Weekly Forecast: August 29 - September 4

It can be easy to assume that big questions require big answers, and, more importantly, that they require one big answer. How often do we hear stories of potent epiphanies? The entrepreneur coming up with their million dollar idea in the shower, the detective finding one pivotal clue that breaks the case open, a chance encounter with some powerful person who gives us the opportunity of a lifetime. This week we’ll be tempted to look for singular answers, but fortunately our cards have a much more interesting (and joyful) vision for us.

The Hierophant shows us in an inquisitive and philosophical mindset, both seeking out deeper meaning or a crucial next step and looking for it in the usual places: from traditional paths and teachers, established power structures, or well-worn stories we’ve inherited from our family or culture. Honor whatever questions are driving you forward at this moment. This is a Major Arcana card and tells us that we’re engaging with big themes; it’s likely that whatever we’re turning over and over in our minds is both important and impactful. We’ll need all the information and guidance we can get, but it’s equally important how we get it and where it comes from.

I’m struck by the contrast between the interior space shown in The Hierophant and the lush landscape of The Nine of Pentacles. We may be feeling stifled by the confines of tradition - “the way things should be” - while also assuming that it’s the only route to the wisdom we’re seeking. So, take a moment right now to see where you may be preemptively hemming yourself in. What is feeling itchy, uncomfortable, or limiting? What assumptions are you carrying with you about how you gain knowledge and what you “need” to move forward?

The Hierophant often refers to power structures around knowledge, and this week you may be coming up against them. Be particularly aware for where you cede your power and agency to experts, leaders, or teachers. While this sounds intense, the lesson this week is more gentle, as we’re being asked to both take in established wisdom while filtering it through our experience of everyday life. We can learn from both simultaneously, and what is more mature and freeing than that?

The Nine of Pentacles shows open expanses instead of enclosed, stony halls. Yet it’s not a scene of wilderness. We can see a house in the background and the main figure stands in front of a vineyard, grapes ripe and ready for harvest. They rest their hand gently on the top of a wall of pentacles, inviting us to consider what earthly accomplishments are supporting us at this moment. Where have you built something lush and lovely for yourself? How is the abundance around you supporting your plans for the future? What’s more, this card gifts us an image of both structure and wild abundance. The two can co-exist delightfully, and may already be doing so in our own lives.

The Hierophant has some acetic, strict overtones to it, and we may be tempted to assume that responsibility requires suffering or denial. Sometimes in searching for the key to unlock a door in our life we neglect to enjoy the beauty unfolding around us - slow, consistent, and still miraculous. The Nine of Pentacles is a strong and emphatic rebuttal. This is a week to challenge ideas around what it means or looks like to be an expert or accomplished: success does not have to mean suffering, wisdom does not have to come from hierarchy. Gift yourself time this week to take in and enjoy the bounty around you. Let yourself relish the act of caring for yourself, your community, and your home. Don’t rush - why have you worked hard to build all this if you can’t let yourself enjoy it?

What’s crucial here is that enjoyment brings about wisdom and growth the same as formal learning, striving, and hard work. If we allow ourselves to synthesize The Hierophant and The Nine of Pentacles, in other words, we’ll be in an excellent position to get to where we want to go.

Grappling with these themes is hard work no matter how you cut it, and fortunately we’ll be granted (or gifted) a reprieve at the end of the week as The Three of Cups saunters onto the scene bringing with it a punchy joie de vivre and desire for celebration. Let yourself raise a toast with trusted friends, treat yourself to a night out, or celebrate in whatever way feels the most delightful. Ask yourself, “Where is joy, celebration, and abundance happening in my life right now?” and move towards it. There’s an interesting pull here, an invitation to step out of the serious halls of The Hierophant and into the wide open spaces of the Nine of Pentacles and Three of Cups, as if living our lives fully could be bringing about the answers we’re seeking more than any established knowledge could.

