Weekly Forecast: February 6-12

Well, dear readers, in a rare moment of straightforwardness, our reading is telling us that the main themes of the month are making themselves known to us at the beginning of the week. After all, Strength is our tarot card of the month. Let’s enjoy this! Take note of what you’re grappling with - it will be an ongoing project for you in February - as well as the areas you’ve been growing. The latter is actually the crux of our reading: What formerly wild, rejected, or misunderstood side of yourself has been coming into lovely focus as of late? How can you push through the last stages of integration and welcome it into your heart?

I love the progression shown in the cards here - the mythical encounter shown in Strength softening into the everyday, human interaction in the Six of Cups. Strong, seamless transitions between cards often belie a much bigger story, and this week is a pivotal time in our personal journey towards self-compassion. Take a moment to elevate this facet of your life, paying special attention to how the often grinding nature of Strength has been slowing down; what feels natural, gentle, and authentic that once felt like a struggle? I’m thinking here of personality traits or parts of our stories that have felt hard to integrate with our sense or self or larger narrative. How can we thank ourselves for the hard work it takes to welcome in imperfection, difficulty, and misfortune and make something beautiful?

Sharing what you’ve learned and where you’ve been is an important next step in digesting our recent (and ongoing) experience of Strength. Spending time with trusted friends, giving back, and lavishing tenderness on those who’ve been at our side through tough times will be both gratifying and centering. There’s a lot of work to be done (as we’ll see in our next card), but tending to our relationships, hearts, and softer side will be crucial in the beginning and middle of the week.

I’d also like to point out the change in setting as Strength gives way to the Six of Cups. What was once in the wilderness is now safely enclosed in a human space. Look around you and see how you’ve built up emotional safe spaces for yourself, both in your relationship with yourself and with others. Do you need to shore up or maintain any of these “spaces” (think self-care practices, affirmations, boundaries)? This card can also suggest doing a brief audit of your emotional inner-sanctum, being on the lookout for any intruders or relationships/situations that aren’t in your best interest.

While the first half of the week may feel slow, tender, and even sticky at some points, the Knight of Wands arrives on the scene bringing a massive change of pace. It’ll be important to use this energy mindfully; while this card is immensely powerful and energizing, there is a chance that we’ll accidentally walk back on some of our recent progress. Think before you act, make sure your values align with your decisions, and be mindful of stepping on other people’s toes in a fit of passion.

Potential surprise/reframe:

The part of Strength that’s coming through most powerfully to me in this reading is the moment of contact between the main figure’s hand and the lion’s head. It’s as if it’s fading into the exchange happening in the Six of Cups next to it: an older child giving a cup holding a white flower to a younger child. Perhaps there’s a similar moment happening within us this week, as we discover that the fierce lion we’ve been trying to tame is really just a small child looking for a gesture of acceptance.

In this sense, this week isn’t about doing more work (The Knight of Wands), but recognizing and appreciating the work we’ve already done to accept and make peace with ourselves.

This week, embrace:

• Loyalty to yourself: your values, experience, worldview

• Focus on active themes or struggles

• Self-compassion, curiosity

• Intimate relationships

This week, avoid:

• Pretending you’re struggling with yourself more than you actually are (i.e. over-identifying with Strength when you could be transitioning to the Six of Cups)

• Acting rashly and undoing your hard work

• Attacking your own progress

• Rushing in general

Weekly Forecast: August 22-28

Heartache is back on the menu this week, but it’s not an unfamiliar dish. We’re still dealing with the tenderness that came to the surface two weeks ago when the Three of Swords was our central card. Now, however, it’s leading us into the week. We’ve been striding side by side with our tender hearts, getting to know each other. What challenging feelings have been accompanying you lately, and how much more friendly can you be to yourself now that you’ve had some time to better understand what you’re going through?

This is a week to give your heart what it needs. It’s not for nothing that the pain in our first cards comes from three swords stuck in a robust red heart. In tarot, swords deal with the mind; let’s not use our thoughts to twist the swords lodged in our hearts. Self-criticism, beating up on yourself because there’s nothing else you can do to escape challenging situations - all of this will only prolong our suffering. It brings to mind picking at a scab, whether out of anxiety, discomfort, or boredom. Ultimately, we re-open the wound, and let the painful cycle repeat itself.

