Weekly Forecast: January 3-9
Six of Swords / Six of Cups / Two of Swords
long journeys, tender homecomings, and food for thought
In a season that comes with a lot of pressure - ambitious New Years resolutions, plans for festive gathering, time spent with family - it’s reassuring to see a card that encapsulates the more poignant, quiet, and even melancholy side of the holidays and new year. Like the boat in the Six of Swords, the waters we’ve been traveling lately have been rough, to say the least. This week we’re gently floating towards a new shore; land is in sight, the waters are calm, and we can just begin to make out the contours of our new terrain.
The Six of Swords is a card that pulls at my heartstrings, something you don’t usually say about a suit that’s filled with violent imagery. Yet here I can see the truly bittersweet experience of viewing life as it is: the elation and tenderness of love; the fear of losing it; the frightening chaos and injustice of the world; the fascinating multitudes of color, beauty, and curiosity everywhere you turn. Taking this all in at once, accepting it, and moving forward holding all sorts of contradictions is difficult, adult work. In this Six of Swords, we see the middle of a journey rooted in this worldview. We’ve made a decision, set sail, and we’re halfway to the other side. What is it we’re reaching for this year? What hard work has shoved us off a familiar shore? And what can we just start to see emerging on the horizon?
This is a time to embrace the magic of the in-between, the animating tension of opposites, and the difficult but essential decisions we’ve made recently. We’ve been using our swords-y powers of discernment to chart our own path, and now is a good time to acknowledge the depth of these actions and to celebrate our integrity and bravery. Make room for all of the feelings as this card shows us that we have to leave things behind in order to effect any meaningful change. The Six of Swords is not without grief, but it also embodies the stirring of refreshing movement. We’ve done what we must and now things are just starting to unfurl. What has been set in motion? What is winding down, depositing us somewhere new?
As I type this I wonder if we may need to wiggle free of restrictive rituals, record-keeping, and reflection for the new year. Instead of making resolutions, why not look to our past actions to see what we’ve already committed ourselves to? We can then re-commit to those goals with more passion and specificity. Our reading shows a move from the cerebral to the emotional as we move from the Six of Swords to the Six of Cups. I’m delighted by this pair of sixes - we’re transforming! - and it’s rare to see the sharp and pointy swords segue into this flowing, feeling suite of water.
The Six of Cups, in particular, is a massively tender card. I’m imagining us reading the other shore shown in the Six of Swords and finding a cozy paradise. Perhaps we’ve made some changes in our everyday lives that have blossomed into something truly supportive. In what ways have we made our life more affirming? Think of the word “home” and see where it takes you - what homes have you cultivated, where do you feel the most yourself, and how much has this feeling grown over the past year?
When I think of the Six of Cups I think of the openness of childhood, that time when our true self was the default, bumbling around joyfully with interests, desires, and quirks on full display. We’re returning to this charmed place now, but with the strength of our adult selves to back us up. Whatever shame, repression, or discomfort we had to battle through to get here has been fought back admirably. It’s time to value and express ourselves in our full and weird splendor.
There may be some kickback towards the end of the week, however. The swords make a return, this time to the closed and cautious Two of Swords. We may feel tempted to close up like an anemone at the first ripple of danger. Take a look around, however, before making any hard and fast decisions. Is it justified fear or the shadow of something long gone? Old defense mechanisms can come up when we let our guard down. And, as we can see in the Six of Cups, sometimes we let in the wrong people either from openhearted naiveté over-enthusiasm. The good news is that we’ve learned so much - both how to enjoy life and to wield our swords to protect ourselves when necessary. It will be important to use this experience as a moment of clarification and motivation, not an excuse to go back or get smaller.
this week, embrace
Contradictory feelings
The sweet melancholy of being in-between
Rest
Enjoying simple pleasures, especially those that tap into your creativity/inner child/playful self
Trusted and true friends and family
Pushing through the desire to limit yourself out of fear
this week, avoid
Big changes
Intricate new projects
Dumbing-down your struggles and accomplishments
Over-analyzing what makes you feel good or brings you joy
Oversharing with people who don’t understand or appreciate you
get creative
Six of Swords: Set aside time to journal about the big change you’ve made this past year. In what ways has your thinking changed or clarified? Use your swords skills of observation, analysis, and discernment to see how your actions might point you to new and useful values. In other words, what do the things you’ve been doing mean about you, your life, and your goals?
Six of Cups: Devote a chunk of time (however much as you can) to treat for yourself. Think of it as a date: set a time, send an invitation, and set the stage for something tender, memorable, and meaningful. Some places to look for inspiration: What you loved as a child, something exciting that only you would enjoy, a collection of simple treats you can spread out as a sumptuous buffet.
Two of Swords: When you find yourself stuck, get curious. The swords are about our mental world and in this card we see ourselves backsliding from the growth of the six to the starting point of the two. But this can be helpful! Look around as see the why behind these thoughts. Are they self-limiting, shame-based, seemingly practical? It’s helpful to identify the places we go when we feel threatened so we can notice and then redirect moving forward. Treat this experience as an information-gathering expedition rather than a setback.