This week, embrace:

• Balancing formal knowledge with lived experience

• Appreciating and embracing your own expertise

• Savoring every day life

• Sensual pleasures

• Celebration, gatherings, and socializing

• Expressing joy, love, and appreciation

This week, Avoid:

• Overplanning

• Looking for explicit guidance, instructions for what to do from outside sources

• Rushing big questions or decisions

• Seeking/prioritizing epiphanies

• Making things overly complicated

Get creative:

• The Hierophant: I think this card needs some softening this week. Consider how you can swap yourself in and out of both roles illustrated in this card: the giver and receiver of knowledge and wisdom. What knowledge and wisdom do you have to give or have been giving others? Where are you an expert? Look both at obvious accomplishments and more subtle ones. You may want to explore what people come to you for guidance for. Switching roles, think about what you want to learn: what are the next pieces of wisdom you’re seeking and who/what can you identify as a potential teacher?

• The Nine of Pentacles: I could just live in this card which makes it hard to think of just one facet to focus on. It’s the grapes, however, that really grab my attention this week. We have an old arbor in our backyard that’s close to falling over. The paint’s peeling and someone accidentally cut down half of the grape vine that grows there. Usually, I forget about the grapes, only noticing them when they’ve been picked over by birds and possums. This year, however, I caught them just in time and we were able to eat whole bunches of bracingly tart grapes. It was delightful. So, this week, think about what gifts you need to enjoy right now, before they fade. It could be something you love to do during this particular time of the year or a gift for yourself you finally have the ability to purchase. Whatever it is, make an effort to be intentional in giving it, remembering that enjoyment begets enjoyment, and that you are worthy of receiving support and love from yourself, too.

• Three of Cups: This card always makes me think of cocktail recipes, so we’re going there! I’ve been enjoying “Bee’s Knees”: 2 oz. gin, 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 oz. honey syrup (1 part honey dissolved in 1 part water), shaken in ice and strained into the prettiest glass at your disposal. Any fancy libation will do, just make sure you enjoy with two or more people, and raise your glasses to good company, love, and the joy of being alive.

Weekly Forecast: January 24-30

Spinning into something wonderful: The Wheel of Fortune / Temperance / Nine of Pentacles

Riding a cosmic reshuffle to abundance

The past two weeks have been a period of hard work during which we’ve contended with a lot: internal struggles, the sometimes-prickly emergence of new ideas, external difficulties, and unfortunate timing. It’s no wonder we’re feeling ragged around the edges or just plain burnt out. And, let’s be real, I was gritting my teeth ever so slightly when turning over the cards for this week - would we really still be plodding through some rough terrain?

Fortunately, we have a complete shift in the energetic weather pattern that’s been dominating the past few weeks. Oh, am I happy to type that sentence! Not one, but two Major Arcana cards arrive to show us a new focus in the collective energy, and one of them is the actual patron card of change itself: The Wheel of Fortune.

Looking at this card often throws people off their game. A cloudy sky chock full of esoteric symbols? It’s often met with a great big “huh?” and for good reason. Sometimes tarot cards evoke the very feeling that reflects their meaning. With The Wheel of Fortune we see a new wind blowing, and it’s blowing in a bunch of exciting and confusing stuff. We’re meant to be thrown off our game, at a loss for words, and maybe a little bit lost. Right now that may be just what we need.

Have you been feeling like your nose has been so close to the grindstone it’s just about ground off? So tired of working it feels like you’re sleepwalking through work, just doing the motions? Going from this energy to wide-open possibility, shockingly new ideas and situations (with a little bit of cheeky chaos thrown in for good measure) can be extremely overwhelming and destabilizing. It’ll be important to remember that we’ve been craving destabilization. Once we finally have it, we may want to crawl back into our familiar routines, yet our next two cards show us just how much we can do with the surprises popping up this week.

A classic interpretation of The Wheel of Fortune has to do with positioning. When life gives you change where do you place yourself? At the edge, far from your stable core, so that you’re flung to and fro? Or in the center where you can remain still and observe? Keep this in mind as life comes at you in the beginning of this week. We don’t have to make sense of all the wildness immediately, and I have a sense that there’s a lot of enjoyment we can find in the shake-up. Find your position and enjoy the ride.

