Tarot cards pictured are from the Crowley Thoth Deck
Seven of Cups and Eight of Swords
This week we are entering a new month and Mercury is in Retrograde. We are pushing forward to the future but reflecting on the past at the same time. We are getting closer to the halfway point of the year and want to be clear on our next best steps.
When the Seven of Cups comes up we know we are under her spell. We listen to the part of ourselves that wants what feels good in the moment. She softly whispers in our ear: just take the easy road. We feel drawn into a cycle of instant gratification and we lose our way.
We are faced with temptation in many areas of our life, we can feel cloudy and disconnected from our moral compass. This card points to some less-than-healthy behaviors that might be taking up space in our lives.
Whether it’s a relationship that’s based purely on pleasure and is not connected to our hearts, a job that pays the bills but does not fulfill you, or even the glasses of wine and reality tv that soothe your brain after a long day but doesn’t feed your soul.
These pleasures can easily deceive you into thinking that it’s something you need. You start to crave this way of operating instead of the healthier more sustainable choices. The Seven of Cups wants to make sure you see through the illusion of this instant gratification.
It is hard to make healthy choices because they usually require more planning and effort. And if you have been dealing with emotional or physical pain, planning and effort are just that much harder. But we are called to remember that these things are not making us happy. It may be delaying unhappiness for the time being, but it is not making us more joyful in the long run.
When we take a step back and look at our patterns, which often happens during Mercury in Retrograde, we will be able to adjust and recalibrate, rather than just operating on autopilot. This recalibration will be so worth the effort.
Now there is nothing wrong with pleasure in it itself. The cards just want us to see if we are experiencing quick, short-term pleasure or deeper more restorative pleasure. It wants us to cultivate pleasures that enrich us and make us feel more alive and strong, to find things that truly fill our cups.
Our head is often clouded when we experience the Seven of Cups. We have not been thinking clearly due to a possible addiction or problematic pattern. The Eight of Swords shows our mind in a disorganized state.
There is something interfering with the natural flow of energy. We are stuck and there is a block. This interference may be causing you to slow down, feel nervous, or lose focus.
The Eight of Swords wants us to check in with ourselves and see where this block is coming from. Is it in our bodies? Do we feel places where there is tension and built-up energy?
Or is it coming from outside of ourselves? Is someone blocking us from reaching our potential or adding toxic energy to our lives? Spend some time thinking about where your blocks are at this moment.
In traditional Chinese culture, Qi is the vital life force that flows through everything. When we are in a healthy state, it is said to flow freely through the left and right sides of our bodies. If we have a block in our energy, it might cause us to be sick, have muscle pain, or feel emotionally off.
A way to remedy this is to visualize energy flowing freely throughout your body without any blockages. Make sure to plenty of water and move your body in ways that feel good as well.
If you feel there is a block is outside of yourself or a door you are trying to open just won’t budge, don’t fret. The Eight of Swords calls us to spend time on things that come easy and natural. Do not put all your energy into the places that are challenging.
Back away from these situations for now and instead focus on where the forces are moving with ease. This will bring more free-flowing energy into our lives. No use hammering away on that blocked door if it will not open. Once we back away, then we can gain perspective and connect to places that feel lighter.
This will be a week of deep reflection and adjusting our patterns. The universe will support us as we make our way to a healthier state.
Mantra: My blocks are removed. Positive energy lovingly flows through me and all of life.
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