How’s everyone feeling this Monday? If the answer is some combination of a grunt and a scowl, I’m pretty sure everyone else is right there with you! We’re entering heavy retrograde season, with Saturn having just started and Mercury going retrograde today. Venus has been in retrograde for the past month or so, and is almost direct again! What all this means is that we each need to be extra careful in the ways we approach our lives, our interactions, and our relationships, because we can expect bungles and miscommunications galore! This week we’ll be thrown some more curveballs from the Universe, and it’s up to us to decide whether to connect or let them fly.

Theme of the Week: King of Wands

No matter what comes our way this week, we must keep in mind that this is a challenge, testing how far we’ve come in our individual quests to discover and achieve our passion. This week, as we’re tested with situations that usually cause us to blow up, we’ll also be provided with opportunities to stand strong and be unaffected! On the other hand, if you just can’t seem to slam the door shut on your old ways, know that the support you need is waiting, ready and willing to guide you back onto your path through the wilderness.

Jumper Card:  I – The Magician

As I was shuffling this card leaped out of the deck, reminding us to keep in mind that we overcame an issue last week, allowing us new confidence in our ability to persevere and handle things in an innovative way. This very much has to do with the “struggle” that last week became near the end of the week, and knowing that we can choose to approach that same issue (when it comes up again) in a new and seemingly magical way! Trust in your own personal power to carry you through, and know that you have everything you need to succeed at this.

Monday: 2 of Cups

If you look at this card and think “mm, yes, that’s me today!” then hooray! Enjoy it, and keep doing what you’re doing! If you see those lovers all cuddled up and getting along and feel like laugh-scoffing, well, that’s probably closer to the norm. This card comes to us today to remind us to maintain perspective, especially in our personal relationships, and to strive to make sure all of our responses come from a place of love. Didn’t get the reaction to your news you were hoping for? Why do you think that is? Instead of storming out of the house to stew and vent, instead try just going upstairs to breathe for a while. Stay close by. We’re all feeling extra insecure and need to be reminded that we matter, and whose turn it is to do the reassuring is constantly changing! If you’re the one who has to do the mending today, dig deep and give yourself a big internal hug first. Affection really does heal!

Tuesday: 6 of Cups

Today finds us feeling very nostalgic, reflecting on recent events and remembering the way things were before with particular fondness. It’s easy to remember the good times and forget that we’ve always had difficult moments too! When you start wishing for a time machine to take you back, whether it’s to feel like you did then or to correct a mistake that would make “now” seem easier, stop! Instead bring forward your happy child-mind, and try to see the present as something good and malleable, like play-dough. Give it a few pinches and twists and see if you like it better! And, as always, keep in mind just how very far you’ve come. Things may not be exactly how you pictured back then, but aren’t there parts that match up with or even exceed what you once hoped to have?

Wednesday: 10 of Pentacles reversed
If you’re still feeling tender and closed-off after yesterday, that’s okay. You’re getting to a place where you can truly feel proud of all that you’ve worked so hard for, even if others haven’t started recognizing you for it yet! Today self-care is a big theme: if you can, take time alone to ground yourself by doing things you like to do in a place where you feel safe and secure. It’s up to you whether to invite other people to your you-party! You may start to feel frustrated that something hasn’t been resolved even though it’s been in the works forever – patience is key now. Find comfort where you can and know that you’re doing a good job! Hang in there and keep on keepin’ on ❤

Thursday: 4 of Swords

…”Hang in there and keep on keepin’ on!” This point in the week may find you utterly exhausted: that’s your cue to rest. You’ve been through so much lately, sometimes all that can be done is to come to a full stop, choose to let things be for now, and sleeeeep. If you can’t actually afford a nap, focus on quieting your mind when more painful reflections take centre stage mentally – consciously choose not to do “that” to yourself today, and breathe yourself through letting that stressor melt away with the rest of the winter snow (keep hoping!).