The Wheel of Fortune spins us out, dazed and dizzy, at the feet of Temperance, a deeply wise card and the second Major Arcana in our reading. Did we need a playful shake to restart? This is a week to embrace newness, strange coincidences, and odd opportunities, for Temperance shows us coming into our own. This card presents us with a strong and nourishing image of self-knowledge. How have we embraced or endured change recently? What has it taught us about ourselves? And how have we chosen to stay true to ourselves no matter how fast the world is spinning by?

I like how these cards compliment each other; there’s a beautiful sense of effortlessness, but not the kind that comes from laziness. Playing our cards right when the world is constantly changing requires an immense amount of focus and poise. We have the opportunity to excel this week, both because the conditions are (finally, in some cases) right and because we’ve been working hard to shore up our skills and strength. Stay alert for where your purpose is aligning with your actions and opportunities. There may be surprising paths and connections appearing out of the blue.

So, if the winds of change are blowing and we’re becoming more in touch with our deeper purpose, where does that lead us? The Nine of Pentacles concludes our reading with a heartening message: we can be both wise and abundant. Who would’ve thought? And perhaps our trip through the dizzying chaos of The Wheel of Fortune has given us newfound appreciation for our special selves, all the talents and reservoirs of insight and grit we bring to life. This card invites us to celebrate in the real world - look around with gratitude at what you’ve built, feather your nest with sustainability (and a healthy pinch of decadence) in mind, and share what you have with trusted friends, family, and community members. Coming home is key when the wild world keeps spinning on. We have more stories to tell, achievements to cherish, and practice at being wise, resilient, and caring no matter what happens.

This week, embrace

• Spontaneity and innovation

• Accepting new offers, invitations, or projects

• Change

• Going with what flows

• Connecting with your highest, wise self while navigating change, busyness, upheaval

• Enjoying your creature comforts

• Sharing with trusted others

This week, avoid

• Being a stickler for details, perfectionism

• Overloading on outside information, the opinions of others

Get creative

• The Wheel of Fortune: Jump on the wheel yourself and channel some of this wild energy! Spend some time writing or envisioning what change you crave, especially if it doesn’t seem realistic. Dream big, get loopy, and enjoy yourself. And, if you’d like, see if there are any seeds that could grow into these changes apparent in your life right now.

• Temperance: Use this card as a talisman when things start to feel overwhelming. What wisdom has brought you to this moment? Like The Wheel of Fortune, Temerpance shows us the magic of forces we don’t entirely understand. What in you is magical, ineffable, and always guiding you towards something nourishing and important? A question to ponder: What voice has emerged in the most important decisions of my life, the biggest challenges, and pivotal crossroads? How can I listen to it more?

• Nine of Pentacles: Ground this energy in the real world with the down-to-earth pentacles. Find an object - either something you own or a special something you can gift yourself - and take a moment to consecrate it (you can go big if you’re into rituals, otherwise a quiet moment of reflection and intention work wonderfully). Place this object in a prominent spot in your home (or wear/transport it with you it, if possible) and think of how you give yourself stability and abundance.

Reclaiming Sensuality with The Pentacles

The Pentacles often get a bad rap. Pigeonholed into matters of finance and career (they are also called coins, after all) these cards quickly become stagnant and stale. Where’s the romance? The passion? The adventure?

Yet the Pentacles have a hidden side, on that’s not always brought to light in tarot books. You might be surprised to hear that, of all the suits, I see the Pentacles as the most erotic of the bunch.

“What?” you might say. “Not the phallic wands or juicy cups?!” (Note: I strongly doubt anyone would peg the analytical swords as lush romantics! Sorry, swords.)

To get into my mindset, it’s important to remember that Pentacles are associated with the element of earth. It governs the everyday, the material… the physical. And how do we engage with the physical world around us? Through our senses, our bodies, and our presence.

This means that the Pentacles govern the feeling of the wind on our faces, a lover running their fingers along our skin, the taste of a delectable fresh peach, and the smell of an intoxicating perfume. Just look at the imagery in these cards. There’s depictions of work and labor, yes, but also characters fully feeling themselves.

