tarot – Just the Tarot

The Empress and the Courage to Be “Unproductive”

The Empress Archetype and Relaxation as a Way to Nurture Creativity.

In my Empress affirmation poster, I paired her image with the words:

Nurture Creativity

This may be one of the most misunderstood instructions in the entire Tarot.

Empress Affirmation Poster – Available on Etsy

Because most of us have been trained to believe that creativity comes from effort. From discipline. From pushing harder. From sitting at the desk and refusing to get up until something happens.

That approach belongs to The Emperor.

The Empress operates differently.

She does not force growth.

She allows it.

She creates the conditions in which growth becomes inevitable.

Creativity Cannot Be Forced

Every creative person eventually encounters this paradox.

The harder you try to force creativity, the more it retreats.

You sit at your desk, determined to produce something brilliant. Hours pass. Nothing happens. Your mind feels like dry soil.

And then, days later—while taking a walk, washing dishes, or doing something completely unrelated—an idea appears effortlessly.

It arrives whole.

Not constructed, but received.

Albert Einstein understood this phenomenon. When asked how he discovered the theory of relativity, he didn’t describe grinding intellectual labor. He said simply:

“It just dropped in while I was playing the piano.”

He wasn’t forcing the insight.

He was allowing it.

This is Empress energy.

The Forgotten Value of Leisure

The philosopher Josef Pieper wrote a remarkable book titled Leisure as the Basis of Culture. In it, he argues that leisure is not the absence of productivity, but its foundation.

Leisure, in its true sense, is not laziness in the modern, pejorative sense. It is a state of receptive openness.

It is the willingness to stop forcing.

Pieper observed that culture itself—art, philosophy, music, science—arises not from frantic effort, but from spaces of inward stillness.

When we allow ourselves to be idle, something deeper begins to move.

The soil replenishes itself.

Modern society often treats leisure as wasteful. We are taught that our worth is tied to constant activity. But creativity obeys older, quieter laws.

Seeds do not grow faster because you stare at them.

They grow because the conditions are right.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – available on Amazon

Julia Cameron and the Act of Creative Nurturing

Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way remains one of the most practical and psychologically accurate guides to creativity ever written.

Her central insight is simple: creativity must be nurtured.

Not commanded.

She encourages practices like morning pages and artist dates—not to produce finished work, but to create space for the creative self to emerge naturally.

These practices are Empress practices.

They say to the creative mind:

You are safe here.

You are allowed to emerge in your own time.

And when that safety is present, creativity begins to flow again.

The Courage to Be “Lazy”

This is perhaps the most radical lesson of The Empress.

You must allow yourself to be, at times, unproductive.

Not because you are weak.

But because you are cultivating fertility.

What appears to be inactivity is often incubation.

Beneath the surface, ideas are forming. Connections are being made. Your subconscious is doing its work.

If you constantly demand output, you exhaust the system that produces it.

The Empress reminds us that rest is not the opposite of creation.

It is part of creation.

Nurture Creativity

The Empress does not shout. She does not command. She invites.

She reminds us that creativity is not a machine, but a living process.

It responds to kindness.

It responds to patience.

It responds to nourishment.

When you stop trying to force creativity and begin nurturing it instead, something remarkable happens.

Ideas begin to arrive again.

Quietly.

Effortlessly.

Like seeds finding their way toward the light.

So when The Empress appears in your readings—or quietly makes herself known in your life—it is not a signal to push harder. It is an invitation to soften. She asks you to step out of the mentality of force and into the rhythm of cultivation. To rest without guilt. To follow your curiosity. To trust that creativity, like all living things, emerges when it is nourished rather than commanded.

She reminds you that you are not a machine designed for constant output, but a garden capable of extraordinary growth. Your task is not to force the flowers to bloom, but to tend the soil and allow them to emerge in their own time.

The High Priestess: What It Really Means to Trust Your Intuition

The High Priestess Archetype and learning to trust our intuition.

In my High Priestess affirmation poster, I chose the phrase:

“Trust Your Intuition.”

It sounds simple. Almost obvious.

And yet it’s one of the most misunderstood instructions in the entire Tarot.

We say things like:

“I have a feeling . . “

“I just have a hunch . . .”

“I’m getting bad vibes about this . . .”

All human beings have intuition — some more than others. Some people sneer at it as a primitive, pseudo-mystical leftover from a less scientific age. Others practically swim in it, using it as their primary guide through life.

Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.

