This is a good time to turn our attention a bit closer to home and focus on our connections. It can be far too easy for us to get caught up in our own lives when things have been so stressful for so long. This month, I asked the cards to help us focus on how we can deepen the connections that we choose to keep in our lives. Rather than general advice, the cards seemed to focus specifically on the way we respond to complications within relationships.

Community Reading

I swear I didn’t plan this, but our first card for February is The Lovers. Unfortunately, it is in the reversed position, indicating that there is a time of confusion and poor communication ahead of us. This may be a misalignment of values, or just general disharmony or imbalances when it comes to our relationships (romantic, platonic, or familial). Now is an ideal time to be cautious with how you approach others and communicate your needs. It is a call to be extremely clear and be sure that your communication aligns with your intent; leaving things open to interpretation can further muddy the waters. This is also a time to avoid any passive aggression and to be as direct as possible. Another thing to avoid is assuming you know what someone intended, and to instead get clarification as often as you can if a misunderstanding has occurred.

The next card that assists our reading is The Hanged Man, a message of suspension, surrender, and reflection. This card places us in a thoughtful pause and calls for some inner work. Considering different perspectives, observing situations with empathy, and entertaining new solutions are all ways we can utilize the Hanged Man’s advice. The good news is that this point in our lives often leads to some clarity or even a breakthrough, so it is important to embrace it, and surrender your need for control in order to best seize the opportunity for growth that this card has to offer.

Our final card is the Death card, which sounds dooming but is actually quite promising. This card is about endings and beginnings, a cycle that is beyond our control. While this process of letting go and releasing is uncomfortable for those of us who are averse to change, it can be a powerful period of transformation. We must let go of any ideals and ways of being that we have outgrown so that we can accept the breakthroughs that our Hanged Man card gives us. This moment for us is also unavoidable. The invitation for metamorphosis is there for all of us. It is just up to us to accept it and allow our relationships to shift how they need to.

These three cards as a whole tell us to be patient, open, and accepting. While we cannot always avoid intense change or miscommunication, we can certainly try our best to react mindfully and accept the different solutions that those within our relationships can offer. Now is a good time to be extra attentive and receptive in your relationships. As said earlier, this goes for connections of all types. Tending to them mindfully is a good practice to pick up and maintain.

Exercise

As usual, we have a suggested exercise. Think about the following questions: When could you pause and reflect more before acting? Do you check in with yourself to make sure you are stopping to look at things a little differently when needed? Where and when in your life could it be beneficial to relinquish control over a situation and simply soak it in and reflect? Do you feel like any of these things could improve your relationships? What changes do you think could improve them? Does anything need to be cast aside and let go?

Jae Melland is a tarot and rune reader at Lotus of the Moon in Richland. You can schedule readings with Jae by emailing her at jae.melland@gmail.com. Jae also has walk-in hours at Lotus of the Moon on Fridays and Saturdays from noon–3 p.m.

Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash