Weekly Forecast: July 2-8
This week we have some big themes at play and things are not what they seem at the surface. The Devil is appearing to show us that we've been feeling pulled back towards some bad habits. Though we know they're not the best for us, there's a perverse comfort in their familiarity and sense of ritual. Like gorging in junk food, it feels good in the moment, but there's a massive stomach ache looming in the future.
One the other side, we have the rich abundance of the Nine of Coins (aka Pentacles). Our surface life is coming through big and bright. Things are going well for us professionally and practically. We have all sorts of creature comforts and they're being seen by those around us.
So what's at the center here? What's causing so much dissonance between our inner and outer worlds?
The Eight of Swords brings it all into focus. Again, the theme of familiarity comes up. Here, however, we have a limiting array of familiar doubts and fears. These are guiding us back to the familiar bad habits represented by The Devil.
Instead of expansion, ease, and enjoyment - The Nine of Coins - we're allowing ourselves to be ushered on well-worn paths to claustrophobic coping mechanisms.
This is an interesting, if not slightly disturbing, combination of cards. What do we do with this mess? We might find ourselves being drawn to the intensity of The Devil. Big, scary-looking cards have that effect. "Oh no! The Devil! I don't want that! Let's pay extra attention to its horribleness!" is an understandable reaction. Yet it also shows our tendency to give so much air time to dysfunction and struggle. Meanwhile, the Nine of Coins shines alluringly to the right.
The challenge this week will be to redirect our gaze to what's going well in our lives. We can wrestle with The Devil and hold space for the parts of our lives that are blossoming. Turning away from our sources of happiness and the hard work we've done will only further our time spent underground.
And here's where I can't help but notice a tinge of self-sabotage. Are we being too hard on ourselves, occupying the critical space of the Eight of Swords so that we move away from the real, important work and success of the Nine of Coins? Is The Devil more in line with our idea of who we are?
The thing is, self-doubt and worry are part and parcel of our human experience. What we do with these thoughts is what matters. This week we're given the opportunity to listen to the messages of the Eight of Swords and do something new with them. Can we hold space for our personal growth and move towards the Nine of Coins? The bird in that card holds the key to a different relationship with The Devil. The bird, too, is wild, but here it's tamed and smaller. We can also channel the urges of The Devil and give them a healthy outlet of expression. One that opens up our lives and flourishes in the sun instead of keeping us in the darkness.