September 2022: Tarot Cards for…Planning? Really?

I know, I know, but what better time to do a more practical-minded reading than in the zodiac month of Virgo? I mean, this sign is (in)famous for their attention to detail and their predilection for organizing and, of course, striving endlessly to reach a nirvana-like state of perfection. And, if I may make the assumption, it’s tough times even among already difficult times, what with money worries, food shortages, drought, fires, and more, so this reading may prove to be just as inspiring for my fellow writers and creators as my writing inspiration reads. So, let’s dive in and see if the cards have provided us with some much-needed clarity, in addition to tips on ways to regain our focus and motivation!

(I used Kat Black’s Golden Tarot deck for this reading. I figured it might be an appropriate choice to draw success and good fortune to us, and not just because of the name. If you’ve seen this deck, the edges are gilt, so when the deck is stacked, it shimmers with all the richness of actual gold. Once I pulled the cards for this reading, I knew it was an excellent choice! They may feel like they need to be reordered so they resonate better with you, but I’ve listed them in the order I laid them out on the table. Oh, and it’s my birthday month, too, so I’d love a visit from you all over at my blog, https://willowcroft.blog!)

Ten of Swords (Reversed). This card indicates that a period of misfortune is clearing away. However, it won’t be instantly erased by magical forces, or even by the natural cycle-clearing of situations that have gotten messy or chaotic. There’s work to be done, and the time to start planning is now, in order to maximize the benefits that might be appearing on the horizon. Finances may start to improve, but it’s still not time to sit back on one’s laurels. Momentum needs to be maintained in order to turn this short-term benefit into something more long-lasting in terms of fiscal security. It’s important to keep thinking strategically, and to broaden one’s viewpoint above and beyond instant gratification, and to invest not only money, but energy, into a larger cause. Providing for your basic needs and the basic needs of your family, friends, pets—anyone that you’re close to—is definitely important, but how could you achieve returns on a larger scale? Examine not only your day-to-day actions, but your creative ventures as well, and see if they are making a contribution to social, cultural, or environmental/spiritual change. We can be active and go-getting, but we have to unlearn the old ways that epitomized activity and accomplishments, and set new goals for ourselves, and the world at large.

 

Ace of Swords. This card carries with it illumination and guidance. It may strike with the power of lightning, or it may arrive as a gradual awareness, carried by way of a cyclical process similar to the ripples on a pond. Because of the power flowing through this card, it would be impractical to not take advantage of its kinetic presence. If you’re experiencing writer’s/creator’s block, allow this energy to flow through you and clear away all the muck. Some of you might feel you’re stagnating or stuck in one place, and can’t see the way out. That’s because the way out isn’t easy, as this cycle of change is not only for you, but requires change on a universal-consciousness level. This card won’t provide a quick fix to issues, but it does provide the energy and insight needed to come up with innovative solutions and new ways to address problems. Things have been stuck in the same old ways for far too long, and it’s time to let it all go. It’s frightening, of course, but (as represented by this card’s image of an angel with a sword) it’s time to redefine the meaning of strength, power, and action; away from a dominant, colonizing, imperialistic world view, to one that’s more collaborative and supportive of not only other people, but the other life forms we share this planet with. It’s time for us to relinquish control and let the new era come blazing in. Only then will we, as a whole, obtain the success and security as represented by this card.

 

Four of Swords. This card represents the qualities that many of us writers and creators have—introversion and solitary reflection. Again, we’ve circled back to identifying and exploring different manifestations of strength and power. Only by connecting with our core selves, and the source of creativity, imagination, dreams, can we learn how to simplify our existence, and pare down our lives to retain what really matters. And, we’ll probably be asked to take things even further, and make sacrifices of external possessions in order to ensure that other nonhuman life forms have the space they need to survive. Our own survival, in fact, is relative to these sacrifices. The energy in this card teaches us that it’s okay for us to take a time out—that we don’t always have to be pushing ahead with an all-consuming drive—that we can rest, reflect, recharge—and only then will we have the vision to see the world with new eyes, and new hearts. Our imaginary worlds that we create can become reality, if we just believe.

 

XVIII The Moon. As an extension of the reflective, solitary period as suggested above, we may need to sit in the darkness for a while. To let the shadows wrap us in stillness and even give us a certain protective safety and security from the harsh blazing reality of our existence. We know the damage we’ve done to the world, the damage we may have done to ourselves, and/or the damage that’s been done to us. We need to let the Moon’s return provide us with the softer and more healing light we need to put things right. Especially for us horror writers, we write about the terrifying things that can lurk in the darkness, but we know that darkness is not a thing to be feared. Rather, it gives us a chance to stay still and quiet, and even dive down to depths where we can float, where the tides can take control, and where all that’s unwanted and unnecessary can be washed away. Darkness can be a place for us to evolve and to emerge in a new form. During this slow time, meditate on what limitless form you’ll evolve into.

 

XIII Death (Reversed). We may be feeling stuck in our own lives, because everything is undergoing a cataclysmic change around us. We could be trapped between wanting to take action to prevent this change from happening, and wanting to yield to the change so that things can begin anew. Many of us may be feeling the pressure to “do something” but we may not see the way we can make a difference. Things may feel very hopeless, or we may just feel so powerless that we feel immobilized. Things that may have sustained us in the past—our writing, our art, our trusted daily routines—could start to seem self-indulgent in the grand scheme of things, yet these are things that also give meaning to our lives. When they start to be stripped away by this reawakening, we may feel like we are losing everything that has made our lives matter. But take comfort in that these things aren’t disappearing—they’re merely taking new forms. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that we turn off our harsh inner critics. Daydream as if you were a child or keep a childlike diary, and, if you still find yourself struggling to write or create, let it come out freeform in pure stream-of-consciousness rivers. Worry less about the end result, and just let the paint or pencil make its way across your medium of choice without trying to make a deliberate, conscious work of art. Take small actions—plant a pollinator garden in your front yard, grow a vegetable in a container garden, and try to imagine what the world will look like as you dream it into reality.

 

Seven of Swords. This is the strongest cautionary card that’s come out in this reading. Once you re-emerge on the other side of the healing darkness, there’s a need to protect yourself from people who may be dishonest or duplicitous. They may not be “bad” people in the classic trope sense, but they may just be at a different stage in their evolution as influenced by the global shifting that’s going on. Here’s where that Four of Swords solitude may be coming in—even for extroverts, it may be time to continue this path of reflection, and keep to your own counsel and that of a few trusted confidantes for now. It’s okay for you to take a break from your social duties and enjoy your own company, and that of your pets, if you have them…even hanging out with your plants can be a suitable alternative to all the human noise of the world. It could indicate a need for this space just so you could learn not only who you are, but who you’d like to be. Use this downtime to learn the language(s) you’ve always wanted to learn, or make your way through your TBR pile of books. Take online courses in knowledge areas you may have put aside to earn a living. Or even just sit and stare out the window…your path will reveal itself soon enough, once you get comfortable with just sitting still and being in the present.  Try not to rush into anything impulsively just for the sake of doing something…anything…so you can discover just who this self is that you find yourself listening to in the silence.