Your Week Ahead: April 14 to 20, 2024 – Embracing The Ocean

Trust is a funny thing. We often read it and we often say it to ourselves when looking to the future. Surrender and trust seem to go hand in hand. But what about our desire? Do we put all that we wish for aside because somehow we are asked to trust and be patient? Perhaps we are too close to the things we want that we lose touch with the bigger picture. Perhaps we simply need to enjoy the process and know that things unfold in ways that are actually very good for us.

There is a unique difference between the 9 of Wands and the 2 of Cups, but they are closely linked. How can we enjoy or contribute anything meaningful in a relationship if we don’t know ourselves first. Can we walk alone and be content? Can we relate to our environment as an individual before seeing it through the lens of being with other people? What do we give of ourselves and how do we receive gifts from another?

The link between these two cards is self-worth. It determines the balance of things. How we think of ourselves and what we think we offer becomes clouded in what we need and what we are getting from a point of imbalance. We emphasize what we need to get from someone first before we think of what we offer.

Do they make us feel safe, do they give us praise, are they interested in us? While these are very important questions to ask, the perspective could start from, do we hold a safe space for others, do we give praise, do we show interest? If we can’t “walk alone” comfortably first, then we will need others to make us feel comfortable. This is probably not going to turn out well and is a seed for dependency in which we will further lose ourselves in.

The wonderful thing here is, we are seeing the positive aspects of what a relationship should feel like. The 9 of Wands shows personal integrity and self-trust. She is beautifully walking alone, hearing her own thoughts and allowing them a voice to be understood, not brushed aside by her need for acceptance. She contemplates her future and assesses her own conclusions within a mental boundary. This can be about personal accountability and knowing one’s shadow as much as one’s capacity for contribution.

When she meets the man in the 2 of Cups, she is giving from that self-awareness. This makes her bold and full of life, which is very vibrant and attractive. With this foundation, she can then assess whether the man is of value to her or if he is needy and imbalanced. If she has a good sense of herself, it won’t take long because red flags become evident very quickly in bad matches. The only question becomes, how soon are they recognized.

The 2 of Cups in this week’s reading is a unifying energy and it dominates by being the centre card. Things come together inwardly and outwardly. We feel balanced inside and our relationships reflect this reciprocity. We are not meant to always be strong. Indeed, a healthy relationship makes space for each person’s fallibilities. Our relationships can often assist in guiding us back to what is wholesome. However, we should probably not start out thinking that we are broken and that a relationship will be good for us by helping us fix our issues. It sounds cliche but it’s surprising how many people easily slip into this kind of pattern.

While it is important to recognize the beauty of the interplay of complimentary energies, we would serve ourselves best by first taking ownership of how we feel and any work surrounding our past, or needs for the future. We all have come from “somewhere”; it’s what we choose to make our dominant identity that counts. The future can very much align with that if we don’t hold on to the past and its paradigms.

In the background of the 9 of Wands are echoes of this past and how we may have struggled. On the other side is the 6 of Swords shifting our awareness to our future and this element of trust I described earlier, and perhaps further: providence. This card describes moving away from troubles. It also talks about keeping the support of loved ones near. In the boat, a man holds a child near to his chest. There is an element of travel too, moving away from something, toward peace, calm and blessings.

This reading could describe coming to terms with something in one’s past and that old sense of self that is fading away. We are in a good place now and we recognize this and the people in our lives. Our view of the future is dawning and the natural currents of life take us toward new shores and new experiences. While this may happen gradually, we are offered this feeling of reassurance that things are flowing well, and in that we should…trust.

Affirmation: I am the gift I give myself each day. As I rise to breathe in the new air, I appreciate who I am and what I offer those whom I love. The future is a beautiful shore waiting to be discovered.

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

Daniel Palmo

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