Your Week Ahead: February 10 to 16, 2025 – A Solid Start

The three keys to a successful outlook is to not let the past define us, to live in the present with vision and curiosity, and to be at peace with a future that has many unknowns. While success can have different attributes and manifestations, from business to relationships to the achievement of goals, it is really about the ability to move beyond a limitation. The moment that state is reached, our psyche naturally begins the cycle again. This is our calling toward growth.

Growth is experienced materially, physically and spiritually. However, they are all connected and interlinked. It is through growth that we are able to process more, express more, envision more and materialize more. The less we identify with the past, the more we open ourselves to creativity.

What someone has said about us, what we have determined is an appropriate amount of accomplishment, and what we think we are able to handle is all about the attachment we have toward a certain identity. Moving past the repetition of statements confirming this identity invokes a certain amount of anxiety because there is an experiential space that has yet to be filled.

Fear often fills this void because we want to protect ourselves from the pain of failure. Our imagination creates scenarios in an effort to predict a future outcome. This often cripples our ability to take action because we are in a very weak state. We stay to what is familiar because it feels safe and because it has been repeated to us either by ourselves or by another.

One way to move past this is to incorporate some kind of movement into our lives. This can be about physical activity or about yoga, or simple breathing exercises. Anything that helps to get us into the movement of energy will start the process of removing the heaviness of fear or anxiety.

The next step would be about recognizing and appreciating anything or anyone in our lives that makes us feel good. It can be a memory of something we did that we felt really positive about. Feeling proud of any accomplishment, large or small, is important. Filling our minds with appreciation changes our associations with things.

Then, raising our arms and hands above our head will help us to simply feel larger than we are. The idea here is not to force us to do anything. Rather, it is about getting our energetic body used to feeling larger. Using our voice to hum or say “AH” in whatever volume we want will start to alter the chemical composition of our brain and body. This in turn activates our nervous system and increases our vitality.

This is how we can begin to have a better relationship with the unknown; to feel larger than it is. We can slowly take more ownership of what we want by being more connected with our personal power. We know and feel this is happening when situations or people we once felt too influenced by begin to have less dominance over us. We are altering our state and our gravitational centre. Now, we can make more effective changes.

This week’s reading characterizes the importance of growth through The Empress, and to have awareness of how we open up to it (4 of Wands) or close ourselves off (9 of Wands). In the 4 of Wands, we see how we can invite and nurture our relationships. This adds a good foundation for positive growth because we never want to be isolated. We reach out, and others reach out to us. We see how we can contribute and in return, we are valued.

This is a card about agreements, contracts and building a better future together. We get a glimpse at our potential as we participate with some new steps towards it. The Empress is there to guide us along and to remind us that we are indeed growing. She represents our connection to the fertile ground of the earth and most importantly, to feel happy about planting our seeds of our desires into that rich dark soil.

While we embark, experiment and envision, we also need to see where we might be tempted repeat an old story. It’s funny how we like to contextualize our new steps by what we have been through. We may not even realize how we drag our past with us because of our need to be vindicated. I think a little bit is probably harmless, but more than that will just continue a story which doesn’t need any more airtime.

The 9 of Wands is also about our ability to pull through, to be resilient and resourceful, particularly with our integrity. It can mean the ability to break away from the past, despite its hardships. Stepping away from a story that we’ve identified with because of its struggles takes some gentleness. However, we can also appreciate our hard work as a wonderful indicator of personal strength and courage. We have the ability to take our lives further and freer than we think is possible. To celebrate ourselves and our determination is to put ourselves into alignment with the universe. What we learn about ourselves and how we share our wisdom, this process is the reason why we are here.

Affirmation: I breathe and I am at peace. I feel good about the small steps I have taken. I look back and witness my strength. I love that about myself, that I can be strong. I take this power and stand tall. I know that the universe stands with me and will take me to wonderful new opportunities. This is an incredible moment in my life and I choose to say “Yes”. Thank you universe for giving me this time to grow and to become more than I thought possible.

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

Daniel Palmo

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