’s fueling this Knight charging forward? What is making him droop on the saddle? It seems like there might be a hint of old pressures and thought patterns: the pressure of “should” sending us off on journeys we’d rather not take.
In Pentacles-language, we could be feeling a need to be practical, conservative, and safe. Pentacles value stability. Are we afraid of our creative accomplishments leading us away from safety?
Change and creativity can be frightening because they destabilize us, no matter how positive it may seem. But before we rush off to counterbalance by being overly practical, we could also take a moment to get to know how it feels to master a part of our creative lives.
Contrast the two creatures in both cards. The King of Wands holds onto a fearsome lion, confident enough to turn his back to it and gaze to the side, looking purposeful and grounded. The Knight of Pentacles, on the other hand, is slumped on the back of a powerful horse. He doesn’t appear to be in control of the situation.
The King knows how to keep his wild nature by his side. The lion is a protector and a sign of power, working with his master. The Knight is disconnected from his wildness, allowing it to react to change with barely-controlled energy.
This a reminder that it is best to not move forward when we are acting out of fear and anxiety. Being connected to ourselves is most important when seeking out change. If we’re not feeling it at the moment, we can simply wait until we are clearer and more collected.
Over time, this struggle will be fruitful. Our reading ends with Justice, a powerful Major Arcana card with the ability to cut through bullshit and achieve clarity in moments of confusion.
This card suggests that our struggles between creative confidence and practical ambition will balance themselves out by the end of the week. Our flailing will give way to peacefulness as if our internal push and pull is simply the movement of a scale balancing itself. Take comfort in knowing that the ups and downs are relatively small in the scheme of things, and are leading us to a healthy medium. In the meantime, take stock of your ideas around success, safety, and creative expression. There’s a lot of be learned in the coming days.