Cards of the Week
Your Weekly Let Go & Grow Tarot Reading
August 22nd — 28th, 2022
Foundation: The Fool
Let Go: Six of Coins
Grow: Knight of Coins
Hello, my loves! Welcome to your Let Go & Grow Cards of the Week reading for the week of August 22nd, 2022! This week, the cards are telling a story about new beginnings, generosity, and taking the scenic route.
Speaking of generosity, this week’s deck, The Linestrider Tarot by artist and writer Siolo Thompson, was given to me by a lovely and generous new friend this past week — so a big “thank you” to her from me, and on behalf of everyone who will benefit from the loving messages these cards bring through. Thank you!!
So, let’s get into it…
We begin, appropriately enough, at the Tarot’s beginning, with The Fool as our Foundation card. What an intriguing way to start the week! The Fool is card number “0” in the Tarot — unfixed, free to go anywhere and become anything. He brings us the energy of setting out on a new journey with a light heart and an open mind — a “beginner’s mind,” as I always think of it. In other words, The Fool reminds us, as we begin a new week and perhaps a new chapter in our lives, to see the world with fresh eyes, free from preconceived notions about “right” and “wrong” ways of being.
I love that The Fool came out as the Foundation card this week, because I know that many of you out there are indeed starting new chapters in your lives right now. Whether it’s a new school year, project, job, relationship, or simply turning over a new leaf, The Fool is here to cheer you on. He’s skipping down that sunny path right along next to you, telling you to keep your mind free and enjoy the journey.
Next up, we have our Let Go card, the Six of Coins, and rarely have I seen one that looks so sweet:
When I first pulled this card, I actually thought it was the Six of Cups, because it just gave off a warm, fuzzy, childhood-memory kind of energy, which I think is a great way to think about the Six of Coins this week, given the other cards in the spread. Traditionally, the imagery of this card shows a benevolent figure standing over a rather sorry-looking pair, dropping a handful of charity-coins into their outstretched hands. When I see it in a reading, it often means that my guest needs a gentle reminder that we all “get by with a little help from our friends” — and that’s ok! It’s a balanced and harmonious card that highlights the cyclical nature of good times and bad, telling us that it’s ok to receive help if we need it, or, conversely, to pay past generosity forward at this time.
In this version of the card, the positive, harmonious qualities feel even more explicit, and I have to say, I really like it. For one thing, I’m a sucker for inter-species friendships (see pictures of my FBFF below), like the one we see here between the two little birds and that sweet little mouse. Rather than pointing out inequity and need, in this card feels like everyone has enough, like they’re all in a good place and able (like the mouse on the card!) to stand on their own two feet again.
In this sense, it’s a perfect Let Go card. This week, as you start out on you new journey, you’re free to truly embrace that beginner’s mind spirit knowing that you’ve already been given all the help and tools you will need. You’ve been well-prepared for your journey and are ready to take the next steps on your own, with a light and grateful heart. Just remember to pay your gifts forward by sharing the tools for success that you were given with others you meet along the way.
Finally, the Grow card this week is the slow-and-steady Knight of Coins, the only Knight in the Tarot who’s never rushing off to go anywhere. He asks essential questions like, “Why?” and, “Says who?” and, “What even is time?”
The Knight of Coins is the Tortoise to the rest of the world’s hurried Hares, confident that he’ll get wherever he’s meant to be, whenever he’s meant to be there. In the meantime, he’ll stop and smell the roses, and probably plant a few along the way. To the Knight of Coins, time and deadlines are constructs from which he’s more than happy to unsubscribe.
Above all, this Knight understands that if you’re charging down your path at full speed, you’ll miss all the amazing stuff around you. You’ll also risk making unforced errors, and very un-helpfully trampling others — yikes!
But not this guy. He’s not about to do anything rash, which makes the Knight of Coins an ideal companion to our foundational Fool. This card says that you can (and must!) be The Fool without being a fool.
This week, pace yourself, and enjoy yourself. Know and feel that to rush toward the future without enjoying the present is to rush through and not enjoy life itself, and that would be very foolish indeed.
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Exercise: Sit quietly, and meditate on the idea that no matter where you on are on your journey and with your goals, you are still always going somewhere from moment, to moment, to moment... Your path has no fixed destination. Breathe in, and as you exhale, know and feel that you can never fail or finish on an unending journey.
Breathe in again, and as you exhale, know and feel how life is nothing more and nothing less than a series of present moments. Know, feel and see how each present moment encompasses the entire beginning, middle and “end” of its own microcosmic journey. Each present moment is a new story with a new beginning, and an unwritten ending.
Breathe in, and as you exhale, smile and welcome the infinite possibility of your beautiful, endless path.
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Well, my loves, I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling pretty excited for this new chapter in your lives! I, too, will strive to welcome new beginnings with a light heart and beginner’s mind, and I sincerely hope that you will do the same. As always, let me know how the Cards of the Week have been showing up in your life by getting in touch through the Contact Me page, or sending me a message on Instagram.
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
P.S. As promised, here are some pictures of my FBFF (Furry Best Friend Forever), who helped with this week’s reading, as always:
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August 15th — 21st, 2022
Foundation: Queen of Coins
Let Go: The Emperor (Reversed)
Grow: Four of Cups
This week’s theme? Say “Yes!”
