Your Week Ahead: April 21 to 27, 2024 – Within The Alchemist’s Jar

When things slow down, the sensation of the receding energy can manifest in a few ways. In Nature, we see it as the approaching winter season and the darker colder months ahead. Psychologically, we feel it as a need to pull in our reins and investigate something. Certainly, these past few weeks have provided such an opportunity during Mercury’s retrograde motion across the sky.

While Mercury Retrograde can manifest in so many ways, it is almost always a wonderful time to look at our assumptions. As things around us expose their weak links, we get to make things stronger, perhaps more cohesive. Since we are more geared for external extroverted work, going inside ourselves or doing activities that are slower and introverted might feel like we are disconnecting from life.

This is certainly how we can view the 5 of Coins in this week’s reading. As a blanket of snow, portrayed as a white woman, covers the city below her, we are tucked away inside for a time. The question becomes, how are we using our time and how are we responding to this inward pulling energy?

The key here is to do small things that cultivate our inner hearth or devotional fire. As Mercury stations direct on Thursday April 25, we feel this “storm” phase as though we are suspended. We may want to act. We may think we know all there is to know. However, this time can be used to simply be okay with the slower tempo of life and to allow time to unfold gradually.

There might be concerns about finances. Or we could be thinking about how the future will look. Perhaps we are pushing through some other uncertainties, wanting things to be better, or for ourselves to be stronger. If we can find a few things to be happy about, to recognize how well we are doing and maybe even to extend that praise to others, we will be working with the flow rather than pushing against any currents.

During the Full Moon on Tuesday and subsequent station direct of Mercury, we meet up with an alchemist, the King of Wands. This is an interesting card to have show up as this indeed is a very alchemical moment. Things may have come apart or needed to be revised. As he investigates his work and reads his books of wisdom, he is ready to perform an experiment that should result in a completely new form.

As the King of Wands, he has a larger scope on things. He has the ability to know how many things blend together and thus be more responsible for their outcomes. He gathers together many ingredients or intentions and creates an environment by which he can succeed. This has taken time and patience, but the clarity he has come to has been well worth the wait.

Having a “king” card appear at this time shows how we have matured over this period. We are structured and calm, and we provide a space that can be more sustainable for ourselves and others. He has seen how things needed to be done better, how his responses needed to take in a larger view, and how all of this can lay good foundations for the future.

When we are operating more from this premise, we are naturally more open to others. All of this work is the opposite of a miserly attitude. In the King of Cups, we see a merman with a white beard extending his arm and feeding his subjects. The wise and successful are generous. This king has an open heart and feels what his kingdom needs. He creates a safe space for others to also feel, and to heal. He is giving because he understands how the flow of energy works.

What we have reworked or investigated seems to come together in a new form that allows us to share more of ourselves. Again, we have a renewed understanding about something and this has given us a deeper maturity about our lives and our direction.

Yesterday, I went to my favourite bike store and I saw one of the owners stocking some clothing items. I’ve seen this guy around for a long time and he looks the same age as twenty years ago. He has bleach blond hair, is pretty buff, and one look at his calfs you’ll know he’s a cyclist. His doppelganger is probably Laurent Fignon from the mid 1980’s.

He’s always smiling and making jokes. In one moment, he’s stocking up socks, the next he’s making an espresso for a guy who just bought a bike. Then he’s at the cash asking about my tire glue. Then he’s getting some other guy’s bike from the back. He has no assigned task; he does everything effortlessly. He doesn’t look grumpy for doing something trivial. He’s happy doing anything that helps make the day smoother, and jumps in wherever it’s needed.

I thought to myself, what makes a person happy and content like this? I think it’s so many things really, but probably it’s something simple. He’s not afraid to lose because he knows how things pass and that we always build ourselves back up better. His inner resources are more powerful than outer ones. He knows how to keep things working together rather than fighting against anything. And so, the troubles seem so much smaller than him, and his joy, so much larger. I thought, that’s what I’d like to be like.

Affirmation: I look at things with a calm eye and am not bothered by the uncertainty. It’s a good time to take things in stride and see if I can do things better, from a different perspective. I embrace the opportunity to rework what is presented to me and I am excited about how I can be more productive. How can I be of help?

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

Daniel Palmo

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