Weekly Tarot Forecast: April 25-May 1

Four of Wands | Seven of Cups | Three of Pentacles

I am so deeply relieved to have a reading that falls on the jauntier end of the tarot spectrum this week. No Major Arcana cards, no stabby swords, just a pleasant array of minors showing us primed for some lighthearted creativity. Sometimes I think, however, that these lighter moments are because of the heavier themes that have come before. The clouds may part this week, and you may find yourself back on the ground just puttering around; take the time to appreciate being able to focus on the small things. I think we’ve all earned it.

We start things off with the energizing openness of the Four of Wands. We have accomplishments worth celebrating, and this card urges us to bring in our friends and loved ones to lift up the good things. Doing so cements and fosters alliances, brings enjoyable levity, and stokes our internal fire. This is a time to sing praises loud and clear, gather and cavort, and generally enjoy your life.

The Four of Wands also suggests that our grip has been lightening around some key issues in our lives. Whether of our own accord or simply a change in the emotional weather, this change has made room for a new influx of inspiration, zest, and pleasure. Take it seriously. You’ve seen the tarot deck - there are some gnarly cards in there! - the joy and rest we can achieve in the beginning of this week will not only nurture us, but give us a look at what works best.

Pay attention to what it feels like when life doesn’t feel like it’s on fire. Are you enjoying working with less pressure, jettisoning your perfectionism in favor of off the cuff magic? Does loosening up your personal rules yield creative bounties? The Four of Wands is about finding power in flexible and open structures. Allow yourself to experiment. collaborate, and follow your emotions and intuition.

Inspiration is a key theme for us this week, as we’re dealing with three of the suits of the minor arcana: wands, cups, and pentacles. Where the wands sees us reveling in action and connection, the cups inspire emotional and spiritual passions. (Thankfully, this is all being grounded in the earthy pentacles at the end of the week, so don’t worry if you’re feeling some trepidation with how far you fly in your imagination.) I enjoy readings with a balance of suits, and it’s worth noting that there are no swords here - stepping our of our analytical mind will be both fruitful and enjoyable.

The Seven of Cups sashays into the scene mid-week; all our collaborating and creating is kicking up some big dreamy energy. Stare into what’s tickling your fancy or sparking your interest. Consult your dreams when you awake, envision your future, and explore possibilities for your life. This card can bring a whole array of magic, not all of it warm and fuzzy. This is a time when we can also learn a lot about ourselves from what feels edgy, frightening, or too much. (Note the skull in the side of the cup on the bottom right, not to mention the spooktacular ghost and various reptiles popping out of chalices.)

As the week comes to a close we descend from the clouds and plant our feet firmly on the ground. The Three of Pentacles shows us that there are some worthy collaborators awaiting us there. What projects are you engaged with, particularly ones in the early stages? This is a time to start building in earnest, and with the support of like-minded and ambitious supporters.

Zooming out, this reading has a satisfying coherence. I’m feeling that this week will be on that’s very focused on a topic - an area of our life, project, or relationship. Embrace this and let your energy flow. We’re finally in a place where our energies are aligned (think creative-spiritual-emotional-practical) and things can start to move quickly.

This week, embrace:

• Gatherings, collaborations, celebrations

• Gleefully breaking, bending, or re-creating the rules

• Dreaming with wild abandon

• Forming alliances

This week, avoid:

• Being overly cautious

• Unnecessary busywork

• Rejecting facets of your life because they aren’t “perfect”

Get creative:

• Four of Wands: This is so simple: Have a party. It can be a party for one, a casual dinner with candles to make it fancy, or something bigger. Whatever you do, make sure to center the achievements and successes of everyone present. The wands have a brash, unsubtle charisma. Lift up your accomplishments, sing your praises to the heavens, see what happens when you let yourself live big.

• Seven of Cups: I’ll never forget when a dear friend of mine called this “the Pinterest card,” (shoutout to you, Lucas, you’re legend!), so in the spirit of that observation, get Pinterest-y. Collect images that evoke a future you’d like to manifest. You could draw, collage (aka the classic vision board), or hop on the app. Whatever you do, make sure you give yourself free rein to get weird and loopy. Pay particular attention to images, ideas, or things that feel “too much” and ask yourself, “why?”

• Three of Pentacles: Think about the people who make you feel the most grounded. Who calms your energy, sets you at ease, and makes you feel like new things are possible? Make a promise to yourself to seek out these people in one small way during the week.