We occasionally get flashes of clarity about which path to take and which to avoid. But most of the time we default to logic. We try to predict outcomes. We use our brains rather than our hearts.

And then sometimes — usually in hindsight — we think:

“Damn, I knew better . . .”

So it’s worth asking:

What is intuition… and what is it not?

It’s Not Fear

One of the biggest confusions we have is mixing intuition up with the limbic system — the ancient part of the brain responsible for fight-or-flight.

That system exists to keep us alive. It detects threat. It reacts instantly.

It was what warned our ancestors that something dangerous was hiding in the trees. We experience it today as:

The hairs rising on the back of our neck
A sudden jolt of anxiety
The feeling that someone is watching us

That reaction can feel mysterious. But it isn’t mystical. It’s biological.

True intuition does not trigger fight-or-flight.

It doesn’t flood the body with adrenaline. It doesn’t tighten the chest.

Real intuition is calm.

It arrives quietly, with a sense of understanding. It clarifies rather than agitates. Instead of panic, it brings steadiness — a subtle reassurance that says:

“This is right – you’ll be okay.”

It’s Not Rapid-Fire Prediction

The brain is constantly predicting the future based on the past.

When we encounter a new situation, the mind instantly searches its archives for similar experiences. It matches patterns, runs comparisons, and projects possible outcomes — all in a fraction of a second.

We’re mostly unaware this is happening.

So when we say we “have a feeling” about someone, what we often have is a memory.

If we once had a terrible experience with a brunette woman wearing purple socks, we may feel wary of a new brunette wearing purple socks. We call that a vibe.

It isn’t.

Some people process these patterns so quickly that it seems magical. Certain personality types — INFJs and INFPs, for example — are especially skilled at rapid, intuitive-seeming synthesis.

But that process is still rooted in past data.

True intuition is different.

It is not logical.

It is not based on memory.

It may have absolutely nothing to do with what has happened before.

It is a clear message about the present moment — even when there’s no obvious reason you should understand what you understand.

It’s Not Fragmented

You may have met highly sensitive or empathic people whose lives are chaotic.

On the surface, that seems contradictory. If they absorb more information than most, shouldn’t they navigate life more easily?

Not necessarily.

When someone takes in too much external input without discernment, they can lose track of what belongs to them and what belongs to others.

If they’re near someone who is anxious, they become anxious. If they’re around anger, they internalize anger.

Soon they feel as if they’re having five contradictory “intuitions” at once.

But intuition does not contradict itself.

It does not conduct committee meetings in your head.

It does not present twelve equally compelling paths and demand that you choose one immediately.

True intuition is singular.

It points.

It does not debate.

Clear, Calm, and Quietly Joyful

Perhaps the greatest hallmark of genuine intuition is that it brings relief.

It removes doubt.

It dissolves mental noise.

It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t demand. It doesn’t come with fireworks.

It simply settles into you and says:

“Yes, this is it.”

And when it does, there is often a subtle happiness attached to it — not excitement, not mania — but a deep rightness.

That is the High Priestess.

She does not force reality.

She does not argue.

She does not panic.

She knows.

And when that knowing arrives within you, the work is not to question it endlessly — it is to honor it.

That is what “Trust Your Intuition” really means.

The Four of Swords: ReCreation

Recreating ourselves through rest. An exploration of the Four of Swords.

If you’re feeling stuck, exhausted, or strangely unmotivated right now, the Four of Swords may have a valuable message for you.

In the traditional Tarot, the Four of Swords depicts an armored knight lying in deep slumber. Three swords hang above him; one rests beneath him. It’s a card associated not just with rest, but with recovery. We often see it when someone has gone through a physically or emotionally traumatic experience and simply needs to become as quiet as possible in order to heal.

But there’s a subtler message here — one that goes beyond simple rest.

It’s about re-creation.

When we’re physically ill, we’re encouraged to sleep as much as possible. Why? Because the body heals in stillness. Damaged cells are repaired. Infections are fought. New, healthy tissue is created. We intuitively understand that the human body is self-healing — if we can just turn off the busy mind and get out of the way.

The same principle applies emotionally and spiritually.

When we’ve been wounded — by stress, burnout, loss, disappointment, or simply too much striving — our instinct is often to withdraw. To reduce contact. To go quiet. That instinct isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.

That’s what I was emphasizing in my Tarot affirmation poster for the Four of Swords: sometimes the periods when we feel least productive are actually the periods of our greatest growth.

Tarot Affirmation Print available on Etsy.