Take the King of Pentacles and the Nine, for example:

These cards show figures unabashedly sure of themselves, luxuriating in life. Taken to the extreme, these traits can become wasteful, but at just the right level they acquaint us with our true power, presence, and capacity for pleasure.

Becoming aligned with our physical self aligns us with our connection to the world around us. What does this feel like? What does my body have to say? What feels good to me and what makes the people around us feel good?

How can we be aware and take joy in the riches around us if we’re not aware of the riches in ourselves and our bodies?

I see this group of cards as an invitation to take our pleasure seriously as well as to look for pleasure all around us. It doesn’t have to be through sexual eroticism alone. There’s plenty of sensuality in all aspects of life and, as these cards demonstrate, tapping into it makes life so much more lush, joyful, and satisfying.

Weekly Forecast: May 6-12

Well, my friends, it looks like this reading is quite gory, visually speaking! 

Artist Ricardo Cavolo's illustration of the Nine of Pentacles is, to be frank, pretty gross. Why choose an open wound to illustrate a card traditionally associated with abundance and plenty? 

It's a lot to meditate on, particularly when the grisly theme continues with a blindfolded King of Swords committing seppuku. You know, just some light Monday messages to contemplate...

Yet this reading, despite its visceral nature, came across loud and clear: While oftentimes our old wounds are the wellspring of our unique gifts, there's a huge difference between honoring this connection and obsessing over it to the point of self-limitation and injury.

This is a time to let the reality of our lives ground us and lead us forward and to put aside the destructive urges of our minds. We've been hurt in the past, yes, but our future is unfolding now and not all of our actions spring from the hardship we've endured.

The King of Swords, the utmost monarch of the suit, is adept at using thought to create clarity. But sometimes we can only get so much clarity out of life. If we stay in the realm of the swords too long, we prioritize analytic remove over actual day-to-day involvement. What comes of this? Isolation, stagnation, and self-doubt. 

Over thinking distances us from the movement and rhythm of life, a dance that leads us towards the answers we're seeking. It's not a view we can achieve from the top-down, safe in the hypothetical or the tempting certainty of the past. We have to get our hands dirty and accept that seeking fulfillment leaves no room for invulnerability. We're all living and breathing creatures and we can't go through life completely unscathed. 

In this sense, this nasty Nine of Pentacles in reassuring. If we're feeling tender and bruised, it's not because we're failing. Rather, we're showing up and seeing ourselves - all the contours of our experience, even the painful ones. And that is a high achievement, indeed.

What to do from here? The Star tells us we have to love ourselves even more, and make room for a life of plenty that also feels exposed, tenuous, or too much at times. Nothing needs to change for us to be here with ourselves.

The King of Swords represents our urge to over-analyze ourselves at any moment of conflict, struggle, or indecision. Instead of seeing these times as a natural facet of life, the King reacts to them as threats to stability. Thus, the wide-open plenty of the Nine of Pentacles becomes an invitation to turn our swords on ourselves. 

Are we feeling raw, excited, eager, a bit nervous about what we're moving towards? The King of Swords wants the answers now, and to him this is a scary threat to stability. Cue the self-doubt and criticism. Instead of accepting tenderness, this King is using it as an opening to harm the self: If we can't do it perfectly and with perfect knowledge, we shouldn't even try at all.

The Star is here to tell us that this is completely unnecessary and over the top and this reading gives us a wonderful alternate course. It's not a time to take our thoughts of worry and doubt with absolute seriousness. What if we could tell ourselves that we're doing our best and it's working out well?

Having a lot of feelings means that we're opening up to feeling life itself. We're already doing a wonderful job and now is a time to stay grounded in the beauty of our everyday lives, letting its rhythms and routines move us forward, instead of abandoning our path because it's not what we envisioned. 

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Weekly Forecast: February 4-10

I like to think of the Aces as seeds. They appear in your life with natural excitement. You can feel their potential as they move closer, starting first as a glimmering idea in the distance - maybe like one of those charming seed catalogs with vintage illustrations - and transforming into a very real thing, young and curled up tightly in the palm of your hand. 