At base of our Let Go & Grow reading this week, it’s the lovely Queen of Cups, bringing us a Foundation of prosperity, abundance, and manifestation. This confident Queen, with her hooves rooted in the fertile Earth beneath her, is grounded and present, appreciating the beauty that’s all around her. That’s her kingdom (or queendom), and she can bask the bounty that she’s created through her work and her wisdom.
While it may look like the Queen of Coins is resting on her laurels, she’s actually still on the path (literally, in this image) of manifestation. Her eyes remain on the prize as she gazes at a symbol of her success: a bright, shiny, gold coin. Her cute little bunny friend in the lower-righthand corner of the card, with its bouncy, excited energy, reminds us that even while at rest a Queen’s mind remains active, inspired, and as fertile as her bountiful land. The message of this Foundation card is to appreciate your success, and let it inspire you to continue working toward an even more beautiful and abundant future.
As the Foundation card, our Queen’s energy of abundance is given to the Let Go and Grow cards, which is a very good thing, because without her energy they would appear to be somewhat lacking in the motivation department.
Our Let Go card is The Emperor (Reversed). When upright, he is the Mr. Responsibility of the Tarot, always knowing exactly what to do and how to do it. However, when reversed, his actions lack that level of clarity, if he’s taking any action at all! He is paralyzed by insecurity, indecision, and an inability to step into his own power.
You may be wondering how someone with the strength of an Emperor and the manifestation chops of a Queen of Coins could ever find themselves stuck in such a pitiful rut. Well, one interpretation of the Reversed Emperor is that you’ve been enjoying a life without much responsibility, which I would argue is totally fine — up to a point. As our Let Go card this week, I’d say that you’ve reached that point, and now it’s time to step up and step into your own magnificent power. You are ready.
This reversed card can also speak to a problem with authority figures, which can manifest itself in a self-sabotaging fear of success. This can mean that rather than appreciating your power and celebrating your well-deserved accomplishments, like our Queen of Coins would, you avoid doing anything that might cause you to even remotely resemble an authority figure yourself. I would advise against that tendency, my dears. You are you, and you don’t have to recreate negative patterns that you’ve seen from others in positions of authority. Redefine what having authority means for yourself, and then lead by example. Show people what a good leader should look like.
Finally, we come to our Grow card for the week, the Four of Cups.
Like the Reversed Emperor, the Four of Cups implies a time of indecision and uncertainty, as well a certain level of apathy and boredom. This unicorn is being handed golden — even divine — opportunities, but they barely even notice, let alone seize them. They’re just sitting all alone under that tree, waiting for something better to come along, looking a gift-unicorn in the mouth.
The phrase that came to mind when I saw these cards together this week was, “Cutting off your nose to spite your face.” If you do have that aforementioned problem with authority, it’s possible that negative assumptions are blinding you to gifts that someone in a position of power may be offering you at this time.
My loves: don’t do that!
Just as you are your own person who can redefine success and leadership on your own terms, so are other people. Assess them as the individuals they are, and the offerings they present to you as the unique opportunities that you, as a master manifester, can shape them into.
This week, Let Go of whatever fears are blocking you from seeing, accepting, allowing, and appreciating the abundance that’s all around you, and Grow into that glorious Queen of Cups energy by saying “Yes” to a worthy opportunity, knowing that you are capable and worthy of wonderful success.
Exercise: If you’ve been feeling blocked or unable to step into your own power, sit (perhaps under a tree) and concentrate on the energy of the Queen of Cups. What kind of leader is she? How does she embody authority as well as kindness? Does she share her wealth and abundance? Does she bring out the best in others? Does she soften the hard edges of the Emperor? Focus on feeling that strong and loving energy in your heart and solar plexus. Sit with it. Allow it. Embody it. Realize that you can you generate that feeling within yourself on command at any time. When presented with a new opportunity, call upon that feeling when deciding whether and how you’ll act upon it. Let confidence, not fear, guide whatever choices you make, knowing that from that position, your success will always be sweet.
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Let Go & Grow Cards of the Week reading, and that it’s helped you see how powerful you truly are. Now go out there and manifest something wonderful!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
August 8th—14th, 2022
Foundation: The Sun
Let Go: Page of Cups
Grow: The High Priestess (Reversed)
Well hello there, Two-Of-My-Favorite-Cards…! But never mind that — this week, it’s all about you!
Our Foundation card is The Sun — the card of success, vitality, abundance, joy, and authenticity. Typically, we see on this card a naked baby riding a majestic white horse through a garden filled with tall, beautiful sunflowers. That naked baby is loving life, loving himself, celebrating that love in all its glory. He doesn’t know that people are “supposed to” wear clothes. He doesn’t even know the meaning of “supposed to” — and that’s a good thing! No one has taught to feel shame or guilt or to expect life to be anything less than pure, unbridled fun.