It’s worth considering if there’s some ritualized act going on. Are you using your swords-like capacities - reasoning, logic, argument - to re-open your wounds? Do you feel more comfortable arguing with your feelings than actually experiencing them? (And)/or are you hiding a fear of what would happen if you let these wounds heal? What would happen then?

Well, this reading has a lovely alternate path for us to take. The Six of Cups shows a place of sanctuary and the healing that can happen when we step away from the piercing questions of the swords and into the replenishing waters of the cups. This is a deeply intimate and personal card that calls on themes of innocence, nostaligia, and childhood. Spend as much time as you can reconnecting with what brings you pure, unadulterated joy or deep relaxation. You may find inspiration in your childhood interests - look for gestures, rituals, and activities that remove you from the sharp thoughts circulating in your mind, gently placing you in a softer, calmer state. In true cups fashion, these will involve themes of beauty, poetry, love, and emotion.

So while this isn’t a resounding “yes!” of a reading, it is, in my opinion, quite meaningful and encouraging. We’ve been doing the hard work of staying with our hearts, even when they’re aching. Even if it hasn’t felt like we’ve made the progress we imagined, it may be because we’re seeking a solution to a problem that isn’t even a problem to begin with. Having a beating heart means it will be hurt eventually, and how else would we remember the preciousness of being alive?

It will be important to make room for rest in the beginning of the week, as things shift notably from internal witnessing and healing to the very busy, externally-oriented Seven of Wands. This card could go two ways, and it definitely shows us that we’ll have some finessing to do if we want to avoid angsty burnout or needless conflict.

Taken mindfully, this card shows an increase in energy and willpower - healing in service of growth through action - that will have us wrestling with our lives in real-time. Challenging? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

If we rush through the Three of Swords and Six of Cups, however, or try to avoid their messages, we may find ourselves wanting to vent our frustrations on those around us, creating unnecessary drama and conflict as a means of distraction. Be on the lookout for irritation, judgmental thoughts, and the urge to push through your own agenda. The next stage will require some force and initiative, but it should be the kind that gives you a rush of enthusiasm and focus, not angst or resentment.

This week, embrace:

• Taking time to rest

• Self-compassion, being with your suffering

• Getting in touch with your senses

• Pastimes, places, and people that make you feel safe and connected to your true self

• Re-entering a challenge with focus and humility

This week, avoid:

• Rumination, self-criticism, spinning stories to fill the void

• Illusions of control

• Fast-forwarding subtle or difficult growth

• Venting your frustrations on others

• Workaholism

Get creative:

• Three of Swords: This week we’re focused more on the swords in our hearts. What are they, specifically? Take some time to identify the top three ways you’ve been using your mind to (re)injure yourself in moments of vulnerability, sadness, or suffering. Just practice awareness of these when they pop up, nothing more.

• Six of Cups: One facet of this card we didn’t touch on is space. Here, we have an interior courtyard, a place that’s both open and protected. Choose a space in your life this week, real or imagined/mental, to which you can retreat when you feel overwhelmed by the stormy emotions of the three of swords. Don’t skimp on creature comforts - this is a week where every little bit of coziness counts, and it’s actually combatting the harmful jabs and barbs of the Three of Swords. You may want to invite a trusted friend or family member to join you there and share in both the burden and bounty of your emotional experience.

• Seven of Wands: Well isn’t this an angsty character? There’s something about this card that reminds me of a training montage. That moment in a movie when our hero has to undergo a grueling regimen of exercises and challenges to build endurance, preferably set to a blaring pump-up jam. It may help to imagine yourself in a similar heroic situation when important constructive challenges arise. Channel your bristling energy, embrace that it’ll be difficult, and revel in the strength you’ll be building.

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.

Weekly Forecast: October 14-20

Resist the urge to self-isolate.

Sometimes when I sit down to write a forecast I type out the first phrase that comes to mind, just like the one above.

Usually these are a nice jumping-off point, but this week it's right on the money - a tarot reading thesis statement, if you will.

As we begin this week we're worn-down and wounded in some way, yet the solid gentleness of the Queen of Pentacles is urging us to reach out and find soothing care in our relationships via the Six of Cups.