You know that if you plant the seed it will, with patient tending and care, grow into the beautiful plant on the package, and this week has the same feeling of delight. Something important has arrived and now has a tangible presence in our life. It's as if we planned out a dream garden, circling each plant in the catalog, and our order has finally arrived on the doorstep as the Ace of Pentacles.

Think of the feeling of anticipation - what is making you feel lit up, excited, and maybe even a little bit nervous? This Ace is one that's rooted in the everyday. This change we're hoping to cultivate requires a shift in our life and, what's more, it's something we deeply and truly want. 

And that's where The Devil comes in.

This figure, while initially frightening, has an impish quality about him. This version of The Devil, from the Pagan Other worlds Tarot, strikes me as particularly earthy - the same element as the pentacles. It's as if we're traipsing around with our new seed in hand, ready to make the commitment and plant it in our garden, and this irritating little goblin pops out from behind a rock to scare us. 

And here's another thing about seeds. We have to care for them, especially if we want them to grow into a majestic vine as shown in the Nine of Pentacles, the potential future that The Devil is blocking. 

Something about this new opportunity is triggering some deep-seated fears and doubts.  Because why on earth would something as intense as The Devil show up in response to a puny seed? 

When we look at the pentacles they reflect not only the idea of material and physical comfort, but the glowing reality of having a life that supports us and ushers in fulfillment and abundance. This takes investment in our self-worth and the bravery of asking for more. It shows us not settling for the bare minimum and daring to live bright lives that can grow into gardens beyond our imagination.

So that's why The Devil is so intent on squashing this seemingly-simple Ace. He knows that if we take the time to nurture this seed it will change our lives, make it better, and therefore challenge our long-held assumptions about ourselves: what we're capable of, what we can have, and who we can be. 

What's unique about this reading is that the Nine of Pentacles is in sight. We're aware of what lies on the other side and this shows us just how much work we've been doing to push ourselves to expand and test the limits of what we think is possible. Think back to past changes in your life that you've embraced and compare them to what you're facing now. What more do you know about your strength and power? How has The Devil of your self doubt faded and grown smaller?

This week, The Devil is a shade of his former self - more of a little goblin to flick aside and maybe even pat on the head lovingly, if we can muster the compassion, than a muscular and formidable being. And, indeed, as we travel through life our goal isn't to squash out The Devil we carry with us. This card arises from a distorted urge to protect ourselves, but it's no true help when we're protecting ourselves from success.

And so the Nine of Pentacles urges us to see how good a job we've done at channeling our Devil instincts for maintaining the status quo by breaking ourselves down with negative self-talk & blame into patience and calm. The hooded falcon perched atop the vine of pentacles shows us how  our devils can be transformed into helpful allies. 

Our instincts for self-preservation are slowly learning how to rest. Like the falcon, The Devil needs time to be trained into welcome submission. It must be exhausting running around squishing newly planted seeds and sabotaging our gardening efforts! Though the process is slow, we've come a long way getting to understand our aversion to success and instinct for self-sabotage.

This week is a time to mindfully calm our Devil-nature, knowing they are soon to be channeled into a well-behaved companion. And, most importantly, to continue with the work of valuing and working towards our goals because, as the Nine of Pentacles shows us, they're leading to some serious and wonderful abundance. The seeds we're planting are too beautiful to neglect, so let's get to the rewarding work of valuing and tending to our growth.

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The Nine of Pentacles & Marie Kondo

*not an actual representation of my rainbow organization skills*

I wasn’t planning on writing about the KonMari method - the tidying phenomenon created by Marie Kondo that’s sweeping the nation for a second time via her new Netflix show . In fact, I intentionally avoided it, thinking it would be too topical and click-bait-y.

But yesterday I was inspired to venture into my overstuffed closet and do some purging. After using Kondo’s technique, holding (or in my case, trying on) each item and determining whether it “sparks joy,” I came to some interesting realizations that synced up with the tarot and I just had to share it here.

One of my cards of the year is the Nine of Pentacles which I selected because I’m feeling called to take my finances seriously and dive deep into how and where I cheat myself out of feeling abundance. I, too, want to stand in a lush garden of glowing coins in a fantastic robe!