In this version of The Sun, from The Pulp Tarot by artist Todd Alcott, the child isn’t letting it all hang out in quite the same way, but he’s still having a pretty great time on that bouncy little rocking horse thingamajig. It’s message? Be playful. Approach life this week with a playful attitude, letting yourself experience what comes in a way that feels fun, authentic, and free of learned judgements and preconceived notions.
As the card at the base of the reading, the Foundation card lends this positive energy to our next two cards, informing the kind of story they’re telling us. So, what does The Sun mean for our Page of Cups and High Priestess (Reversed)?
The Page of Cups brings messages of creativity and inspiration, and is similarly joyful and free of judgement. In a traditional deck, the Page is looking at that funny little fish who’s unexpectedly popped its head out of the cup, and, importantly, she greets its appearance with curiosity and an open mind, rather than judgement.
In this version, we see a woman who I would say hasn’t noticed that there’s a random fish in her cup yet. She’s oblivious to it at the moment, which means she hasn’t received the jolt of creative inspiration that the fish represents. When she does finally turn her head and see what’s happening there, she looks like the kind of gal that will find this situation hilarious, and she will absolutely welcome it’s delightful and creative messages at that time.
As the Let Go card, this Page of Cups is saying that you need pay more attention and be more open to inspiration from unexpected places. Inspiration can pop its little head up anywhere at any time, but if you’re looking in the wrong direction, or if you’re only looking for certain kinds of messages (or messengers), there’s a good chance you’re missing out on the weird and wonderful sources of inspiration that the Universe is trying to show you right now. This week, stop judging and expecting things to present themselves in some imaginary “ideal” way, and just greet randomness with curiosity.
I’ll get the ball rolling by randomly quoting the great Moira Rose: “Could you just for once embrace joy?” That’s what the Page of Cups and The Sun are asking you to do this week. So be playful, be curious, let your light shine, and embrace joy.
Last but not least, we have The High Priestess (Reversed) as our Grow card. Normally, she represents our intuition and spiritual gifts, but reversed, she implies that your gifts are still in the box. In other words, something is preventing you from trusting and fully embracing your intuition, just as something is preventing you from receiving those unexpected messages from the Universe. This card explains why you’ve been missing those messages, and how to start clearly receiving them.
Combined with the open-minded Page and the radiant, authentic energy of The Sun, our Reversed High Priestess is telling you that your gifts and those Divine messages from the Universe will be available only once you embrace your most authentic self and let your light shine. You need to hone and trust your intuition, and celebrate your unique gifts.
If you’ve been afraid to be weird because you’re worried that others will judge you for it (or have been judging yourself), that’s a surefire way to prevent yourself from clearly hearing the wisdom and guidance of your own inner voice. Maybe other people’s voices have been too loud, drowning yours out, or silencing it altogether. This week, make an effort to tune out that noise. Question its basis in reality versus its reality as an arbitrary construct that you don’t need to subscribe to. Release their (and your) preconceived notions about right and wrong ways of knowing, and let your inner voice know that you’re ready to hear what it has to say.
Exercise: This week, I have two exercises for you to try that I hope will help you embody The Sun’s authenticity and the powerful, tuned-in, upright version of The High Priestess.
First, if you don’t already have a consistent meditation practice, now is definitely the time to start one. As soon as you wake up in the morning and/or just before you fall asleep at night — when your mind is in that misty state between the physical world and dreamland — focus on your breath. Take a few nice, long inhales and exhales, then lovingly invite your Inner/Higher Self to help you release any fears you may have around being more authentic and becoming more intuitive. Continue to notice the flow of your breath for as long as you’re able to, ideally a few more minutes or so, though without any pressure or self-judgement. Do this for at least three days, and you will likely start having more accurate intuition and noticing more and more of those unexpected messages from the Universe.
To help you with your noticing, our second exercise this week is to choose a sign or symbol for yourself that will mean “yes” and one that will mean “no.” For me, “yes” is seeing butterflies and/or rainbows, and “no” is generally anything that makes me feel a little worse than I did the moment before (although for more definitive clarity, “no” is smelling cigarette smoke or seeing a cigarette butt directly in my path. Not a fan!) Whenever you see one of your symbols, notice what you were doing, thinking, or talking about immediately before you saw it. What does seeing your symbol imply about being on the right or wrong track? If you were actually posing a question, what does seeing your symbol tell you about the answer? Follow your intuition, and notice the patterns that begin emerge.
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Ok, my loves, I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Let Go & Grow Cards of the Week reading! As always, let me know how the cards show up in your life this week!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoe Lane
Did someone out there have a particularly rough July?? If so, know that the worst is over, and balance is being restored.
Kicking off the month of August, we have the Six of Swords as this week’s Foundation card. This is a card of “goodbye” and, quite possibly, “good riddance.” Often thought of as The Refugee Card, it tells us that we’re leaving something behind, and that getting to this point probably hasn’t been easy.
On this card, we see two people, a parent and child (possibly one’s “inner child”), huddled together on a small boat. They’re being steered away from rough waters to calmer seas, and have nothing with them but the clothes on their backs and those six protective Swords.
In Tarot, Swords are Air energy, representing our thoughts, anxieties, ideas, and other such intangibles. Swords can “cut” through confusion and help us gain clarity. Here, the Swords are both protecting and guiding these travelers forward, meaning that wherever we’re headed this week, whatever we’re leaving behind, how we think about it is what’s going to get us through.
