01/01/2024
I have been inspired to write late in the day today, perhaps with a little bit of spiritual advice attached, although I really need to finish getting my house cleaned and in order for the upcoming year. But I’d really like to address the white elephant in the room which, whether for you or me, has been this sh*tty ass, weird year that some of us cannot make heads or tails of, so we can leave it the f**k behind and make room for progress, into, God willing, an emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually healthier year.
In my line of work as a spiritualist, this year has been very difficult for many of us, including myself. Something in the pit of your stomach is telling you something isn’t right, and that’s because it isn’t. There is something terribly wrong with what’s happening in our world and it’s about to get worse. 2023 is a 7 year and with that number (albeit we are told 7 is a lucky number) sometimes it isn’t so lucky. It represents giving assistance to or aiding, sometimes when we don’t want to or can afford to, but yet it happens; we then realize we’ve been duped, and are left having to make decisions we didn't want to make along the way, hoping that our own choices keep us moving forward with courage and determination, in light of the aridity wallowing in the air. Unfortunately this year, there have been a lot of choices that have been made for us as a whole that have set the trajectory of our lives spiraling backwards. We’re ALL feeling it, every single one of us. It is a collective pain imparted on us by others that we have should have been able to trust but now realize we cannot. On the back end of aiding and abetting, are the victims, who should never have been victims. Normal behaviors usually dictate a sense that we must take into consideration the implications of how our choices and decisions will affect our world and others; which is why as of the last few years, those who were once revered and respected to make choices for us (as they should be protecting us), well they have sold us out and have brought to us ground zero. The only thing that’s normal and common amongst us now is how badly we despise the irreversible choices that have been made for us. Or the division it has created. THIS is the terribly ugly side of the number 7, and so, as we all know, the consequences of betrayal are inevitable. We have been cheated on whether some of you want to admit that truth or not. For most of us, 2023 came with an unending rollercoaster of troubles. This year has been like a runaway train; buckle up buttercup and brace yourselves for a derailment due to these choices. S**t can go sideways, and will, real fast. So here’s a lesson in how 7’s in tarot affect us. I will speak first about the Minor Cards (changeable) and then the Major Trump Card (unchangeable/destiny).
Let’s begin with Wands (Motion): the need to defend what we feel is ours; what the card implies is that we’ve felt egregiously attacked by
something or someone. Whether that “something or someone to defend” is worthy of defending, whether the attack is really a true attack or not, or whether the outcome of it all will be favorable, all really depends on a person’s individual situation and behavioral choices they’ve made this year. Whatever the particulars, feeling defensive sucks, and it’s usually never a pleasant or enjoyable experience. Ever. It is easy for us to feel judged, abused, or unjustly treated.
We move on to the Cups (mental emotions) which represents our mental heart and imagination. It allows for us to picture so many possible opportunities and options. We can build on these fantastic dreams, live in them in our minds before determining which of them we want to follow. The seven of cups expresses the feelings we have in the face of possibilities and implies the downside of this experience: a lack of focus will prevail above all else, until a choice is made to see the other side of the coin (which may be ugly), and based on that perception, which can also be delusional, that choice that follows will either be a good one or a bad one. We will live in the delusion of our thoughts if we cannot learn to be objective.
Moving on to the card I dislike the most of the minors: The Swords (Betrayal, Lies, Deceit): this card is not only implying, but telling you that you’ve been betrayed, something has in fact been stolen from you, or you’ve been cheated on, right under your nose. No f**ks given by the other party, either. The item taken from you could be tangible, mostly it represents something emotional, such as the ideal love, ideal work, the idea of a life you thought you wanted or had which seems to be slipping from your grasp like a slow death, your confidence or heart has been shattered and dragged through the mud, or you’ve lost a sense of freedom to have what you’ve thought you deserved because you have worked so tirelessly to earn it, just to have it slip out of your hands. It feels like someone has robbed you of this joy, happiness, the possibility of a genuinly, realistic, tangible life. The ego has been injured. Sometimes irreparably. But we need not forget there are lessons not only in good experiences, but bad ones, too. Becoming a victim can be a choice, or an option.
And then, as the last of the minor cards, we have the Pentacles (Money, Home, Grounding). Once we’ve been working at something for a while, there comes a time when we take a step back and look at the results of our labor. We think about the efforts invested. We consider our expectations, we see where we’re at. This card represents this time of judgment, so if something has been stolen from us, we carefully appraise the situation and decide on making choices that work in our own best interests. Before continuing with a relationship or project, etc., we want to be sure it’s moving at an acceptable manner or at an acceptable rate. If things are not meeting our expectations, we have choices to make: we can quit, lower our expectations, or do nothing and continue to contemplate because the timing is not quite right. But you cannot stay in that space of nothing because then you become the dog chasing its tail. Sometimes we are forced to make a decision out of necessity. Mostly we like to leave a sleeping dog lie, but other times we need to keep our heads above water and keep treading towards the shore we want to arrive at, at the expense of nearly drowning.
Last but not least, we have the magical Trump Card, The Chariot: This card represents a strong desire to succeed in the face of aridity. Its association is to the astrological sign of Cancer (Water & Emotions) and represents a strong desire to succeed. Mainly, it symbolizes victory and willpower. The card implies the need or desire to move forward while being impeded by circumstances, which may be internal or external. The dicult situation one may be facing is usually based in a conflict of some sort, as shown by the two opposite horses attached to the chariot. The male passenger has no reins, may seem to be temporarily stalled due to the opposing forces (ying/yang), but as all things opposite, they need each other’s energy to begin their journey. Without one, the other does not exist. They all have to work collectively in order to move in a smooth direction. The new journey may be one of moving away from something, but as a consequence, it is also in movement toward something new. This indicates leaving comforts, family, security, stepping out of your comfort zone, or as I like to refer to it as leaving the comfortable place that has become terribly uncomfortable for you. Therefore, the conflict can be about not wanting to leave or others not wanting us to go. And so there is a hard struggle, making forward movements difficult. Taking two steps forward, and three steps back has seemed to be the theme this year. Some believe that the charioteer exhibits mental control in order to move forward. I would have to agree. As a whole, we have been mentally manipulated to believe certain things. But what they cannot control is how we perceive those actions. Our mind is a very powerful thing. The charioteer is usually wielding something, a wand, or as pictured in my very weathered cards, a harp, the very symbol of angels and heaven; moreover, the instrument, whatever it may be, a wand, a sword, etc., represents the will of man. Our will is and will always be our secret weapon. The Chariot also wears a crown of stars and in addition, has a canopy of stars, representing celestial inspiration and guidance.
So as we wrap up a 7 year, remember it has been about making choices, yours or otherwise, mostly made with heart, body, soul, and mind, but sometimes made out of haste, unbeknownst to us, for totally selfish reasons, which may or may not be the downfall of community. Remember, your choices on how you handle the upcoming decisions and year are up to you. On the downside of the Chariot is its implication of the Trojan Horse. The Trojan Horse has arrived and is continuing to arrive as the very last hours in this year are coming to a close. While we’re all out having fun (as we should be), the devil is knocking on the door, already past the thresholds of our sacred spaces.
2024 will be about choosing and protecting your community; your village represents who you are. You will have to decide what community or village means to you, what protecting our friends and family looks like. There will be a need to vehemently protect, like lions, the kingdom from the thieves that have in fact, already arrived, and will continue to arrive. Brace yourselves for 2024. Use the energy of your perception and mind to create your reality. Be kind, be purposeful. May God keep you safe. Please stay; tomorrow will need you. But let's first, just seriously friggin let go of 2023.
