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.