The other cards this week look to be telling quite a story about where this clarity and push may be coming from. The Let Go card this week is the Ten of Swords — more Air energy — alongside our Grow card, Justice — even more Air energy! This tells me that we’re dealing with some big, heavy topics right now, and that the way we think about those topics is going to be very important.
If there is one Minor Arcana card that you want to see in the Let Go position, it’s the Ten of Swords. While this card always looks pretty bleak, it’s actually a very positive sign here! Tens represent the end of a cycle in Tarot, so this card indicates that whatever caused all this pain and mental anguish is almost certainly coming to an end now. Having that message show up as the Let Go card further reinforces that notion, but what’s even more positive is that it also came out Reversed! Those Swords are upside-down and are now free to simply fall away.
Ahhh… breathe out a huge sigh of relief! It might not feel easy yet, but it is definitely starting to get better.
One way that you may be fully letting go and moving on could very well relate to the Foundation card. Maybe you’ve physically left a bad situation, or you’ve made up your mind to do so once and for all after experiencing a Ten of Swords “last-straw” “rock-bottom” “dark night of the soul” moment. It’s forced (or allowed) you to see things differently now, with much more clarity.
If that’s the case, I believe these cards are telling you not to dwell on the past or feel bad about whatever it was that got you there. Rather, they’re telling you to have confidence in your decision to walk away, and be proud of yourself for going somewhere better.
Again, the way you think about this situation and frame it for yourself is key, because that will be your reality. So focus your attention on your wonderful solutions, not on the problems that inspired them.
What might those solutions be? Justice, with her own powerful sword raised high in the air, is our card for what to focus on for growth this week. Although I could interpret this card as being about actual legal matters, with the Ten of Swords being something along the lines of an arrest, and the journey of the Six of Swords referring to being “sent up the river” so to speak, I would be awfully surprised if any of you, my dear readers, find yourselves in that particular situation this week (especially after I warned you all about that very thing back in the July 4th — 10th Cards of the Week reading… ehem…). Instead, I’ll take a less literal, more hopeful view of our Tarot trio.
The Justice card is about the importance of making good, clear decisions without emotions getting in the way. Because this is a Major Arcana card, that may be a major theme in your life, and a lesson that really needs to be learned at this time.
Meanwhile, in her other hand, she holds a perfectly balanced scale. This tells me that after everything you’ve just been through with the Six and Ten of Swords, you need to restore balance to your life. The way you can do this is by maintaining that clarity, and continuing to make good decisions without letting strong emotions confuse things.
See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? And no one even had to go to jail! In short, the moral of this week’s story is: keep a level head, and move on in a better direction.
Exercise: If making emotionally-distanced decisions sounds easier said than done to you right now, I can understand that. After all, it’s natural to think that strong negative emotions are the inevitable result of negative things that happen to us. However, if you take a Karmic, soul-planning view of a situation, it can completely change the way you feel about it, often removing the strong emotions attached to it entirely, and clearing the path for you to make more loving choices for yourself.
I mention this, because Justice is one of the Karmic cards of the Tarot, reminding us of the law of cause and effect. But what if the cause isn’t something that happened during this (or another) lifetime, but is actually part of your own, highly intentional, between-lives soul-plan? What might you have wanted to learn? How can seeing things from that perspective give you more peace of mind when moving on?
If forgiveness (of others or yourself) is something you’re struggling with, those are great questions to ponder this week. But remember that forgiveness doesn’t mean numbing yourself to unpleasant circumstances or staying in painful situations that you know you should move on from. It means moving on with a lighter heart.
One technique I often recommend is a psychic cord-cutting visualization, which can help with moving on, finding a new sense of freedom, and restoring your balance:
Close your eyes, and picture a tether connecting you and the situation you need to move on from. Where in your body is that connection felt most? See the cord attached there. See the way it drains and effects your energy, and how it keeps you feeling tied down. Now picture a pair of golden scissors beside you. Your scissors are huge, strong and powerful, almost as if they were forged from — what else? — swords. Hold these amazing golden scissors in your hands. Thank the situation for the lessons you’ve learned, then sever the energetic tie as you cut that cord with your golden scissors. Now send that situation away in peace, with love and light and no hard feelings. You are now free.
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See you all again next week!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
August 1st — 7th, 2022
Foundation: Six of Swords
Let Go: Ten of Swords (Reversed)
Grow: Justice
July 25th—31st, 2022
Foundation: The Star
Let Go: Knight of Wands (Reversed)
Grow: Three of Wands (Reversed)
I don’t know about you, but when I see The Star come up in a reading, a wonderful sense of calm washes over me, and I just know that everything is going to be alright… What a great way to start the week!
As our Foundation card, we get the benefit of that hopeful Star energy being infused into the messages of our other two cards, a fact that will be especially important to keep in mind because those next two cards, I’m sorry to say, do appear to suggest some potential frustration this week.
