A Transformative Judgment Call

Weekly Forecast for 6/10

Well, look what we have here! It’s a rather grim array of cards: every emo kid’s favorite, the Three of Swords; our challenge card from last month, Judgment; and the slog of suffering of the Five of Pentacles. It’s not welcome, exactly, but it is showing us a refreshing moment of obviousness and an opportunity to push through some formidable blockages.

We all know that tarot can be a tricky system to work with. Full of powerful esoteric imagery, it’s not exactly straightforward. But this week is an exception, and because of this I’m actually quite into our reading. Hear me out. Life is often complicated and confusing. We’re doing a lot! Somehow managing to survive in the modern world while processing an incredible amount of information, much of it deeply upsetting or overwhelming.

So when a burst of insight arrives on the scene, even if it’s pointing out something upsetting, a part of me can’t help but rejoice. Finally something legible! Understandable! Hit-you-over-the-head obvious! Judgment is a card that’s anything but subtle. It’s also the penultimate card in the Major Arcana sequence, the last step before the beauty and wholeness of The World. So no matter how difficult or upsetting this week’s revelations may be, they’re just what we need to finish up the long cycle of growth we’ve been working through.

I’m also getting the sense that this week’s news or breakthroughs could be an epiphany of sorts. The intensity of modern life often makes it hard to discern what’s really bothering us in our heart of hearts. The Three of Swords shows the piercing clarity of suffering, and if we take away the upsetting swords layer of the card we’re left with the number three, the number of creativity. It’s impossible to ignore three swords in our heart - be sure to listen to your emotions this week and validate them. Some sort of recognition and catharsis is necessary for us to heal, and the other side might feel more energizing and inspiring than we think.

Our wounds are coming into stark relief this week and truly seeing them helps unlock the emotions we’ve been holding back. The rain in the Three of Swords will ultimately water whatever seeds we’ve been planing and perhaps help defrost some of the snow in our final card, the Five of Pentacles. Move towards what feels difficult and trust that it will direct you towards what needs healing and attention.

Discerning readers may remember that we had a long stretch with the Five of Pentacles this past fall when it appeared as our card of the month multiple times. There’s the possibility that this week will bring up some echoes of our experiences around money, security, and stability in daily life from that time. Think back to August-October and see whether you’re dealing with something similar now or have arrived at a moment to put some of these struggles to rest for good.

As I look at these cards, I’m seeing Judgment as a call to action that’s connecting the heartbreak of the Three of Swords to the material lack of the Five of Pentacles.

Some ways this might show up:

• Experiencing emotional suffering and trying to escape it through behavior that leads you towards material suffering. (Over spending, self-sabotaging around work/career/money, etc.)

• On a less prosaic level, being called to shed old beliefs about self-worth or “enoughness” (either having enough or being enough). Look to experiences where you feel like one of the figures cast out in the snow in the Five of Pentacles.

• And/or, on a personal/spiritual level, waking up to your worth or detaching from aligning your material worth with your intrinsic worth as a human being. What if Judgment is a wakeup call to step out of the muddle of the Three of Swords and Five of Pentacles? Maybe these two have been linked under false pretenses and you need a trumpet blast to the face to snap out of it and ascend towards the freedom of The World card.

As you can see, this reading’s energy is pretty impactful in every direction! Usually, readings with lessons this big don’t come without some foreshadowing, so it’s likely that you have some inkling about what these cards are speaking to.

Use this week to lean into the discomfort, push through it, and to trust your insights and instincts. The worst thing we could do is try to ignore the call of Judgment (which is hard to do! That trumpet is loud!) and go on as if everything is normal. There’s a massive opportunity to face, conquer, and transcend suffering this week. Let your Three of Cups intensity melt away the harshness of the Five of Pentacles. A little love and tenderness might just give you wings and let you fly up towards the healing and perspective of the final card in the Fool’s Journey, The World.

This week, embrace:

• Accepting, exploring, and welcoming painful emotions

• Treating your wounds with love

• Finding ways to creatively express your suffering

• The wisdom of your higher self and the wakeup call it wants to give you. It might not be warm and fuzzy, but it will be clear and powerful!

• Countering narratives of alienation, inferiority, and rejection

This week, avoid:

• Running away from inner truths

• Ceding authority to others (it may be tempting!)

• Collapsing in the face of strong emotions

• Harsh self-judgment