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The Cultural Problem

Part of the struggle comes from the culture we swim in.

From the time we’re children, we’re trained to work harder, move faster, achieve more. Rest is framed as a brief pit stop before we re-enter the race. Productivity is virtue. Exhaustion is normal.

So when we find ourselves demotivated or depleted, our first reaction is usually self-criticism.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“I just can’t get it together.”

“I feel stuck.”

But what if nothing is wrong with you?

What if you’re not broken — you’re rebuilding?

What if your body, mind, and spirit are quietly saying, “You need time. You need stillness. You need space.”

The tragedy is that the more we fight that message, the longer the recovery takes. We override the natural healing cycle because we’re afraid of falling behind.

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Nature Doesn’t Apologize for Rest

Look at Nature.

The Earth explodes into life in the Spring.

She flourishes in Summer.

She releases in Autumn.

She rests in Winter.

Do you imagine the Earth berating herself all Winter long? Does she panic and whisper, “I should be more productive”?

Of course not.

Rest is part of the cycle.

Contraction makes expansion possible.

Stillness prepares the ground for growth.

And yet, though we are children of the Earth, we rarely grant ourselves the same permission.

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Reframing “Stuck”

When we hit a slack period — when progress stalls and energy feels low — we can frame it in one of two ways.

We can tell ourselves we’re lazy, depressed, failing, falling behind.

Or we can recognize that we’re in a season of restoration before the next expansion.

Because that is precisely what often happens.

When we release our grip — when we stop forcing clarity, stop chasing momentum, stop judging ourselves — something begins to recalibrate beneath the surface. Just as the body eliminates toxins during sleep, the psyche releases old narratives during rest.

We may not consciously see it happening. Our subconscious may be reorganizing itself in silence. Old wounds may be dissolving. A new identity may be forming.

The Four of Swords is not stagnation.

It is sacred pause.

It is integration.

It is ReCreation — not recreation as distraction, but re-creation as transformation.

And if we can trust that process, if we can stop fighting it, those quiet, stuck-feeling days may turn out to be the very foundation of our next, beautiful phase of growth.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is lay down the sword — and let ourselves become new.

The Fool: Be in the Flow

The Fool card as the archetype of the Flow State.

Most people misunderstand The Fool.

They think he’s reckless. Naïve. Careless. About to step off a cliff because he doesn’t know any better.

But The Fool is not stupidity.

The Fool is original harmony.

The Soul in Its First Breath

The Fool represents the new Soul in the world. He carries the energy closest to what we had when we first incarnated — before cynicism, before conditioning, before we learned how to overthink everything.

In that original state, we are in harmony with our environment. Our perception is clear. Our energy hums. We are not fighting life. We are participating in it.

That’s why, when I designed my Tarot affirmation for The Fool, I chose the phrase: Be in the Flow.

Available as a 13 X 19 inch poster on my Etsy shop.

The Fool doesn’t force the river. He walks with it.

What Happens When We’re in the Flow?

Two remarkable things tend to show up when we’re in this state:

Synchronicity and serendipity.

Synchronicity occurs when your internal mental and emotional state aligns so cleanly with the outer world that meaningful coincidences begin to appear.

You’re thinking about needing a new job. A gust of wind blows a newspaper to your feet. The classified section is open. Someone has circled a listing that’s strangely perfect for you.

That’s synchronicity — the outer world answering an inner alignment.

Serendipity is its carefree cousin. It’s good fortune arriving without an obvious causal chain. It’s stumbling into opportunity. It’s finding gold doubloons tucked inside a thrift-store chest of drawers.

Synchronicity feels meaningful.

Serendipity feels lucky.

Both tend to emerge when we stop strangling life with effort.

Wu Wei and the Zero

The Fool’s number is zero.

Zero is potential. Zero is openness. Zero is the circle that contains everything.

In Taoist philosophy, there’s a concept called Wu Wei, which means “effortless action.” It’s not laziness. It’s not passivity. It’s action that arises from alignment rather than strain.

Instead of striving against the current, we move with it.

The more we harmonize with life’s rhythms, the easier life becomes. Paradoxically, we accomplish more by forcing less. When we loosen our grip, synchronicity and serendipity begin to move.

It can feel as if the Universe starts supplying what we need the moment we stop demanding it.

The symbol of Wu Wei is the Enso — a single open circle. It looks suspiciously like a Zero.

It looks suspiciously like The Fool.

The Trick of the Dialogue

Here’s the delicate part.

