Tarot Time: Strength
As we start working towards the later portion of the year, it is a great time to start turning inward and reflecting. For this pick-a-card reading, I asked the deck to choose what the theme would be, and it provided the Strength card. The question we will be asking ourselves is: “What ‘weaknesses’ do I need to understand better?” Understanding our weaknesses can lead to having more compassion for ourselves and the qualities we struggle with the most, which can be a significant step toward healing and growth.
So take a few centering breaths, then ask yourself to be guided to the message meant for you. You can pick a number, see which image you are drawn to, or just let your eyes wander. You can read one message or multiple messages, if you feel like more than one may be for you. And as always, this is just the beginning of the reflection, so don’t forget to journal or somehow further this message by making it your own!
Card One
Right away we have a very strong card appearing for those who were drawn to the first message. The messenger card for this section is The Devil. This card gets unfairly judged often, but it can reveal so much in a reading. It represents your bad habits, patterns, negative cycles, and all the things from within you that limit growth and hold you back. It is the part of yourself that you keep locked down, as well as the unhealed reactions you have that come from a deep place.
Getting this card as a ‘weakness’ (or what it really is — a challenging part of yourself you need to understand better) means that you are on a personal journey that is going to reveal a lot to you. There are things from the past that you didn’t realize still had an impact on you and how you interact with your world. This card illuminates your self-destructive patterns, and reminds you that you have the key to get out, and you can take your power back, if you only choose to see it that way.
The Devil compliments the Strength card beautifully, as it is bringing forward all that you didn’t know, and telling you to find a way to work with it and accept it as part of your story. You are about to break the toxic cycles that have kept you limited, and a time of freedom is on the way.
Card Two
The Three of Cups is a joyous card of celebration, friends, and heartfelt connections. In this reading, however, it shows up in the reversed position. This can indicate tension in a group, an individual losing themselves in the ‘crowd’, or a need to nurture some individuality. It can also represent a time in your life in which your personal circle is changing significantly; some friends may fall away while new ones surface. In today’s world, the influence of a personal circle can also reference the social media you consume and personalities you are surrounded by online.
When it comes to understanding yourself better, the emphasis in this reading is definitely on learning to know yourself outside of the influence of others. Whether it be goals, ideas, activities you do, or all the way down to who you are as a person — sometimes it is important to have time alone with your own thoughts. If you were pulled to this message, you need to hear yourself more often and detangle yourself from everyone else’s strings. Distance yourself from online influences that may be having too much of a hold on you. Define your boundaries regarding your personal connections, and make sure that you— as an individual — are getting some personal focus. You are still discovering who you are.
Card Three
The messenger card for those drawn to this third option is The Six of Swords. Swords represent our thought processes, analytical side, communication style, and challenges we face. This card, in particular, is one of being decisive about a journey you must take. The figure in the traditional art is rowing away from one location and (presumably) on to another shore; they will get nowhere if they haven’t decided to keep moving. This is the moment you accept a big change as necessary. A significant transition must be embraced, and you may have to leave what you know behind.
As a ‘weakness’ (a part of yourself you need to understand better), this card reminds you that you already know that things can’t stay the way they once were, and that you can’t let fear make the decisions. It is a tiring journey, and you may be very tempted to turn away from it altogether, or ‘check out’ as much as possible, but life does not seem to allow that to happen. You may have (either now or in the past) struggled with staying in a bad situation longer than you should, because staying in a tough spot you understand feels safer than risking a path you have no knowledge of. That is the part of yourself — the wound — you are meant to understand a bit better through this process you are going through. You don’t have to make all the right moves, or even pick the right shore. Just don’t stop rowing. The challenge is met with success the second you make the decision for yourself that things must change. You have already won.
Jae Melland is a tarot, rune, and palm reader. You can visit http://seidrwhispers.com to schedule a reading or see her at her shop, Luna Apothecary on Clearwater in Kennewick.