All three of our cards seem to point to some kind of creative endeavor, with The Star being a beacon of both hope and inspiration, and Wands being the suit of passion, growth and creativity. In fact, the Knight of Wands is said to be the most passionate card in the entire Tarot deck! This fiery Knight is on a quest for excitement, action, and adventure. Normally, I am all for exploring your excitement, but when the Knight of Wands comes out reversed, it tells me that the energy is a little all over the place, and that following that scattered energy wherever it takes you could translate to recklessness, shortsightedness, and disappointment.
There is a distinct “the grass is always greener on the other side” vibe coming through these cards, but, as The Star literally shows us, the grass is greener where you water it. Another phrase that keeps coming to mind for me right now is “the fantasy is better than the reality.” I can’t say for sure what this means for you specifically, but do with that information what you will, my loves.
Finally, we have the Three of Wands (Reversed) as our Grow Card. Again, this tells me that you’re actively working on something — very likely a creative project or other type of collaboration — but that you’re itching for something new. On the bright side, this card predicts success and growth — yay! Unfortunately, when reversed, it also points to potential setbacks and delays in reaching that success, and suggests that the growth may come in the form of learning from mistakes.
Honestly, we all do this from time to time, and if that’s what happens this week, it’s not going to be the end of the world. Remember: The Star is here to remind us that everything will still be ok, even if you do take a bit of a detour this week.
There is a lot of inspiration coming through in these cards, so it’s understandable that you might feel eager to charge forward like our Knight the instant those lightning bolts strike! Keep an eye out for a deceptive energy boost that might trick your mind into thinking you’re getting a million amazing things done, when really you’re just chasing shiny objects and making a big old mess.
If you’re feeling really excited and inspired right now, that’s awesome and I love that for you — but per The Universe via the Cards of the Week, I recommend writing all of those great new ideas down, and not acting on them right away. Water your grass and finish what you’ve already started. Once you do, return to your brainstorming notes and see if the shiny objects are still sparkling for you.
I believe these cards are saying that success will be the ultimate outcome of this journey. Maybe it will taste even sweeter having taken a slightly slower, “scenic route” to get there. Best of all, perhaps your circuitous journey will let you become The Star card for others later on, guiding them as they grow and navigate their own setbacks while still remaining inspired and hopeful.
Exercise: The Star is a card that shows a give and take from the refreshing waters of inspiration. We see a beautiful figure pouring water into the stream with one hand and onto the earth with the other. She is cleansing and grounding herself under the guiding light of her own North Star. Her nakedness represents authenticity, honesty and purity. It also recalls ancient magical practices in which nudity was thought to create more potent magic. Is this why inspiration so often strikes in the shower? Maybe!
This week, find ways to ground yourself in your own authenticity. Try using water in this ritual. When you drink, thank the water for nourishing your body. In the shower, imagine that the water is clearing away any energy that isn’t serving your highest good. Thank the water for doing this as you feel any stale and distracting energy flow way, letting it swirl around by your feet for just a moment, then disappear down the drain, leaving only the best, most positive, most authentically-you energy in its place, with plenty of room now for it to work its magic with you for the rest of the week.
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Well, I feel more relaxed after that, don’t you? I hope this reading gives you reassurance, and helps you reclaim the clarity of your authentic purpose in the week ahead. As always, let me know how the cards show up in your life this week — and feel free to share what rituals you use to reset your energy when things get a little off-track now and then.
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
July 18th-24th, 2022
Foundation: Ten of Coins
Let Go: Nine of Cups
Grow: King of Coins
Hello again, my dears — and welcome back!
This week, it appears the Universe would like us to embrace the abundance of Earth-energy that’s been buzzing around our hopes and dreams, and make them a glorious, tangible reality.
We have not one, not two, but three cards pointing to success, and if that doesn’t make you want to shoot for the stars, well, I hope you’ll read on and change your mind!
The Foundation Card this week is the always-lovely-to-see Ten of Coins, a card about abundance, accomplishment, and legacy-building. Coins are the Earthy suit of the material realm in Tarot, bringing us messages about how we use our energy to feel safe and secure in this world. The Ten of Coins is literally the picture of safety and security, showing a happy, multi-generational family in the courtyard of their sturdy, castle-like home, surrounded by symbols of abundance. As the Foundation Card, it sprinkles that positive energy onto the other two cards, and informs the next part of our story…
Our Let Go Card is the Nine of Cups, also known as The Wish Card. Here we see a figure, often said to be a merchant of some kind, sitting before a perfectly-aligned display of upright Cups — the Water-energy suit of the Tarot, revealing messages related to our emotional lives. As the Let Go Card, I would interpret it as indicating that it’s time to stop sitting around wishing and pining for success, and shift your focus to doing what will actually make those wishes come true.
If you’ve taken the time to align yourself with those dreams of yours, conjuring up in your very being what it would really feel like to experience them as reality, then you now have the clear vision and internal compass that will take you where you dream of going. It’s up to you to take the first step. And then the second, and the third, and the fourth, always letting that aligned feeling guide you in the right direction.