Flow is not a switch you flip.

Researchers who study the flow state consistently find that it emerges when we are relaxed, engaged, playful, and open. It does not emerge when we are clenched, controlling, or desperately trying to optimize ourselves.

You don’t command The Fool state.

You invite it.

And this is where the dialogue begins.

When we relax and allow life to surprise us, we send a subtle signal:

“Okay. Show me what you’ve got.”

That’s when things begin to move.

The Universe does not respond well to micromanagement.

The Pink Elephant Problem

Of course, we immediately run into a paradox.

You cannot work very, very hard at not working hard.

You cannot become extremely serious about not being serious.

Try this: do not think about a pink elephant with purple polka dots.

Exactly.

The harder we try to relax, the more tense we become. The more we strive to enter Flow, the further away it seems.

In our self-improvement culture, we are experts at turning everything — even surrender — into a project.

But The Fool is not a project.

Dancing Instead of Driving

The Fool state is not about giving up responsibility. It is not about sitting on the couch waiting for destiny to knock.

It is not about “surrendering your will” in some dramatic spiritual gesture.

It is about remembering.

Remembering that we were born playful. Born curious. Born in rhythm with the world.

The Fool doesn’t run the Universe.

He dances with it.

When we return to that original ease — relaxed, alert, a little amused at our own smallness in a very large cosmos — something remarkable happens.

Life softens.

Doors open.

Wind blows newspapers at our feet.

We stop trying to force magic — and we discover that it was already in motion.

The Fool smiles because he knows a secret:

The cliff isn’t always a cliff.

Sometimes it’s just the next step into the Flow.

If you were to reduce all of that to a single affirmation, it would be simple:

Be in the Flow.

And then — gently — stop trying so hard to do even that.

The Top Ten Tarot Cards That Indicate You’re Stuck

A concise, Tarot-based guide to the ten cards that most often indicate feeling stuck, stalled, or unable to move forward — and what each one reveals about the deeper source of that stuckness.

Being “stuck” in Tarot rarely means something is broken or hopeless. It usually means energy is stalled, attention is misdirected, or a transition is incomplete. These cards point to places where movement is paused — and where a shift is quietly waiting to happen.

Here are the ten cards that most often signal that kind of stuckness.

1. The Hanged Man

Stuck because of suspension or waiting.

This card indicates a pause imposed by timing, perspective, or the need for surrender. Progress isn’t possible yet because something deeper is still rearranging.

2. Eight of Swords

Stuck because of limiting beliefs or mental loops.

You feel trapped, restricted, or powerless — but the restriction is largely internal. The situation may not be as closed as it feels.

3. Two of Swords

Stuck because of indecision or avoidance.

Movement is blocked by a refusal to choose, usually because neither option feels safe or pleasant.

4. Four of Cups

Stuck because of emotional disengagement.

Nothing feels interesting or meaningful enough to respond to. Opportunities may exist, but the heart isn’t open to them yet.

5. Ten of Wands

Stuck because of overload or exhaustion.

You’re carrying too much. Forward motion is technically possible, but not sustainable in the current state.

6. Five of Cups

Stuck because of grief or fixation on loss.

Attention is anchored in what’s gone wrong, making it hard to see what remains or what could still grow.

7. Judgment (Reversed)

Stuck because of self-doubt or fear of stepping into a new identity.

The call to change is present, but something inside is resisting answering it.

8. Wheel of Fortune (Reversed)

Stuck because of repeating patterns or feeling caught in cycles.

Life feels like it’s looping instead of evolving. This often points to unconscious habits or unresolved lessons.

9. Nine of Swords

Stuck because of anxiety, rumination, or worry.

The mind is so busy anticipating problems that it can’t access solutions or rest.

10. Five of Pentacles

Stuck because of a mindset of lack or survival.

Fear around resources, support, or worthiness makes it difficult to imagine improvement or receive help.

A Note on “Stuckness” in Tarot

In Tarot, being stuck is rarely a punishment or a failure. It’s usually a sign that:

• something internal needs to shift before something external can move,

• a lesson is still integrating,

• or attention needs to be redirected.

These cards don’t say “nothing will ever change.”

They say: this is the part of the story where motion pauses and meaning is being formed.

That’s often where the most important change begins.

And if you’re wondering when you’re going to get unstuck, then check out my other post: The Top Ten Tarot Cards Indicating Something is About to Change.