And as I started trying on my existing collection of “robes,” I was surprised to discover some unlikely candidates for “most authentic & joyful Gina uniforms.” What made me feel lush and competent like the Nine of Pentacles?

In a practical sense, it’s fun & punchy day dresses. But there’s one item that truly makes me feel decadent and powerful: insanely puffy 1950s cupcake ball gowns.

Over the years I’ve collected several, but usually with intense guilt. Where on earth was I going to wear these? In all my closet cleansings I go through the tortured motions of deciding to sell them. “It would be the fiscally responsible thing to do,” I tell myself, nevermind the fact that this is probably the only time I ever use the bloodcurdling (to me) phrase “fiscally responsible.”

And this time as I tried on the dresses I thought, “Wow, this makes me feel so incredibly amazing, it costs less than a pair of new shoes, and just looking at it makes me euphoric.” In other words, they sparks some serious, next-level joy.

Here’s where the Nine of Pentacles comes in, lest you think I’m running away on a passionate affair with tiered chiffon. In this card we see a figure clearly in touch with their ability to provide for themselves. They can see all their pentacles/coins and relish in their presence. They have enough and dress the part. There’s no guilt or shame or intense constriction (point of comparison: the Four of Pentacles).

In this card, we can see that being aware of your resources, celebrating them responsibly, and using them to express yourself leads to increased abundance. Our money should work for us, lift us up, and allow us to access meaningful experiences.

This brings us to my favorite symbol in the card: the hooded falcon perched on the main figure’s hand. It symbolizes our animal nature, the part of us that can get unruly, rebellious, and likes to follow its instincts unchecked, wherever they may lead.

In this card, however, the falcon has been trained. It sits calmly, ready to fly off at its owners bidding. Getting to this point takes patience, understanding, and a desire to look deep into ourselves. In my free-flying falcon days I may have spent a little too much on outlandish vintage dresses. Now, however, I know my weaknesses and have worked hard to tame them. I’ve directed my energy towards growing a garden and it’s providing enough to feel cozy an secure.

This is the time to send the falcon off on the mission or, in other words, let yourself enjoy some of the fruits of your labor, but do so in the service of your growth and abundance. So, in my case, allowing myself something that sparks joy in small doses - a cupcake dress every once in a blue moon - feathers my nest and gives me so much: inspiration, self-expression, and my own personal love of outlandish fantasy. All without running myself into debt or detracting from my larger goals.

It’s good to have a little wildness, especially when we can harness it to do our bidding.

Weekly Forecast: October 15-21

This week's reading is an affirming reminder of the power of community. The Three of Cups, sometimes referred to as the "party card," shows us that this time is full of celebration and collaboration. This is one of those happy cards whose advice is easy to follow: Let joy and festivity permeate your life. Not a hard pill to swallow at all!

The key of the Three of Cups, however, is a bit more complex than that. It asks us to consider where in our lives we experience ease - where (and with whom?) do we naturally and joyfully flourish? Sometimes we devalue these experiences thinking that they need to be more difficult in order to be legitimate. For example, ignoring a talent or passion because it's too easy. Like the myth of the starving artist or the business person who pulls themselves up by their bootstraps, we sometimes equate struggle with authenticity. This can lead to some dreary plodding and, perhaps fortunately, to unnecessary suffering.

Luckily, we have those closest to us to tell us where we truly shine. The Three of Cups is a deep card of relationship. When we see it in readings we're being asked to identify those close friends, family members, and allies who lift us up and amplify our confidence and happiness. They're the people who've seen us through tough times and know us well enough to let us know when we're striving against our nature or dimming our natural light. Seeing this card today is a reminder to value and uphold those connections with plenty of appreciation and shared joy. 

In consulting and celebrating with our trusted, like-minded souls we can gain a better understanding of just how far we've come and the position of power we're in right now. The Nine of Pentacles is another card that's deceptively simple at first glance. A true representation of abundance, it's easy to gloss this one over or complicate it unnecessarily. Interpretations run from "things are looking peachy financially!" to "decadence and complacency." What's more interesting about this card, however, is its exploration into the story behind our success.