Finally, we have our Grow Card, the King of Coins. Fun fact: Some believe that this King is the “favorite son” of the Major Arcana’s Empress and Emperor. This is because in a traditional Tarot deck, the King of Coins sits on a throne very similar to that of the Emperor, and he holds a scepter almost identical to the one held by the motherly Empress. If we think about this King as their golden child, he becomes a perfect combination of the Empress’s abundance and creative energy and the Emperor’s mastery and power. In other words, the King of Coins represents knowing exactly how to spin creativity into gold, and he is at the top of his game when it comes to security and abundance.
This theme of family ties and legacy are doubly powerful in the cards this week, because we see them in both the Foundation and Grow positions. Taken all together, the message of this week’s reading is that you are ready to embrace your talents, build on your accomplishments, and create the lasting success you’ve been wishing for.
Exercise: You’ve likely heard this question asked before, but this week, I want you to really consider it. What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? If you’ve been working towards a goal for a while now, ask yourself what would make your success even sweeter. See that, feel that — and then go for it.
If, on the other hand, your dreams have been living only in your mind or gathering dust on an old vision board, ask yourself what’s been preventing you from attempting to realize them? Are you afraid of failure? Do you believe that you can’t fail if you don’t try? If so, and I’m sorry to break it to you, the truth is that you can’t succeed if you don’t try, either.
Visualize yourself as the characters on the Ten of Coins. Feel what it means to be the King of Coins, with your spiritual “mother” and “father” embracing and supporting you. Remember that you hold the wisdom and legacies of lifetimes within you, and know that you have what it takes to realize your wildest dreams. Now let those feelings guide you on every step as you begin to make those dreams come true.
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Well, that’s our Cards of the Week reading for July 18th — 24th, 2022. I hope it gives you the confidence and courage to make your ancestors and future-“ancestors” proud, and, perhaps especially, to make yourself proud.
I would love to hear about your progress! Let me know how these cards show up for you this week!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
July 4th--10th, 2022
Foundation: The Devil
Let Go: Seven of Swords
Grow: Six of Coins (Reversed)
Well, my loves, I have two words for you this week: Shadow Work.
At the Foundation of our reading, we have The Devil — a card I actually really like to see in Let Go & Grow readings because it’s a quintessentially “Let Go & Grow” card. It tells us quite explicitly that we’re allowing something to hold us back, and if we want to grow, we need to let that thing go.
In a traditional tarot deck, the characters on this bizarro-version-of-The-Lovers card are shown chained to the Devil’s pedestal-throne. The funny thing is, their chains are almost comically loose, like two un-tightened lassos. This symbolizes that the unicorns on this card could easily take their chains off and walk away — they’re just choosing not to.
What are they choosing to not walk away from? The Devil card typically refers to any number of vices — addictions to substances, people, situations, habits and other ways of being that aren’t serving our highest good anymore, if they ever did. These are shadow aspects of ourselves, things we hide from the world, things that we haven’t yet been able to face, process, and release once and for all. We know we need to let them go, but we’ve convinced ourselves that we can’t. We tell ourselves it’s too hard, that it’s just who we are, that we’re chained to this thing, this personal demon, if you will. But, on some level, we know that none of that is actually true. That’s the thing about demons — they’re big ol’ liars.
I’m guessing that you already know what your Devil Card, shadow-work issue is, and you know that it really is a choice to stay tied to it. Normally, I would gently suggest that you might want to start thinking about giving this unsatisfying thing up at some point. However, as this week’s Foundation card we have to look at it in relation to the other cards it appears with. Unfortunately, when taken all together, the cards are telling a story of unpleasant consequences if you continue to go down this path.
The Let Go card this week is the “Sneaky Pete” of Tarot, the Seven of Swords. Here we see someone tip-toeing (er, tip-hoofing) away from some tent-looking structures, carrying as many swords as they can hold. Some say they’re stealing their own property back, but I’ve never really understood that interpretation, personally. Because Swords represent our thoughts (air energy), I’ve always interpreted this card as being about secrets, lies, deception, dishonesty, and just general shadiness. This card asks: What are you hiding? Who are you hiding it from? What are you keeping inside, and at what cost? As the Let Go card, it is absolutely also saying: Knock it off.
That brings us to the Grow card, the Six of Coins (Reversed). I see two possible interpretations for this card, one a little scary, and one downright beautiful:
Grow Card Interpretation #1 (the scary one)
Continuing to make the same mistakes could be costly, and not just financially, but personally as well.
The earthy suit of Coins deals with where we put our energy to feel safe and secure in the world. Upright, the Six of Coins is about generosity and charity. It tells us to be kind and compassionate to those in need, and reminds us that good fortune, as well as bad, is often cyclical. There’s balance there, as alluded to by the scales in our generous unicorn’s mouth, and by the number six itself, which is associated with the concept of harmony. Reversed, however, this card shows imbalance and disharmony. Things have gotten all out of whack. Coins are falling away from those who need them, and charity is either hard to come by, hard to accept, or both.
In this interpretation, the simple story of the spread goes as follows: There’s a secret vice of some kind, and when — when — it comes to light (when you get caught, for example), it could be serious, and previously compassionate people won’t want to help you this time. You need to get and accept help with this sooner, rather than later.
Personally, I don’t love Interpretation #1... I just thought I should warn you, if you do happen to be in a situation where that very-specific story might apply.