Running It By the Numbers: The Numerology Behind the Tarot Suits

Running It By the Numbers explores the numerological structure behind the Tarot suits from Ace through Ten.

When we look at the Tarot, it’s easy to get lost in the images, stories, and archetypes of each card. But underneath the pictures, symbols, and personalities lies a beautifully simple structure: number.

In each suit — Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles — the cards numbered One through Ten follow a consistent energetic progression. The suit shows where the energy is playing out (creativity, emotion, thought, or material life), and the number shows how that energy is unfolding.

So let’s run it by the numbers.

Below you’ll find the numerological meaning of the cards from Ace (One) through Ten, and how that meaning expresses itself across all four suits.

One (Ace): Beginnings, Seeds, Potential

Ones represent the spark.

They are beginnings, raw potential, the moment when something new is offered into your life.

Numerologically, One is unity, origin, and creative impulse — the first expression of energy.

In Tarot:

• Aces show opportunities.

• They don’t guarantee outcomes — they offer possibility.

Each Ace says: “Here is a seed. Will you plant it?”

Two: Balance, Choice, Polarity

Twos represent the moment when the One becomes aware of an “other.”

Numerologically, Two is duality, relationship, contrast, and choice.

In Tarot:

• Twos often show balance, tension, or decision.

• They ask you to relate — to a person, a feeling, a path, or a truth.

Twos say: “Now that something exists, how will you engage with it?”

Three: Growth, Expansion, Expression

Threes are the first moment of outward growth.

Numerologically, Three is creativity, expression, and development.

In Tarot:

• Threes show movement, growth, collaboration, and early results.

• Something is starting to take form.

Threes say: “This is beginning to live and move in the world.”

Four: Structure, Stability, Foundation

Fours bring form, boundaries, and stability.

Numerologically, Four is structure, order, and grounding.

In Tarot:

• Fours stabilize the energy of the suit.

• They create something solid enough to rest on — or sometimes something rigid enough to get stuck in.

Fours say: “Let’s make this real and sustainable.”

Five: Disruption, Challenge, Change

Fives introduce instability.

Numerologically, Five is movement, friction, and necessary disruption.

In Tarot:

• Fives often show conflict, loss, challenge, or tension.

• They shake what has become too fixed.

Fives say: “Something needs to change — even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Six: Harmony, Integration, Adjustment

Sixes restore balance after the disruption of Five.

Numerologically, Six is harmony, healing, and realignment.

In Tarot:

• Sixes often show cooperation, support, generosity, or healing.

• They smooth what was roughened.

Sixes say: “Let’s bring this back into balance.”

Seven: Assessment, Testing, Inner Work

Sevens are a pause for evaluation.

Numerologically, Seven is reflection, inner work, and spiritual testing.

In Tarot:

• Sevens often show challenges that are internal, subtle, or strategic.

• They ask you to examine your approach.

Sevens say: “Is this truly aligned — and is this worth continuing?”

Eight: Power, Mastery, Momentum

Eights represent focused energy and effective action.

Numerologically, Eight is power, movement, and manifestation.

In Tarot:

• Eights show work, effort, discipline, and progress.

• Things move quickly here, for better or worse.

Eights say: “Apply yourself. This can be accomplished.”

Nine: Fulfillment, Culmination, Near Completion

Nines bring things close to completion.

Numerologically, Nine is culmination, wisdom, and harvest.

In Tarot:

• Nines often show satisfaction, insight, or emotional/spiritual fullness.

• They can also show isolation, depending on the suit.

Nines say: “This cycle is almost complete — what have you learned?”

Ten: Completion, Overflow, Transition

Tens complete the cycle — and often overwhelm it.

Numerologically, Ten is completion that tips over into excess, leading back toward a new beginning.

In Tarot:

• Tens show endings, fulfillment, or overload.

• They signal that a cycle has run its course.

Tens say: “This is complete. It’s time to release and begin again.”

In Summary

Across every suit, the numbers tell a story:

1. Seed

2. Choice

3. Growth

4. Structure

5. Disruption

6. Harmony

7. Assessment

8. Effort

9. Fulfillment

10. Completion

When you read Tarot “by the numbers,” you gain a deeper sense of where you are in a process — not just what’s happening, but what stage it’s in.

And that can be incredibly clarifying.

Because sometimes the most important message isn’t what is happening…

…but where you are in the journey.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – available on Amazon

2026: A New Cycle Begins — Welcome to a Universal 1 Year

We’ve just completed a cycle of endings and stepped into a year of new beginnings. This post looks at 2026 as a Universal 1 Year, what it means energetically and symbolically, and how to align with the quiet power of starting anew.

