Let me start off this week’s reading by saying Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there! There is not greater honor – or undertaking – than being a mother.
Your Card Reading for the week of May 10-16:
Coming off of the Full Moon this last week there is still a giant amount of energy in the air. This Full Moon was a transformative one that ushered in new energetic wavelengths and opened us up to new levels of manifestation. For those of you who are friends with me on Facebook, I launched tiny prompts all week long to encourage you to focus on what you really want in life, what your soul is really worth, and what you needed to focus on.
This week’s message continues to build upon those energies, and goes pretty deep. There are actually two messages, and one can take them either together or separately. Both are as vital alone as they are together. We have a bit of a read ahead of us, so get comfortable and tuck in.
What is this week’s theme?
The Three of Wands:
A lone figure stands on a rocky beach, watching ships come in (or go out) on the horizon. The skies are fair and birds on the wing seem to usher the ships in as well. The person - we don't know if they are male or female - holds a wand in their right hand, and are flanked on either side by two more. The crystals on these wands are bright; but do not glow. The wands themselves are gilded, but do not gleam. This person's cloak is red; the color of flesh and life, and their shawl is green; the color of nature and abundance. There is a large sense of longing to this card. The symbolism - waiting for the ships to come in - speaks volumes in itself. Wands are the cards of energy, motivations, and passions. Threes are often regarded as struggle cards in the Tarot – and truth be told, they are not one of the happier cards to draw. However, threes general depict an action call, and the disruption around them is usually this energy forcing you to get up and move. The Three of Wands is a little kinder. Wands are fire signs; and if you recall we have been called lately to build upon this energy of passion. We cannot do that if life allows us to stick in one spot. We get too comfortable, and miss the call. The person depicted in this card is literally standing still, waiting for the ship to come in. Do you find yourself doing that lately as well?
We tend to make our happiness conditional, as well as our drive to reach our goals. Many times, we freeze because we are waiting on signs, or affirmations, or permission to act on something – especially when it has to do with a deep-rooted passion. We forget that following our passions will never lead us wrong and will always propel growth in positive ways, and we let fear of the unsupported unknown hold us in place. Then, just like in the card, we are stuck in the habit of waiting for our ships to come in. In the waiting, we waste a lot of time.
If you look closely at the picture, the figure is supported; flanked on either side by the wands. He/she is supported by their passion. If this person were to focus on them, rather than what may or may not come to them on the horizon, they would not be left with such a feeling of longing inside of them… And this card has a heavy undertone of longing to me.
The Ten of Cups:
A couple and their child gaze upward to ten golden cups above them. There is a rainbow in the sky, and the light and the colors are raining down upon them. Below are calm waters, a field of flowers, symbols of light and happiness. Above, the light bursts through the clouds, and a strong stone tower stands in protection from above. Everyone is so fixated on the cups themselves, that they do not even notice that it is raining, or that there is a storm behind them. Cups are the emotion cards, and often called the love cards. Tens are generally referred to as completion cards; the end of the road, or a cycle, or a journey. This card indicates emotional fulfillment on some level, and accomplishment of something that brings forth happiness and wonder. Backed against the Three of Wands, I believe it is a promise of what will come to you emotionally if you have the courage to stop watching the horizon and instead focus on what drives the fire within you. If you can find it within yourself to do this, it will radiate out a fulfillment on an emotional level that ushers in immense happiness.
Do not worry about the rain, or the storm. Don’t dwell in the past or fret the future. Stay in the now, and tune in to what fuels your flame. Doing this will only bring happiness and a feeling of completion.
The Seven of Wands (reversed):
A man plainly clothed stands guard at the gate, dressed in colors of earth and fire. In his hand he holds a wand which glows at the tip, and while his stance is defensive, the look on his face belies his nerves and apprehension. The doors behind him are heavy and gilded with ornate ironwork. The foliage around him is green and lush. Six more wands are pointed straight at him by some unknown attacker(s), and together, they illuminate the doorway.
Wands, again, are the cards of passions and fire. Sevens are about individual battles. They are the call to action after a restoration of hope or one’s senses, and as you can see in this card; there is no visible enemy other than the wands themselves. You can also see that our protagonist is unsure of what to do, but knows deep down inside that he will battle to protect what is his.
In a reversed position, this card suggests to think before lashing out in defense. Is this battle a real one, or a perceived threat? Because this card talks about our passions, and we have already been urged to act upon them rather than wait and have also been given the promise of emotional fulfillment if we do, the message in this card is to be cautious when dealing with your perceived need to defend yourself. It feels like to me it is a ‘you don’t owe anyone an explanation’ card; when dealing with following your passions. It should also be noted that we always tend to put too much stock in what other people think of us, or what they might think, or what they might do. We cannot control other people, but we can most certainly control how we react to them. Be sure that your fortress is legitimately being threatened before rising to defend it.
Answering the call of the Sevens is to take control and harness your inner alchemy, but one does not take control by acting rash. A calm, in-the-now approach is what is called for here. This way, you are not rising to the bait of battles that do not serve you, nor are you rushing to put energy into defending something you don’t need to defend against. Because this can mean an inner battle – this could very well be a reminder that ties into the first card – don’t grow fearful and wait to move forward, lest you grow bitter and miss out on the hope and fulfillment of the Ten of Cups.