Grow Card Interpretation #2 (Preferred!)
Rather than seeing this card as a warning of what you stand to lose, I would like to think that it’s actually showing you what you stand to gain. In other words, for growth, focus on the very last part of that story I just told, the part about getting and accepting help. Whether you consciously know it or not, you are surrounded by people who came into this world with you, and who love you more than you or they can even begin to imagine. These people already know deep down what’s going on with you, even if that’s as deep down as the soul level. They are literally here in this world, in part, to love and help you, because loving and helping you helps you and helps them. Think about what that means in terms of forgiveness, for yourself and others.
I’m talking about Karma now, so you might want to pay extra-close attention!
The Six of Coins is about balance and cycles, including the Karmic Cycle in which being a loving person means releasing karma for all involved — the generous giver, and those who agreed to give them the opportunity to be generous in this lifetime.
There is someone (or many someones) who loves you and wants to help you overcome this personal demon, but up until now, you haven’t been willing to admit that you needed their help, and so you’ve been rejecting it in favor of remaining chained to your current situation. It’s time to stop doing that. Let these people in. If they really love you, there’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s a win-win, karmically speaking, and likely a win-win in this earthly realm as well!
Exercise: Many years ago, the Universe blessed me with a concept that I like to share with people whenever I feel they need to hear it, and because this week’s cards reminded me of this concept, I trust it means that someone out there needs to hear these words:
“If you never show people your true self, you rob yourself of the opportunity to be loved for who you really are.”
Variation: “If you never show people your true self, you rob others of the opportunity to love you for who you really are.”
This week, I would like you to meditate on this concept. Have you been hiding your true self? Do you think this week’s Let Go & Grow reading might be telling you to knock that off? In case you don’t already know: You are loved and deserving of love, and you are loved and deserve to be loved for who you really are. Do you think that you, like so many people, came here in order to learn and teach that powerful lesson?
Others deserve the opportunity to love the real you, too. Think about someone you really, really love. Like, unconditionally love. If you knew them even better, wouldn’t you love them even more, because now they’re even more themselves, who you already love so much? This kind of love is an expansion.
Find a guided meditation on self-love, and listen to it. Listen to it again. Listen to many such meditations, and see if you start to notice yourself beginning to feel like you can more easily move away from whatever it is that’s been holding you back. This week, work on being able to more fully feel love.
If you believe you are the one whose love and help needs to be accepted, focus on how you can send someone love and healing energy. Find a guided meditation on sending someone love and healing, and listen to it. Listen to it again. Listen to many such meditations, and see if you start to notice yourself feeling even more unconditional love towards them, and perhaps even towards others. This week, focus on feeling and embodying unconditional love.
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Well, that was a long one! I hope it resonated with someone out there, and that it helped in some way. I know it was a lot, and it went in an unexpected direction, but I also know that it’s exactly what needed to be said this week.
This feels like a very fitting moment to invite you to schedule a Past-Life Reading, especially if you found yourself resonating with any of the concepts discussed this week, such as karmic cycles, soul plans, soul families, and so on. Past-Life Readings can be incredibly healing experiences, and I would be truly honored to guide you in one. Online scheduling will be available very soon, but in the mean time, please reach out through the Contact page, include a few preferred dates and times, and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
June 27th—July3rd, 2022
Foundation: Knight of Cups
Let Go: Two of Wands
Grow: Knight of Coins (Reversed)
Let your heart dream this week — with a few caveats.
If you follow astrology, you may already know that we’re dealing with a higher-than-usual level of dreamy, Neptune-y energy right now. It’s no surprise then that this week’s Foundation card would be none other than the Knight of Cups, the romantic dreamer of the Tarot. Looking more closely at this card, we see that he’s crossing a barren land, headed toward a winding stream. In Tarot, water always represents emotions, indicating that a driving force within us this week may be a desire to move from an emotional “dry” place to one that’s significantly more satisfying.
Normally, I would enthusiastically encourage letting your heart lead the way in true Knight of Cups fashion, but combined with our other cards this week, as well as the aforementioned fuzziness of Neptune, it’s imperative to keep in mind that our emotional guidance systems may be a little off at the moment. What appears to be — or feels like — a barren land right now may in fact be fertile soil, and that tempting stream may be an emotional mirage. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t daydream, but the cards I see here strongly indicate that it may be wise to hold off on taking action on those feelings, at least for the time being.
Why do the other cards in this week’s reading support that, you ask? Well, for one thing, the Tarot’s restless, wanderlust-y Two of Wands showed up, and it did so in the Let Go position. To me, that means that we should take a “look but don’t leap” stance, keeping in mind another common phrase, “the grass is always greener on the other side.”
The good news is that the imagery of the Two of Wands tells us that we’re dreaming from a safe and secure position in life. The unicorn on the card looks out at the world from the balcony of what is often interpreted to be a castle, a.k.a., a solid foundation from which a future journey into the unknown will provide security and comfort. It’s a good place to gaze out from, and a good place to know you can return to, should you decide to ignore my advice and take that leap prematurely. I sincerely hope that works out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if it doesn’t!