As we step into 2026, many people in Tarot, astrology, and esoteric circles are talking about one simple but powerful idea: 2026 is a Universal 1 Year.
Which means we are collectively beginning a brand‑new nine‑year cycle.

So what does that actually mean? And why does it feel like such a big energetic shift?

Let’s explore.

What Is a Universal Year?

In numerology, each calendar year carries a collective or Universal vibration. It’s calculated by adding the digits of the year together and reducing them to a single number.

For 2026:
2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10 → 1 + 0 = 1

So 2026 = a Universal 1 Year.

And the year we just completed:

2025:
2 + 0 + 2 + 5 = 9

Which means we’ve just finished a Universal 9 Year — the final stage of a nine‑year cycle.

The 1–9 Cycle at a Glance

The Universal Years move through a repeating 1–9 pattern, each with its own archetypal meaning:

Year	Archetype	Theme
1	The Seed	Beginnings, identity, new direction
2	The Mirror	Relationship, reflection, polarity
3	The Child	Expression, creativity, joy
4	The Builder	Structure, work, foundations
5	The Rebel	Change, disruption, freedom
6	The Caretaker	Responsibility, healing, home
7	The Mystic	Inner work, truth‑seeking
8	The Ruler	Power, manifestation, money
9	The Elder	Completion, release, harvest

A 9 year completes a story.
A 1 year begins a new one.

What We Just Came Through: The Universal 9 Year

Universal 9 Years are not light or easy. They are about:

Endings and closures
Letting go of identities, relationships, or structures that no longer fit
Grief, composting, forgiveness, and release

A 9 year doesn’t just end things — it dissolves them. It clears space.

That’s why many people experienced 2025 as heavy, tiring, emotionally clarifying, or strangely emptying.

Something had to finish.

What’s Beginning Now: The Universal 1 Year

A Universal 1 Year is the opposite energy.

It is:

New identity
New direction
New seeds
New courage

But it is not loud or triumphant.

A 1 year is fragile, raw, and tender. It’s the match being struck. The first step onto a new path. The moment of saying:

“This is who I am becoming.”

It’s less about immediate success and more about choosing a direction.

Symbolically Speaking

Esoterically:

9 is Saturnian — time, karma, endings, harvest, limits
1 is Solar — identity, will, creative fire

So this transition marks a shift from:

Saturn’s scythe → The Sun’s spark

From completion into creation.

Tarot Reflections

If we were to translate this into Tarot language:

The 9 Year corresponds to archetypes like The Hermit, Death, The World — inner truth, endings, integration.
The 1 Year corresponds to The Magician — the moment when possibility becomes intention.

Not the end of the journey — but the choosing of it.

How to Work With a Universal 1 Year

This is not the year to rush.

It is the year to:

Name what you want to begin
Claim new identity gently
Experiment without needing mastery
Allow yourself to be a beginner again

This is the year to plant seeds, not demand fruit.

In Closing

We have crossed a threshold.

The old cycle is complete. The ground has been cleared. And now — something new is possible again.

May this year be kind to your beginnings.
May you listen for what is quietly trying to be born through you.
And may you walk your new path with patience, courage, and trust.

Happy New Year.

The Art of Receiving: A Holiday Lesson from the Ace of Pentacles

Are you great at giving but secretly uncomfortable receiving? This holiday-inspired reflection on the Ace of Pentacles explores why receiving is the true key to abundance — and how learning to allow support, blessings, and prosperity can transform your life.

We hear it every year: “It’s the season of giving.”

And while generosity is beautiful, here’s a question we rarely ask:

How good are you at receiving?

Most of us are excellent givers.

We’ll show up for others, offer help, carry the emotional load, and give until we’re exhausted…

Yet when something is offered to us — kindness, support, a compliment, an opportunity, or even abundance — we freeze. We deflect. We downplay. We say, “Oh, you shouldn’t have…”

But in manifestation, and in the symbolic language of the Tarot, receiving is not an afterthought — it’s the core skill.

And the Ace of Pentacles, with its golden hand offering a gift from the sky, is the perfect reminder that abundance can’t enter your life until you’re willing to let it in.

Ace of Pentacles Affirmation Poster by Dan Adair – Available on Etsy.

Why Receiving Is the Real Skill in Manifestation

Genevieve Davis puts it beautifully in her book, “Doing Magic: A Course in Manifesting an Exceptional Life.”