Friday: 8 of Wands

A sudden change blazes through today, causing an upsurge for – well, everything! We start to change the way we’re looking at things, noticing new opportunities and also recognizing factors that had been holding us back that we’d been trying to ignore. We’re feeling reinvigorated and ready to follow this new current, although it’s still unclear which direction it’s taking us! Whatever news or new information zips into your life, be sure to consider the direction acting on it will take you, because timing is everything now. Remember to think things through and control your impulses for the good of everyone involved!

Saturday: Ace of Swords reversed

It’s so hard when we get all energized and then find that we actually can’t act on our new ideas just yet. Today we may feel a bit stuck, as we have a clear vision of where we want to be, we just haven’t figured out the best way to get there yet! This is why we need to take the time to plan our next best action – jumping the gun will only find us further behind than ever. For now we need to maintain and polish our vision, trusting the clouds to part exactly when they need to in order for us to charge and really get things moving, better and more quickly than they could have if we’d forced it before everything was actually ready to fall into place!

Sunday: King of Pentacles

Sunday finds us remembering all that we have, holding up what’s good to the sunlight and admiring it for how rich it makes us feel. We learned some important lessons this week, most importantly the value to be found in a strong sense of self and the foundation that provides for any challenges that come our way. This week found us faced with just about every type of obstacle, and as always, we made it through! Trust in your strength and what you’ve built for yourself, and feel proud for standing tall and allowing the lessons you’ve been trying to learn to solidify. You are growing, and it is paying off!

What to look forward to: Ace of Pentacles

Above all, know that this week represents the work of “planting the seed.” Last week we were all making new starts left, right, and centre, making way for this week’s implementing it, even if that was done in “unseen” ways. This week is all about working our way out of the hedge-maze, and recognizing that that’s exactly what we’re doing when we seem to come across more than our share of dead ends, twists, and turns! When looking forward doesn’t inspire, look up, and let yourself be warmed by the sunny promise of all the good things to come once we reevaluate our personal puzzles and dedicate ourselves to solving them. The real clouds are behind us for now, so shine your brightest and know that you’re growing!

This week, remember that you do have the skills you need to succeed. You are poised to come into your own, especially from a career/work vantage point, so do your best to stay standing in the face of any obstacles that come up! But also be kind to yourself and others, and know when to “tap out” if you feel yourself losing control. Rest, reflect, repeat! If teamwork feels like a challenge, do what you can on your end and wait patiently – even contentedly – for the rest to follow. You’ll become more aware than ever of decisions that need to be made, although now is not necessarily the time to act on them: remember, seeds are being planted. Hang tight and cultivate your vision for the future! You may feel like the “odd one out” at times, but that’s just because what you’re doing is starting to work so well for you that others kind of can’t believe it and have yet to get onboard. We’re in the new, new, new stages of something amazing, give it the time and space to grow!

Deck used:

Tarot Mucha. LWB: Lunaea Weatherstone. Artwork: Giulia F. Massaglia. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2014. © Lo Scarabeo Italy.

 

 

Can everybody feel that something BIG is happening? It’s like April started and we all got inspired to make the changes we’ve been thinking about all winter as we hunkered down and waited for the sun, the warmth, and the fresh new energy that comes with Spring. The theme of the week is IV – THE EMPEROR reversed, indicating that we are getting back in touch with our “inner” selves, reimagining what works for us, and taking down the structures that we know no longer serve. We’re allowing ourselves to feel again, and embracing the creativity and newfound compassion that come with unburdening ourselves from impossible expectations and desperate situations!

Monday: Page of Pentacles

Yes indeed, we’re making new starts all over the place! This week we’re focusing on getting back on track, be it in the realm of finance and material wealth, or even of healthy, wellness, and the body. Whatever we have started, we can know that we are well-prepared and serious about what we are doing! All we really need to fuel us now is our own ambition, and faith that we have what it takes to reach our goals.

