Your Week Ahead: October 2 to 8, 2022 – Gateway to the Oracle

When we seek the fulfillment of our goal or quest, we may encounter factors that ask us to reassess our direction or trajectory. We could feel quite sure of ourselves. However, it appears we are being confronted with ourselves to ask what we know to be true, and to know when we don’t know.

Confidence can feel permanent but that is the moment when we need to apply our impeccability. The Knight of Pentacles meets with the figure in the 5 of Swords, or at least what the card represents. At first sight, it can feel like a reality check that we weren’t expecting.

The knight’s quality here is about slowing down our actions enough so that they become grounded in the energy of the earth. That’s where our intention comes in. What do we want to create and how sustainable is that endeavour?

We may bring forward a project or plan only to have someone or something say “you’re not ready yet”. There might be some inherent feelings of defeat as any thwarting of plans could feel disheartening. It is our attachment to success that meets with an apparent obstacle. However, when we stop to ask ourselves what we may be missing, we in fact apply leadership to our situation.

We may think we have no alternatives but if we are patient and skillful with the limitation, then we have a chance to strengthen the foundations upon which our plans are laid. The 5 of Swords may not feel nice but if we work with the energy, we can make it work effectively for us.

This attitude and approach is the door that opens to the realm of The High Priestess. Her presence brings serenity and wisdom to our predicament. She sits in the middle of two pillars and in front of a veil which represents the unification of dualistic energies. Duality can feed the very challenges we encounter, so her message is to find the peace within ourselves by finding the peace within opposing elements.

The veil is the barrier we perceive and the illusions of life. Moving past the veil is to move past the illusory and dualistic aspects of our experience. Everything arises from our subconscious. All the wildness of animals murmur and echo here. When the energy of The High Priestess fills our heart, we are in tune with it all and are not afraid.

She puts us in touch with our missing elements because to emerge from her realm is to be reacquainted with what was alluding us. She brings together the light and the shadow so that we are not reacting to one or the other. We are strengthened by her calling because she sensed that we were not balanced in our worldly action. To be balanced is to sit in the middle path, in tune with the flow of our shadows and our purity.

I see The High Priestess as the ruler of an underworld, rich in caves and deep underground riverbeds. She is the reservoir that feeds the soil above so that we are nourished. Our experiences that get composted and broken down, that sink deep into the earth, become transformed into a lush landscape that is fed by the unity of our lightness and our darkness.

If there is something that needs attention, be peaceful and be accepting of things. Pausing will allow this peace to come to the forefront, and we will be less inclined to control the process because of any frustration.

The waters behind the 5 of Swords are exactly like the waters behind the veil of The High Priestess. This is a visual link that suggests the closeness of these two cards in terms of their message. If we are engaged with others out of pride or any need to win or get on top, then we cannot enter the sanctity of The High Priestess. This is the lesson that the knight must learn in order to pass through the gateway to the oracle.

Affirmation: I slow down to ponder what I may be missing at this time. With understanding and peace, I make space for the deep wisdom within me to arise. May that wisdom carry me forward with ease so that I may embrace everything in my life with joy and radiance.

Thanks for reading, and I wish you a wonderful week!

Daniel Palmo

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