“As soon as you have asked for anything, your next immediate job is to get out of the way. You need to get out of asking and into the receiving state as soon as you possibly can.”

Most people stay stuck in:

• asking

• wishing

• visualizing

• striving

• trying harder

But manifestation isn’t powered by effort.

It’s powered by allowing.

During the holidays we pour energy outward — buying gifts, doing favors, meeting expectations — but the universe doesn’t respond only to what we give. It responds to what we’re willing to accept.

Receiving Requires Softening, Not Effort

In, “Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires” Abraham/Hicks calls this the Art of Allowing:

“Unless you are in the receiving mode, your desires will not be fulfilled.”

Receiving isn’t about deserving more or working harder.

It’s the opposite — a gentle softening.

Receiving happens when you:

• relax your shoulders

• loosen your defenses

• stop arguing with your blessings

• stop explaining your worth

• allow yourself to be supported

Winter energy itself teaches this.

The natural world slows, quiets, and becomes receptive.

There is no pushing — only opening.

The Holiday Block: Feeling Unworthy of Good Things

Here’s the core wound for many people — especially during the holidays:

We don’t believe we deserve good things.

Old stories rise up:

• “Other people need it more.”

• “I haven’t earned that.”

• “I don’t want to be a burden.”

• “I’m not enough.”

Many of us learned as children to receive less so others could have more.

So now, when life tries to hand us something beautiful, we reject it without even realizing we’re doing it.

But the Ace of Pentacles offers a different truth:

You are worthy of abundance.

You are worthy of support.

You are worthy of receiving joy, money, kindness, opportunity — just as you are.

The Ace of Pentacles: A Gift You Are Meant to Receive

TheAce of Pentacles captures this moment perfectly:

• the hand offering a golden coin

• the floral archway

• the path leading into a new beginning

• the vibrant, fertile landscape

This is the universe extending a gift — potential, prosperity, a fresh start.

The affirmation, “Receive Abundance,” is not a command.

It’s an invitation.

A permission slip.

This holiday season, abundance may appear in quiet ways:

• someone offering help

• an unexpected opportunity

• a compliment

• money flowing in

• a door opening you didn’t expect

Your job?

Let yourself say yes.

A Simple Holiday Receiving Ritual (2 Minutes)

Try this before bed or during a quiet moment in the day:

1. Place your hand over your heart.

2. Take a slow breath.

3. Say gently:

“It is safe for me to receive.”

4. Picture the golden hand of the Ace of Pentacles offering you a gift.

5. Say:

“I allow good things to enter my life.”

Small practice, big shift.

This Season, Let Receiving Be Part of the Celebration

Giving is beautiful.

Generosity is sacred.

But so is allowing yourself to be blessed.

Let this be the season you stop deflecting your good.

Stop stepping aside.

Stop shrinking back.

Let this be the season you say, without apology:

“I am ready to receive abundance.”

Because the universe can only deliver what you’re willing to accept.

Seven Lessons the Tarot Can Teach About Surviving the Holidays

Feeling overwhelmed by the holiday season? The Tarot has a surprising amount of wisdom — and humor — to offer.From The Fool’s fresh start to The World’s end-of-year perspective, these cards remind us that the holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

A little humor, a little magic, and just enough perspective will get you through the Holiday Haze.

1. The Fool — You’re Allowed to Start Fresh

Every holiday season is a reset button.

Don’t carry last year’s stress into this year’s festivities.

Don’t walk off of emotional cliffs at family dinners.

Leap lightly… but maybe look down for gift-wrapping paper on the floor.

2. The Magician — Use the Tools You Actually Have

Trying to make a perfect holiday with imperfect resources?

The Magician whispers: Use what’s already on the table.

Don’t overspend now and stress later.

Aim for gifts that are magical, not expensive.

3. The Lovers — Choose Peace, Not Drama

The holidays tend to bring opinions.

And relatives.

And opinions from relatives.

The Lovers reminds you: choose connection, not combat… or at least choose silence and pie.

If one of your loved ones says something absolutely outrageous, remember that you can just put a piece of pie in your mouth and smile. Add whipped cream to make it an extra sweet conversation.

4. The Seven of Cups — Beware of Overcommitment

Shopping! Baking! Parties! Rituals! Volunteering! Travel!

The Seven of Cups says: You cannot say yes to all seven.

Pick the cup with the least glitter and the most sanity.