Tuesday: 0 – THE FOOL

Step lightly today! Lower your expectations – making a new start is not easy, although early in the game it can feel that way. Baby steps still get you on your way, and if things have started to feel like they’re lagging, remember that real change takes time and fresh thinking! You are being supported in this new journey, and know that the Universe is there to catch you if you stumble ❤

Wednesday: VIII – STRENGTH

Today progress will be made in overcoming your more “basic” instincts: where once you would have turned-tail and run from a problem, today you feel like facing it head-on, thus learning a new way of handling things. The greatest breakthroughs come in striving to understand another’s perspective on the matter. When people make positive changes, others around them can sometimes feel threatened or judged when they don’t do the same: remember that we are all on different paths, no matter how closely they seem to align, and we are stronger when we find creative ways to see through each other’s eyes.

Thursday: I – THE MAGICIAN reversed

If yesterday felt bumpy, today throws us a huge curveball, one that finds us questioning our ability to do what we’ve set out to. We may feel we don’t have the resources we need, or that we’re not receiving the support we wish we had — today our challenge is to apply what we learned on Tuesday, maintaining that spring in our step and remembering that this is a process where we are learning just how truly skilled we are, and just how much we can do if we hang in there and fully trust in our personal strength! We always have everything we need, and the best support we can give ourselves comes from within. External recognition will come, for now keep your head up and know that you CAN do it!

Friday: Knight of Wands

After a slump yesterday, you may be feeling…well, mad! Remember, remember, remember that real change takes time, so don’t let your frustration bubble up into impulsive, reckless behaviour. Stay grounded and, if you feel like you messed up yesterday, do not take it out on yourself or others! If you can, channel your fire into something productive (even better if it contributes to the new goal you’re working towards)! You could turn back now, but you’ve already come so far! It will get harder before it gets easy, and it’s up to you not to explode. No pressure? ;D

Saturday: XV – THE DEVIL

Yep, today “harder before it gets easier” will be ringing in your ears. How did you handle yesterday’s challenges? Well, today they really do explode, and you may feel like your efforts have gone up in flames. Nope! This is a test from the Universe, testing your mettle and trying to coax you back with the sweet song of your old patterns, the ones that you know aren’t working for you but still look easier and more comfortable than the more stoic, far less fun road to effecting true change in your life. It’s your choice how you respond to this test, and here, you are accountable to no-one but yourself! Truly, only you can hold yourself captive. You are the master of your own life!

Sunday: X – THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE reversed

Well, today may have you feeling like things haven’t changed at all. This was a difficult week filled with big lessons, one of which is that we can’t control the speed – or the circumstances! – by which change happens. Take some time today to turn inward and reflect on how far you’ve come, and do your best to put out of your mind how far you still have to go. You’ve overcome so much this week, even if you may have made some decisions that you’re less than proud of. You’re learning, you’re growing, and things are changing, slowly but surely!

Focus for the Week: II – THE HIGH PRIESTESS

I love this card because for me, it’s reassurance that my “spirit guides” are present and ready to help. When challenges arise this week, remember to listen to that quietest inner voice: it’s working with you and providing all the answers you need to push through whatever obstacles throw themselves in your path! “Ego” messages will be everywhere this week, trying to pull you off-course and back into the patterns that you’ve decided no longer work for you and what you want for your life. Trust that you are in the perfect moment between your past and your present, and that you know what you need to do! When the going gets tough, listen: the answers you need will be provided, in one way or another! Synchronicity is real, and it’s the Universe’s way of telling you you’re on the right track. Look into repeating numbers, find meaning in song lyrics, watch for signs in nature: the Universe is cheering you on and wants you to succeed, no matter how long it takes!

Yes, this week we’re looking at the structures in our lives in a BIG way, coming up with creative new ideas for doing things differently, in ways that feel more aligned with our true selves. Focus on what you want to create for yourself and your life. Nothing about this week will be small-scale, and you’ll be dealing with some big opinions and personalities — including your own! Hold true to your beliefs and stand strong in your decisions, even when perseverance feels like the hardest thing. Take extra-good care of yourself as this week hurls itself at you – it’s going to be a challenge, and it’s one that you’re more ready than ever to take on!!

If you’re interested in a personal reading, please visit my Etsy shop! I look forward to working with you!

Deck used:

Tarot Mucha. LWB: Lunaea Weatherstone. Artwork: Giulia F. Massaglia. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2014. © Lo Scarabeo Italy.