Your Week Ahead: January 28 to February 3, 2024 – Animal Power

Courage calls us forth, confidence is expressed, and foresight will place us in a very favourable position. All we need is the ability to see it through, to see something through to its conclusion. There may be periods of self-doubt, not knowing how to connect with Source, or feeling too tired to feel like we’re connecting at all. The key might be just to be okay with a little bit of sacred time out, rather than anything elaborate or intense.

When the Strength card appears, it tells us that we have a certain kind of mastery, and through that, we express ourselves very authentically. We know how much energy to expound, and what to get involved in. If we should find ourselves facing some challenges, we are up to the task for nothing is unachievable. Our influence over our experience is strong now and through our persuasive and magnetic qualities, we create a favourable outcome.

There is great power in remaining silent, for example. Much may be revealed to us about our choices. Tearing into something or someone only creates further confusion about our options because our emotions are fed by a need to control. The ego is out of balance and is further distanced from its true essence. Its desire to succeed, to hit back, and to dictate is about an inversion of power. Force confines and restricts in order to remove a threat. Power removes the obscuration to allow fullness, uniqueness and authenticity. In one, we stay on the animal level; in the other, our animal nature is transmuted into the radiance of Spirit.

So, where does that leave us with the 5 of Coins? Perhaps we are meditating on that very dichotomy of Strength. When we are given power to work with, we can often stumble because there is an aspect of it that needs maturation. “How do I work with this? How do I express myself? Can I handle this?” Such questions might have us feeling out in the cold, sort of speak. The 5 of Coins describes the sensation where we might have to work harder to feel connected. We could struggle with some questions because the answers are not forthcoming. It is a time of incubation and perseverance, and knowing that this too shall pass. Whatever is taking place, it is very clear that we have the ability to apply ourselves well, for Strength is taking us into the 5 of Coins.

I would offer that we need to be gentle with ourselves, and to trust in our ability to keep the energy flowing. That means trusting that we can remain true to ourselves and continue to have integrity. That doesn’t mean we stop asking questions and isolate ourselves off from the world. We don’t enter a foreign land and forget everything about ourselves. We grow through what life expands for us. If we are on a path of integrity, then we will not feel as though something has been taken from us or that we are becoming someone else.

On the other side of this is the unmistakeable stance that our life is formed to our will. Not through control but through surrender. Wisdom and strength is knowing what is true and that we have aligned ourselves with truth. Here, in the 6 of Wands, the two jaguars are not even restrained by anything, yet they are completely under the will of the woman. In Strength, the black panther (A panther is defined as a melanistic colour variant of other species in the Panthera genus of which both jaguars and leopards belong) is held by a leash. In the 6 of Wands, the leash has dissolved and is implied. The colour black could also represent that animal power touching the void. Whereas, the jaguars could be seen as the reemergence of our will: Our will becomes active, creative, and more importantly, responsive.

Where there is a need to harness some energy and to keep going with a level head and moderated effort, this week offers us an opportunity to learn something valuable and to maintain our sense of self. If you find yourself challenged or think there is something you can’t do, keep going and don’t be afraid of the power you express. My guess is that it won’t take long before you feel confident and that others will recognize how well you handled yourself. This is a wonderful week for taking on a leadership role. Let your animal spirit guide you to your true self. From there, everything is possible.

Affirmation: Even if I am unsure, I take a few steps forward. Even if I don’t know what to do, I can trust that I will be inspired. I know I can express myself clearly, and that through this opportunity of self-expression I can know myself more authentically than before.

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

Daniel Palmo

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