Let's look deeper.

As you may have noticed, I'm a huge fan of artist Mary Evans' Apparition Tarot, featured here. Could I pass up a deck with pastel cherubs dancing on the backs? No! But I also love her interpretations of the cards - they often bring a piercing freshness to their symbolism, taking us on a more modern path to their meanings.

Here, instead of the usual face-down figure stabbed ten times in the back, we have an outstretched hand pierced with swords. It's a painful image to behold. The arm reaching forward makes me think of the pain in vulnerability; what happens when we seek connection and aren't seen, heard, or, worse, treated with respect.

Clearly, these feelings and experiences are at work this week, operating in our lives either consciously or subconsciously. Where have we felt rejected, hurt, or misrepresented? What bids for affection have been ignored or turned down by others, willfully or not?

I whispered a quiet "ooh, boy!" when I turned over this card. It's been a while since we've seen it here, and it's always an intense energy to work with; yet, the fact that it's the ten - the last in its sequence - suggests some finality. Our swords have built up and reached their maximum capacity. In seeing them for what they are we begin a new process of healing.

Which, as you may have guessed, is where the Queen of Pentacles comes in. I really think of this card here as powerful self-parenting energy. We're at a point where we can take the reins and choose to give ourselves all the support and soothing and kindness that may not have been gifted to us in the past. This Queen shows the empowering act of choosing to be our own ally. How can we care for ourselves and put our needs at the center as an act of deep love?

The Queen of Pentacles is also a solitary card; sometimes it can be lonely coming to terms with the responsibility of loving ourselves wholly. Moving with these two facets - the weight of assuming power and the joy and tenderness it cultivates - is absolutely an option. In fact, it's the bittersweet hallmark of the Kings and Queens of tarot. They've traveled far to reach this level of mastery. They know that power begins with oneself, the same as satisfaction, clarity, and so much more.

But what happens when the court cards of tarot band together? Does suffering rejection in the past doom us to the pressure of isolated self-care? Prioritizing our needs until we're alone in a corner? Not at all. This reading shows such a lovely path from the pain of hurt - that inhospitable land of swords - to the warmth of acceptance.

Take time this week to find your people, those trusted travelers who have wisdom, support, and insight to offer you. Look for those who deal with their struggles as a way to better know themselves - other kings and queens of the tarot journey.

The imagery here is stunning: The wounds of the Ten of Swords have disappeared in the Six of Cups where a rainbow of hands join together in supportive grace.

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Weekly Forecast: May 7-13

It feels so good to put a plan into action. After spending lots of time in our heads creating strategies, imagining outcomes, and weighing options, this week we're putting our feet on the ground and committing to making things real. 

The Three of Wands is a card full of excitement, expectation, and anticipation. Our ideas are still tender and new, untested by the world, and yet we've tapped into something special within ourselves. It's the intoxicating feeling of choice. We can choose to do things. We can make things happen. 

This card is big and visionary, and I love its bravery. It's one thing to imagine possibilities, getting lost in the world of lists and brainstorming. Making moves to bring these ideas into reality is a whole other ballgame, and this week we're walking onto the field, a little jittery, but mostly raring and ready to go.

And what do we run into? Why it's The Tower! Everybody's favorite card!

Of course I'm being sarcastic here. The Tower, with its themes of destruction and chaos, is usually met with groans or outright fear. Yet in this reading it has a very important message that gives us a helpful choice to navigate all the potential shown in the Three of Wands.

The Tower shows us the downside of structure, particularly what happens when the structures we have at work in our lives can't contain us, our energy, or our hopes and dreams. Left unheeded, this pressure can lead to destruction. Yet we always have the choice to look at The Tower and make changes, using it as a catalyst to take the change into our own hands and not let the pressure build to an inevitable, surprising explosion.

Action-movie level talk of explosions aside, The Tower this week is showing us how the buzz and action coming into our lives in the Three of Wands is tempting us to fall into old patterns. I love how the artist and creator of this deck, Jonasa Jaus, uses an insect as the protagonist of the Three. Is there a better metaphor for the early, exciting stages of creativity than pollination? And what a fascinating contrast between the vibrant, happy wildflowers in the Three and the epic titan arum in The Tower!

