2 of Pentacles | 8 of Swords | Queen of Cups | 9 of Swords | 8 of Pentacles

Death | 6 of Swords

With all the swords this week, I can’t help but think you have a really active and engaged mind. When your mind is used productively, you produce magical results, but when you use it as a weapon against yourself you can create worry, dissatisfaction and depression. The inner critic can be a monstrous beast. How can you put the inner critic to rest, so you can live more of the life you really want to be living?

At the beginning of this week you might be struggling with time management. I hear:

I don’t have time to finish my own work. I need more privacy. I  never seem to have enough time to complete what I set out to do. Just one more minute and I will be finished. It doesn’t look the way I want it to look. I don’t want to multitask like this.                                            

Maybe you are juggling multiple obligations and it is bringing you down. If only you could have two days to yourself, you know you could get your work to look the way you want it to look. You are wondering: Where is that playful and inventive part of yourself that used to shine so brightly?

Part of your work might be to actively try to be more in the moment. Instead of worrying about whatever the workload is (or competing with a judgemental inner voice), take it day-to-day or piece-by-piece. Be present for what shows up in your life, whether that is the work at hand or interaction with someone from your environment. The biggest hurdle I see this week is battling the part of yourself that critiques your every effort and says it’s not good enough. It looks like you need to strike a balance between work and play. and to have more realistic expectations about what you can accomplish in a small amount of time. You are also meant to be enjoying some free time. 

Monday / 2 of Pentacles: It’s all a balancing act. Juggling two of anything becomes taxing after a period of time if you think there is no one there to pick up the ball if you should happen to drop it. It’s important to realize you will drop the occasional ball and it doesn’t mean you are a failure. It also doesn’t mean it’s all your fault.

The 2 of Pentacles tells me that you should take a playful approach to your work. If you do not like the results you see try something entirely new and unexpected. Innovation evolves from play. If you don’t allow yourself time to experiment, you will not see the results you want to see. Allow yourself time to experiment for two hours a day and you might get closer to the goal you are trying to achieve.

Tuesday / 8 of Swords: Do not trust the critical voice inside your head. How can you expect yourself to do your best work when you offer yourself no words of encouragement? If you’ve been feeling fenced in, restricted, or frustrated by the results of your own effort, step back from the work. Allow things to just be as they are. Maybe you are not meant to “fix” everything.

Wednesday / Queen of Cups: Time spent in quiet contemplation is not wasted time if  you enjoy doing it and it repairs you. If you need time to yourself take it. You might benefit from being by the ocean, taking a warm bath, doing some yoga, drinking warm tea. Water in its many forms will sooth you. You also might benefit from time spent with other people who want to talk about real issues and real concerns. You were never meant for idle small talk. Reach out to the people in your life who really listen without judgement and who have something meaningful to say.

Thursday / 9 of Swords: Your mental health will not improve as long as you allow negative thoughts to generate fear. Who can you talk to? How can you work to release some of the negative voices that leave you feeling abandoned or alone?

Friday / 8 of Pentacles: When your hands are busy and active it soothes your mind. If you felt blocked at the beginning of the week, you realize that you are able to get through it all just by continuing to do your work in a methodical way. Plug away at it, just a little bit each day. 

Saturday / Death: Assessment. Is this what you wanted? No? You can always start over. You might not know what starting over looks likes just yet but maybe you need to create the space in order for the change to happen. Sometimes that begins with simply cleaning your house. When you create physical space by clearing the clutter, you also release whatever stagnant energy is building up around you keeping you playing small and safe and feeling stuck. Release what isn’t working. Stop trying to make two different puzzles fit together that are completely different sizes and shapes. Multitasking is overrated. Complete your projects one-by-one.

Sunday / 6 of Swords: You are finally ready to move on. Ultimately, you know you are in charge of your own happiness. Do what makes you feel vital and alive. Less than perfect circumstances might act as a springboard for you to discover something new about yourself. You have the ability to move into this next week feeling lighter than you have felt for a long time. Enjoy today.