The Ace of Pentacles:
There is a gilded path leading through a garden where flowers bloom in white for purity, red for passion and the flesh, and yellow for hope. The green is lush and vibrant, pregnant with abundance. Bees fly in and out to carry the sweet pollen to their hive. The light shines brilliantly down upon the scene, and in the center of the trail is one giant golden pentacle. It shines, glistening in the light as the flowers bloom brilliantly over and around it.
Pentacles are the cards of the Material world, and speak of possessions and tangible wealth. Aces are potential, beginnings of something brilliant to unfold. As the tail-end card in this reading, the Ace of Pentacles is the promise of all of the other cards combined. It is the assurance not to worry about material things while following one’s passions. You will be supported.
The truly beautiful truth about the calling in this week’s reading is that you are promised both emotional fulfillment and material support if you have the courage to rise up and follow the passion within you. Butting up against the Full Moon and the enhanced powers of manifestation, these cards combine to tell you that now is absolutely time to go for what you have been waiting for so long to pursue.
…If you have been waiting for a sign to go ahead; it doesn’t get much more blatant than this!
Advice to navigate this week’s energies:
The Three of Swords (reversed):
A girl stands in the rain with tears flowing freely. she is clothed in yellow; symbolic of innocence and happiness, and abundance. However, she is in pain. She clutches a crumbling rose to her cheek and is shrouded in darkness. Three swords hang in succession behind her, and one of them is piercing another red rose, which is also crumbling away. Roses are symbolic of love, and red is symbolic of the color of the flesh. All is dark as the rain comes down, and behind her looms the moon - usually a symbol of confusion and muddled thinking - shining a small beam of light down upon the scene, through the clouds bringing the rain. Swords are the cards of thoughts, words, and actions. Threes are struggle cards that lead us on the path of growth. In the reversed position; this card tells us it is time to let go of the past and the pain that lies there.
There is a vast difference between putting down your pain, and being cured of it. In truth, there is no cure for emotional pain. However, it is through acceptance that we are able to set it down and stop picking at it like a wound bound to fester. Dwelling on the betrayals of the past does not teach us the lesson we were meant to learn by going through them; it only rips open at the scars they left behind. It is also, again, living in the past, and self-restriction. Try instead to nod your head in understanding at those painful moments, acknowledging the pain. Allow them to be, as they, too, are a part of who you are. They are not something you need to triumph over, or persevere beyond. They are simply a part of you. By viewing them in this light, you do not remove yourself from the now, and open yourself up to all of the possibilities that are building before you.
…And a final note on pain and trauma from the past: It does not define you, and it does not deem you unworthy of answering your calling and following that which truly moves you. Nobody is tainted from their previous parts of their journey in a way that makes them unworthy of fulfillment.
So, when getting ready to move forward, do not allow what has been to toss a roadblock up for you. The past does not write the future. Only you have the power to do that.
What is gained by following this advice:
The Ace of Cups:
A gilded cup stands tall and center in a beautiful, tranquil ocean. Below is life, above is light, and light and life also bursts forth from the cup itself. The fish are symbolic of happiness, and the reef below, life. Everything in this picture is symbolic of peace, happiness, promise, and the light. Cups are the relationship cards, the cards of creativity, emotions, feelings, and intuition. The promise in this card is pretty straightforward: Dare to follow the advice by making peace with your internal self over past wounds, and use that alchemy to follow your passions, and your emotional cup will runneth over. There is so much happiness lying in store for you. The only real boggle is whether or not you can find it within yourself to take it.
The Lovers:
Gilded light fires up the background of this card. A golden arrow points downward, upon the center of energy being shared by two angels. This duality together embodies the traits of the masculine and feminine, and from them life springs forth. Foliage climbs up the backdrop. White flowers in the shape of stars spring from her hair. A tree of life is beginning between them, with more flowers - red for life - sprouting in the ground around it. A shiny red apple lays before it (temptations?). With all of this going on in the picture, The Lovers are not focused on anything but each other. Their gazing into each other's eyes gives off an air of passion, and maybe a little amusement. White light wraps around them like a cloak. The Lovers is a Major Arcana card, and therefore deals with parts of our life we carry with us throughout the whole of it. Many people interpret The Lovers as being about romantic love... And, to a degree, they are not wrong. However, The Lovers is about connection. It is about union, usually of opposing forces (male and female; dark and light; intellect and emotion). I believe that the message of this card paired into this reading is the promise of the union within you if you can find the courage to embody the message of the Three of Swords itself.
People get uncomfortable thinking about integrating with their pain. However, one cannot have the light if there were no darkness for it shine against. Heal the wound. This card is the promise that integrating yourself – whether or not you answer your call of passion this week or remain still – will bring you a deeper peace within that you will carry through the rest of your life.
…So the message this week is twofold. You have opportunity coming your way, and to take it and run with it will mean great things on every level, and you can rest assured you will be supported through the change it brings. Running concurrently with that is the call to make peace with old traumas, because to do so at this point will bear a lifelong positive result regardless of any other action you take this week. This is a big calling, and the rewards are just as great.
This is the manifestation wave. Be brave enough to ride it!
No matter what you choose, have a wonderful week.
-R-