If we're the buzzing insect here, busy traveling from flower to flower, the gigantic titan arum represents a nearly-irresistible temptation. We're feeling a pull to go to The Tower despite the fact that it's not the flower we need to be pursuing at all. In fact, it's quite toxic.

What I love most about the Three of Wands is that is captures both the tenderness and bravery of setting off on any path. When we do this we have to be mindful of our energy. When something's new and budding it needs care, attention, and gentleness. Not to mention focus. In the early stages of a new project, creation, or endeavor we have to remain focused, humble, and in the moment. 

In this reading, The Tower shows us a temptation to force our newly budding plans into repressive and overbearing structure. This can show up in a desire to overwhelm ourselves with expectations, judging each and every action and burying ourselves in a pile of "shoulds." Our plans should unfold this way. We should be feeling like that. It should look like this. 

Clearly, some form of self-sabotage is at work. Why are we moving from the new growth of the Three of Wands to the cataclysm of The Tower? The Six of Cups appears as our final card to add some insight. This card speaks to nostalgia and early patterns of relating to the world. Taking a risk and committing to a plan in the Three of Wands is bringing up a lot of fear and pressure stemming from how we were taught to look at the world as children. 

Interestingly, this card is also showing us a way through The Tower, one that has us bypassing its destructive intensity. Embracing The Tower wholeheartedly (or doing nothing to process the issues it brings up) is leading us towards emotional overwhelm and a desire to control and force our newly burgeoning plans into stale old frameworks. Hardly a goal any of us is consciously working towards! Instead, we can ask ourselves some loving and probing questions. Just what about our new plans and creative ideas is making us feel fearful? Why are we feeling the urge to snuff our our enthusiasm with heavy expectations and judgment?

If we can meet ourselves in this place, lovingly addressing our fears and traveling back to the conditions that they came from, we can enter into the healing space of the Six of Cups. Here, we have the ability to look back at the source of these pressures with all the wisdom we've accrued as adults. It doesn't have to be a big, frightening Tower moment. It can be a gentle moment of reconnection and an act of recommitting to taking our creativity and energy seriously. That means giving it all the space, lightheartedness, action, and bravery it needs to grow. 

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Weekly Forecast: March 5-11

The cards for this week are bursting at the seams with energy, movement, and tenderness. We're entering into a time of growth that we're directing both inwards towards our self and outwards to those around us. With this balance of seeking, accountability, and support we're able to venture towards a new project that's both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. The beautiful connections of the cups are inspiring us to take an important step forward. 

Our first card, the Eight of Cups, shows the immense power that's unleashed when we take advantage of our skills and assets. What sources of inspiration and support feed our imagination? What allows us to flourish? When considering these questions we may be surprised to find some unexpected answers. 

The watery nature of cups encompasses all sorts of emotions and relationships. It takes time to process the events of our past; once we've done so, however, we can find strength and experience in even the most difficult and painful moments. Grappling with them is a long-term and difficult process and the Eight of Cups is showing us that we've reached an important stage in that journey. 

This week we may find lightness and unexpected insight into heavier parts of our past. Like the vines growing out of the cups, we're finding nourishment in our emotional experiences, the "good" and the  "bad." Both are serving as the watery source from which we can branch out, change, adapt, and grow. 

The Eight of Cups is a perfect card for this season as the days grow longer and all the plants and creatures begin to stir. We're eager to shake our worlds up a bit, too. To clean, take inventory, plan, and disrupt, making room for our new, growing selves. This is also occurring on an emotional level, as we can see by the vines tearing down a column and revealing a bright flame. The old is giving way to the new and stodgy structure is caving way to wild and winding growth. Underneath it all is a new, undiscovered source of passion and clarity.

 It's time to make changes that clear space. We're craving change over structure and in seeking it out we're also discovering a hidden store of energy. What more is out there? How can we best create a life that nourishes our creativity? It may be helpful to engage with these questions as you do your spring cleaning, go through old clothes, or even mop the floor. Channeling feelings through actions can be energizing and immensely satisfying. 