You don’t have to be all things to all people – just be the you that people love.

5. The Nine of Swords — Anxiety Lies

That nagging feeling that everything will go wrong?

It’s just the Nine of Swords doing its nightly stand-up routine.

Thank it for its service… and then ignore it.

Don’t just make it a holiday – make it a vacation from worry.

6. The King of Pentacles — Treat Yourself Like a Honored Guest

Warm food, soft blankets, comfortable socks —

This is not indulgence, this is holiday self-care strategy.

Just look at all the things you’ve done for other people! Don’t you deserve a little pampering, too?

The King of Pentacles approves.

7. The World — You Made It Through Another Year

Pause. Breathe. Celebrate the cycle completing.

On the Winter Solstice, the solar year will end. Take the time to reflect, to congratulate yourself for another trip around the sun.

Give yourself credit for all the chapters you survived this year — and all of the growth that went along with that.

Bonus Holiday survival secret:

Lower expectations. Raise kindness. Wear stretchy pants.

The Top Ten Tarot Cards Indicating Conflict

A quick, insightful guide to the ten Tarot cards that most often signal conflict—from chaotic energy and power struggles to hidden tension and emotional fallout. This post explains what each card means and how to navigate challenging situations with clarity and confidence.

There are days when Tarot feels like a warm hug…

…and days when it slides a little warning across the table and whispers,

“Brace yourself.”

Conflict is part of life, part of growth, and definitely part of the Tarot.

Whether it’s inner tension, relationship friction, or someone else’s chaos spilling into your lane, some cards show up to say:

“Something here needs attention.”

Here are the top ten Tarot cards that most strongly signal conflict — and what each one really means beneath the surface. If you’d like to download this list as a PDF file that you can add to your Tarot notebook, click here.

1. Five of Wands – The Classic Chaos Card

If conflict had a mascot, this would be it.

The Five of Wands shows:

– competition

– ego clashes

– mixed agendas

– flailing energy everywhere

It’s not necessarily destructive — but it is noisy.

Message: This isn’t war… it’s everyone talking at once. Calm the room.

2. Five of Swords – A Battle Nobody Really Wins

This is the energy of:

– arguing to be right

– unhealthy victories

– someone taking more than their share

– hurt feelings afterward

Message: Winning at all costs comes with a bill. Choose integrity.

3. Seven of Wands – Defend Your Ground

This is conflict from the outside:

– critics

– competition

– pressure

– feeling outnumbered

But the card says you can stand firm.

Message: Don’t fold. You’re stronger than the opposition.

4. The Tower – Major Disruption

This isn’t a small disagreement — it’s a smackdown from the universe.

Think:

– sudden revelations

– arguments that break things open

– emotional earthquakes

Message: The old structure needed to fall. Liberation follows.

5. The Five of Cups – Emotional Fallout

Not a conflict card on its face, but it often shows up after one:

– regret

– grief

– disappointment

– unresolved conversations

Message: You’re grieving what was lost. Healing begins when you turn around.

6. The Devil – Power Struggles

This card signals:

– manipulation

– obsession

– toxic dynamics

– control games

– addictive patterns in relationships

Message: This conflict has a hook. Break the chain, not each other.

7. The Knight of Swords – Rushing Into Battle

He is smart, fast, determined…

…and doesn’t always think things through.

Shows:

– heated arguments

– impulsive reactions

– someone charging ahead without listening

Message: Slow down before your mouth outruns your wisdom.

8. The Two of Swords – Silent Conflict

Not all conflict is loud.

This card is conflict frozen:

– denial

– avoidance

– stalemates

– tension beneath the surface

Message: Peace requires a decision. Open your eyes and choose.

9. The Seven of Swords – Sneaky Energy

Not direct conflict — but conflict waiting to happen.

Signals:

– deception

– half-truths

– secret plans

– someone acting behind the scenes

Message: If something feels “off,” it probably is. Trust your intuition.

10. The Ten of Wands – Overwhelm and Burnout

This appears when conflict comes from:

– taking on too much

– carrying other people’s problems

– no boundaries

– pressure that builds until you snap

Message: Put down what isn’t yours. You’re not meant to carry it all.

Final Thoughts: Conflict Isn’t Always the Enemy

Conflict in Tarot isn’t punishment — it’s information.

The cards don’t show conflict to scare you…

They show it to help you:

– redirect

– set boundaries

– speak truth

– release what’s toxic

Because once conflict is acknowledged, transformation can finally begin.