This week we're in a cozy position of power. Not power over others or greedy hoarding or resources. We're actively caring for and cultivating a beautiful life that's glimmering for all to see. We're being supported by our community and in a position to make lasting changes in our careers and personal lives. In fact, this is a moment when the two are deeply intertwined, suggesting a close meeting of our values and actions. What we're doing is resonating with us on a deeper level, and that's something to truly celebrate. 

The hooded hawk perched on the top of the Nine of Pentacles shows the hard work and training that's brought us to this point. We've managed to harness our animal nature and make it work for us. These golden coins aren't ostentatious displays of success meant to make others jealous. They're a glowing invitation for others to come and join in our happiness. While we might struggle with this new-found sense of visibility (and vulnerability), the Three of Cups is here to ease our transition. Connecting with those we really trust will help shed light on our situation. Now is a wonderful time to share both our successes, plans, and even nervousness with our friends. They can remind us of the long path we've been following to get to this point and the lessons we've integrated along the way.

The Queen of Cups further illustrates how important all this happiness is. While we may be fighting against a protective instinct to remain small and invulnerable to criticism, this card shows us another way. We can be both powerful and available, emotionally present and prioritize our needs, kind and firm, and fully ourselves. This archetype is telling us that we can be gentle with ourselves and make time to joyfully honor our dreams and success. Using what feels good, right, and flows naturally as a compass we can navigate the stormiest waters. For now, however, it's sunny and smooth sailing. 

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Tarot Cards for Summer

Ah, Summer. What a langorous and wonderful season. School's out, work slows down, and people take their vacations. It's a time for enjoying life: delicious food, the joys of swimming, and happy time spent with friends and family.

So where does Summer show up in the tarot? According to most tarotists, the suit most assocaited with Summer is the cups. What's more summery than water and the loving, sensual feelings it carries with it? 

Summer also brings to mind relaxation, growth, connection, and unfurling. Below are some cards that I associate with this season. Look to these to gain a sense of time or to indicate these themes in your readings.

Ace of Cups

This card shows the effusion of good feelings that come with Summer. Think of the excitement of the last day of school and the openness of free time. Aces are beginnings and influxes of energy, so here we can see the refreshing feeling of Summer arriving on the scene. It's that beginning of the vacation feeling, a new romance, and the warmth that comes with spending quality time with others. When aces appear we can also be sure that a new adventure is about to begin. Here, it's through connection, love, and romance. Summer has a way of stripping us of inhibitions and this card sees us showing up fresh, available, and ready to connect.

The Hanged Man

This context taps into the "just chillin'" side of The Hanged Man. Here we can see relaxation, detaching from worry, and leaning into a state of ease. Much like we're able to unwind when the days get longer, we're less busy at work, and - of course - away from everyday life and on a vacation. This card also shows us that relaxation is an important ingredient to self-discovery. When we let our minds wander and give up on controlling things we also give other pieces of information and insight time to percolate and develop. And we leave space for people to seek us out and enjoy our undistracted presence.

Nine of Pentacles

This card screams "garden party" to me, and indeed the Nine of Pentacles is the embodiment of hospitality. The garden she's cultivated is beautiful and open to whomever would like to stop by. This card shows us how generosity and sharing joy with others is an essential ingredient to success. Taking time to enjoy what's beautiful, pleasurable, and satisfying is an important part of life we can often overlook, foolishly thinking it's not important. Better yet, doing this with others builds community on good times and good will and has lasting effects we may not be aware of in the moment.

The Empress

The Empress is a card for late summer when the time has come to harvest what's ripe on the vine before the chill of fall arrives. She emulates the strength of preparation, respect and love for nature, and the abundance of knowing oneself. Of course, there are themes of fertility here as well. Think of this card when communing with nature, caring for your family, and pursuing pleasure for pleasure's sake. This card refers to the time when we celebrate the bounty of summer and start transitioning into fall and winter. 

What about you? What tarot cards do you find full of Spring energy? Share in the comments below.

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. 

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