The Six of Cups suggests that this is a larger phenomenon. Think of us all as little chicks hatching from our eggs. The process involves some squirming and struggling, as we can see in the Eight of Cups, and it calls on us to figure out our true strength. Once we emerge, however, we can see that there's a larger community of newly hatched chicks. Exploring our deeper selves and growing into a new, more free space is opening doors to many new and inspiring connections. Finding support and guidance from like-minded people is immensely gratifying. Bringing these connections close, celebrating them freely and happily, is a beautiful reward to the inner seeking of the Eight of Cups. 

With our growing community behind us with supportive words and encouragement, we're ready to venture towards something exciting. This could be a new project at work, a new direction for your business, or the start of a new creative exploration. The Page of Wands shows us venturing towards an alluring unknown. We're not experts in this area - just look at that dark eye-filled cave! - but we're armed with burning curiosity and endearing chutzpah. With a new understanding of who we are and where we've come from, plus the gratifying encouragement from our friends and supporters, we're ready to take a little risk. It's time to shake things up and see where our inspiration leads us. 

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Exploring the Minor Arcana: The Sixes

In this series we'll be diving into the world of the Minor Arcana. Each segment will group the cards by number where we can engage in their themes and differences. For all the posts in the installment, click here.

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From the conflict-ridden fives we emerge into the relaxing, harmonious world of the sixes. Here, the cards refelct themes of balance, peace, and sentimentality. There's an aura of rest surrounding the sixes (which makes sense after all the grappling that takes place in the fives.) 

After emerging from a struggle we gain appreciation for what we have and a hard-won sense of relaxation. It's a time to enjoy, look around us, and contemplate how far we've come or even to process events from the past we were unable to examine without some distance. 

The sixes aren't radical cards, at least at face value. Their way of existing in the world is more mellow, though there's still plenty of valuable action taking place. Instead of revolutionizing, the sixes deal with reevaluating. How can we look back on our past experiences in light of our lives right now? Let's look at the individual cards to see how these themes play out across the suites.

Explore In-Depth Minor Arcana Meanings

The  Six of Wands is an emphatically victorious card. We can almost feel the sense of elation in the illustration of a celebratory parade. A figure sits astride a horse confidently, with a wreath perched on the top of his wand. This is the moment when our hard work and struggles breaks through to success. Action has built up to accomplishment, and now it's our moment in the sun. In addition to soaking up the adulation and contentment of victory, we're also given a chance to reflect back on our past deeds and make plans for the future.

For the Six of Swords is more muted. Here, victory was hard won and involves the wisdom of knowing when to leave a situation behind. We're off to seek better, more hospitable shores, guided by the wisdom we've gained from our past experiences. This transition is also time for reflection, particularly surrounding our knowledge. With this space we can now work to reframe our struggles, hurts, and challenges, evaluating whether they've hardened into insight or no longer serve us.

The Six of Cups is a joyous and tender card that sees us returning to a sense of emotional satisfaction. Embracing innocence and openness invites in sustaining and reciprocal relationships. This is a card of caring, pure connections, and basking in the glow of others. There's a strong nostalgic bent to this card and the six of cups can often point to reflections of our childhood or situations and relationships that speak to the child within us. 

Finally, the Six of Pentacles ushers in a sense of material stability that allows us to behave generously and to consider how we want to share our wealth, both literal and figurative. Having firm ground beneath our feet allows us to focus on both building and giving back. As such, this card can also refer to moments when we have to contend with guilt around finances, or more generally what money means to us. 

As balanced, reflective cards the sixes are almost interludes during a journey. During rest or periods of plenty we have more room to think, dream, and enjoy. For more detailed meanings, click above. What are your thoughts on the sixes? Share in the comments below!

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When a Tarot Card Just Doesn't Make Sense

We've all been here before. You've laid out your cards, looked at their meanings and connections, and spun them into an insightful reading. The catch? One of them just doesn't seem to fit. It could be a rogue major arcana, a pesky minor, or a theme that won't tie in no matter how you look at it. Either way, its meaning won't reveal itself to you.

This can be frustrating and a bit of an ego blow. We all know there's nothing like a smooth, free-flowing tarot reading. It's exhilarating and illuminating. We get the insight we want and the satisfaction of pulling it all together.

