Here Comes The Sun

Weekly Forecast for 1/8

The first days of the new year are always a quiet, tender affair for me. The buzz (and stress) of the holidays has yet to fade, there’s a mild air of introspection and quiet grief - what’s ending, what we’ve left behind - along with some anxiety about the upcoming year. It’s already here, unfolding! But I’ve been leaning into the Hermit-ness of it all. Trying to cool my jets and invite in some spaciousness.

Our theme card for January, The Hermit values the space that solitude and silence leaves for our next step. What really matters. If the beginning of 2024 feels slow, that’s a good sign. I think we’ll be grappling (lovingly and constructively) with this tension throughout the year. Our introspection and ambition can become allies. And some impatience, conflict, and awkwardness is part of the process.

Strength, our collective card for 2024, features this “healthy wrassling” which I’m desperately trying to embrace. I love to squirm and debate my choices. It’s very lion-meets-angel, but more in the early stages: ungainly, un-choreographed, and with plenty of misunderstanding. Yet if this is what it is, maybe things are just fine. Which leads me to this week’s batch of cards: taking the time to accept lulls in action or undeniable calls from within yourself to chill out can prepare you for the unplanned next thing.

We begin this week with a "big-little” shift. Big as in it’s pronounced - the Ace of Wands ushers in energy and ambition that will feel delightfully invigorating. Little as in it’s only the beginning, a spark that we can grow if we feed it regularly with plenty of kindling. Look out for moments that light you up, fill you with warmth. Wands are ruled by the element of fire. Sparks of attractions, jolts of creativity, the glow of natural interest - discover these and encourage them when they appear.

What I love about this reading is how it shows the wand, like a lit match, igniting something much deeper and lasting in ourselves. The Sun is the ultimate source of light and this card represents a state of creative and energetic awakening: being your authentic self, being seen for who you are, and letting the light of your talents, skills, and heart shine into the world, unmediated.

There's a fun piece of tarot mischief afoot here in that I’m seeing multiple ways this pair could unfold.

• An event, connection, or opportunity igniting something within you - a stroke of good luck that offers you an opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

• An invitation arising seemingly out of nowhere in response to what you’ve been putting out into the world by being your true, resplendent self.

• A creative catalyst that sends you exactly where you need to go with a project, wish, or mode of self-expression.

Whatever it is, this energy is bright, bold, and flashy. It won’t be hard to identify, but it might be hard to accept as something you’re deserving of. Going into this week, do some work to intentionally identify where you self-sabotage, turning away from opportunity to protect yourself from exposure. Do you poke holes in what’s good, exciting, and right in front of you? Do you turn on yourself, saying you’re not ready/worthy/prepared/right? Do you ignore possibilities outright?

Fortunately, our final card, the Four of Cups, shows us that the right path isn’t full-steam ahead; rather, it unfolds leisurely, leading us into a sustainable future that we’ll have to build and maintain ourselves. Once we’ve experienced the excitement and expression of the Ace of Wands and Sun, we can retreat to feel through it all. It’s very Hermit-y, to be honest, a swing back in our dance of Strength, when we need to process and feel out our new horizon.

Give yourself time to revisit your feelings. What are you looking for? What do you have already? There's an undercurrent of mindfulness here that this reading encourages us to uplift. We know how to care for ourselves, how to modulate our highs and lows. The Four of Cups shows us actively seeking out that balance, giving ourselves time to check in with our emotions, body, and beliefs. Rest and consideration give us so much and can fit perfectly alongside the fire and excitement of the new opportunities starting to blossom in 2024.

Potential surprise/reframe:

The Ace of Wands + Sun pairing could also be an intense experience. Personally, I’m aware of some difficult issues that I need to confront this week and will be using these two cards for guidance and encouragement. Initiating action (Ace of Wands) to uphold integrity and self-expression (The Sun) is worth the energy and intensity. Just be sure to rest afterwards (For of Cups)…

This week, embrace:

• New opportunities, connections, sparks of inspiration

• Expressiveness, creativity, communicating your perspective

• Being joyfully extra

• Listening to your changing needs

• Giving yourself space to retreat and tune-into your feelings after periods of growth and excitement

This week, avoid:

• Self-limiting behavior

• Trying to fit in (The Sun is all about being your wild, naked baby self)

• Going 100%, 100% of the time

• Squashing beautiful newness with expectations