Finally, we have the Knight of Coins (reversed) as the card to focus on for Growth. This is a slow, earthy-energy card. It tells us to take our time, that “slow and steady wins the race,” that our safety and security live in our ability to play the long game. Reversed, this card can indicate procrastination and needless delay in taking necessary action, but I believe that the full story that this week’s reading is telling us is that it might only feel needless, and that we need to think long and hard abut whether or not we’re only feeling temporarily restless.
Exercise: Think about a long-term goal you’ve been working toward. Sit with it for a few minutes, visualizing the outcome you’ve been hoping to see. How does it feel in your body — in your heart — when you visualize yourself successfully completing your goal? Do you feel excitement? Relief? Security? Joy? Regret?
What about the opposite: Would you feel regret if you didn’t complete this goal? Is that your regret, or is it someone else’s? Is it both? Is the dreamy new temptation really yours or someone else’s? Tune out the noise and really think about that. Feel those answers.
If you’ve decided that you really want to pursue this new dream, can you complete it in addition to the current one you’ve invested your energy into, or do you need to completely change course? If so, why? Also, really??
My guess is that you can actually do everything that you dream of, but because we live in a dimension that requires us to follow certain rules about time and space, you just can’t do it all at the exact same time. Finish what you’ve started. Completing one task that you’ve worked hard on will free up so much more space for you to follow your new dreams next. Knowing that you’re capable of success — because you’ve seen yourself accomplish it before — will fill you with the confidence you need to manifest all of your dreams in the future. In the meantime, keep going, and enjoy imagining all the incredible things you will work on next!
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Ok, my loves, that’s the reading for this week. Thank you for your patience in getting this posted a few days late — last weekend’s trip to Mount Shasta (where I pulled the cards on Monday morning, in lovely Mount Shasta City Park) was energetically intense in all the best ways, just as one would expect from that incredible place. Energy upgrades can really take it out of a girl, so I appreciate you bearing with me.
I also want to give a huge Thank You to everyone who gave me the honor of letting me read their cards at the Psychic & Healing Arts Fair! It was an incredible day full of amazingly high-vibe people and experiences, and I am so, so grateful. Please keep in touch, and I hope to see you again soon!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë
June 20th—26th, 2022
Foundation: The Chariot
Let Go: Eight of Cups
Grow: Seven of Coins (Reversed)
Can you feel that momentum? This week is about continuing to work on the progress you’ve been making. With The Chariot at the foundation the reading, it’s all about moving forward, knowing that you’re in control of your own journey, and trusting that you have what it takes to get you where you want to go. But where is that exactly? The Let Go card this week is the Eight of Cups, telling us that it may not feel like we can fully see where the path before us leads. When I see this card, I think of the song “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King:
“When the night has come / And the land is dark / And the moon is the only light we’ll see / No, I won’t be afraid / Oh, I won’t be afraid / Just as long as you stand / Stand by me…”
Man that’s a great song, isn’t it?
So, why do I bring it up? To me, the eight, neatly stacked cups are the people or other touchstones in your life that “stand by you” (see what I did there?), and that have given you the courage and confidence to move you forward into lands uncharted. They can also be the catalysts that have propelled you in a new direction, as this card is often interpreted to mean that the emotions of where you’ve been have been difficult, and now you want to go somewhere — almost anywhere — else. The optimist in me likes to interpret these cups as your emotional support system, one that can feel hard to leave behind in pursuit something new because that’s always been your comfort zone. The way you feel about your own origin story will determine which interpretation most resonates with you.
As the Let Go card, and especially in combination with our other two cards this week, what I feel it’s indicating is that it’s OK to not know exactly where your path leads yet. In fact, defining the destination in overly precise terms may not only make the journey seem more daunting, but it can also be needlessly limiting, because when the sun inevitably takes that moon’s place in the sky, you’ll be able to see new and better opportunities that weren’t previously visible.
The Grow card this week is the Seven of Coins/Pentacles (Reversed). This is a card about putting in the work. You’ve planted the seeds and they’ve started to grow, but it’s not time to enjoy the fruits of your labor just yet. Reversed, it can mean that the fruits may not be ripe for quite a while still, and that you’ll want to make extra sure that you’re putting in quality work and not wasting your precious energy on things that take you away from your goals or weaken your momentum. In either case, this card tells me that what you may need to focus on for growth this week is patience, Grasshopper — including with yourself. Think about it this way: If you’re on a journey where “the moon is the only light we’ll see,” isn’t it understandable that it might take a bit longer, or that you could take a wrong turn or two? It’s OK. Go easy on yourself. Your support system is still behind you, and the momentum of The Chariot is still within you.
Exercise: How does it feel — really feel — when you imagine yourself as the driver of the Chariot? Is the work you’ve been doing bringing you closer to that feeling or further away? If it’s the latter, what has that taught you? If you’ve gotten a bit distracted or impatient, refocus and look for what gives you that feeling of empowerment and momentum. Don’t be discouraged (“No, I won’t be afraid…”) and let that feeling of being in control of your Chariot be what guides you in the right direction.
I hope this reading has resonated with you and helps you on your journey. Reach out to let me know how these cards showed up for you this week!
In Love, Light & Gratitude,
Zoë