Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

The Five of Swords depicts a victorious figure in the foreground, gathering the Swords of the opponents he has defeated who have turned away, in the background, disconsolate. A grey, choppy sea swirls beneath a turbulent, ragged sky, suggesting both emotional and mental disquiet.

The Queen of Cups sits on her throne, gazing at the emblem of her suite: in her hands, this Cup has been crafted into an intricate, ornate wonder, symbolizing the transformative power of love, empathy, and creativity. The Queen’s dress flows into the water before her, becoming one with it: here we see the peace and sense of flow that comes with perfect alignment.

The Chariot card shows a commanding, triumphant figure who rides in a carriage being pulled by a pair of sphinxes. This is a powerful card of victory: a victory that has been achieved not by chance, but through sheer force of will and the utmost exercising of control. Note that the charioteer holds no reins, but can direct his carriage where he wishes it to go through his own focus and conscious intention. When The Chariot appears in a spread, it bears an important message about how we can incorporate these elements into our lives.

We see in the traditional Rider Waite image of the Seven of Wands the figure of a man in the midst of battle; despite the clear effort and intense focus of his expression, he has literally risen above his attackers and is holding the high ground. We do not see his adversaries, simply the Wands with which they are fighting; we have the sense that, despite their greater number, he is in no danger of being overwhelmed.

The Four of Cups depicts, in the Rider Waite version of the card, a man sitting with arms crossed, looking fed up and disinterested in life. A hand holding a Cup appears from a cloud - an echo of the suit’s Ace, while three other Cups are lined up in front of the man. Here we see what can happen if Water’s receptivity is not tempered by another element: passivity has turned to apathy.

Let go of that which does not serve you, is the message of the Death card. This is not a card that represents literal death but, rather, the death of old ways of being and the opportunity for rebirth that this brings with it. Of the three figures depicted in the card that is before the armored skeleton, it is only the child that looks Death fully in the face, without fear - indeed bearing flowers as a gift for him. This indicates that it is our attitude towards change that must be overcome, to welcome it as a chance for redefining our lives.