What would you say if I told you that my favorite part of reading tarot is not knowing what a card means?

Over the years I've done a lot of readings. When I first stumbled on a tricky card I was upset. No matter how many books I consulted it just didn't gel with the rest of the reading. And then I let it sit (definitely more out of frustation than wisdom!) I simply didn't know what to do.

And then the magic happened. 

All the times I've encountered a difficult card it was for a reason. Sometimes a card doesn't reveal itself because it has a larger message that needs time to unfold in real life. These instances have always stuck with me as the most powerful moments in tarot.

An example: I was doing a reading about an opportunity I was going to pursue. Everything was looking peachy and about as "logical" (or understandable, rather) as a tarot reading can be. Then I drew a card that represented "something to watch out for." It was the six of cups.

Now this is perhaps one of the rosiest tarot cards in the decks. It represents connection, innocence, and tenderness. I couldn't for the life of me see how it related to my situation, especially since what I was asking about had very little to do with friendship or relationships.

Fast forward two days and I found myself in a sticky situation involving a friend trying to take advantage of the situation I had been doing the reading for. Suddenly, I understood what the card had been trying to tell me. In the left corner of the six of cups there's an often-ignored figure. It appears to be walking out of the frame and holding a spear and can refer to moments when you let your guard down.

I had been letting my rose-colored vision of this relationship cloud my judgment, choosing to ignore my doubts and "let my guard down." It was an exciting a-ha! moment that drew me deeper into the card and cemented a facet of its meaning with a real life experience.

These tarot moments are unique and special - I never forget them when they happen and they've led me to embrace the times when I can't seem to make a card fit. It may seem counterintuitive, but give it a try for yourself. When you encounter a tricky card let it rest. In time, it will reveal its meaning in your life and leave you with a magical tarot experience and story. 

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Weekly Forecast: May 15-21

Life can rush by us and sometimes we’re the ones rushing through life.

This can be negative – think “sad businessperson too focused on career to appreciate the little things” – but when applied with purpose and precision? It can help clear way for the very “little things” we cherish most.

With a little effort we can direct the forward-moving action of the Knight of Swords towards accomplishing our work goals, clearing the path for other areas of our life.

We start the week feeing speedy and determined. It’s a glorious way to get going. Our busy schedules are no match for precise thinking and confident decision making. I like to call this Knight of Swords approach “first coffee energy,” the blissful feeling of alertness you get after you drink your first cup in the morning. You’re bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to tackle things, and a long way off from being an over-caffeinated mess.

Of course it’s a smart idea to have a plan when rushing full speed ahead while swinging a giant sword over your head. Knights can have the tendency to ignore any subtlety when they set off on their grand adventures so while you’re valiantly checking off items on your to-do list, be mindful about how you’re treating others.

But just where is the Knight of Swords leading us? What is the motivation behind our satisfyingly effective productivity?

The Knight of Swords transitions into the sweet energy of the Six of Cups showing us that our pointed efficiency is giving us the beautiful opportunity to connect with both ourselves and others. In the middle of the week we find that our hard work has given us a lovely bit of respite to stop and smell the roses, check in with an old friend, or spend extra time with our family.

It’s important to connect with the ones we love this week, making time to cultivate relationships and celebrate the wonders they add to our lives. Just look at all the cups in this card: they're full of blooming flowers.

There’s another side to the Six of Cups that feels especially important this week. We can look at the two figures as symbols representing ourselves: our adult self and our inner child.

Take the time to do something for yourself this week that speaks to this part of you. Something simple that you like just beacause. Treat yourself to a book on a subject that fascinates you, eat something decadent you loved when you were young, go on an imaginative adventure.

Pay attention to how you feel when you let yourself do something for your inner child. How does it change the way you see the world? Do you feel guilty at first? Does it inspire you, make you feel more like yourself?

Instead of being frivolous, reconnecting like this can give us a wonderful sense of balance and energy.

We see this as the Six brings us into the grounded power of the Queen of Pentacles. Pleasure and a healthy relationship with our inner child fosters a truly holistic sense of stability. Like the Queen we can bask in the energy of the world, seeing ourselves as both ambitious and effective and tender and curious.

All while remaining open to what life has in store for us.

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