Tough Times

I have been quite busy recently, with one thing and another, not least the installation of a spanky (and long overdue) new bathroom* including, for the very first time, my own shower. I still prefer a bit of a hot soak in the bath (good for getting the chill and aches out of the old bones), but given the very poor water pressure in our house, the electric shower is proving an attractive alternative.  Building work is always disruptive and messy so it’s fair to say that I didn’t get a lot done in the last couple of weeks…well, apart from tiling, that is, and lots of running around sourcing bits and pieces for the bathroom. Then, just as the end was in sight and I was free to resume prepping stock for the outdoor fair season…BAM! Covid-19! Well, that was a bolt from the blue for all of us, wasn’t it?

In terms of doom and gloom, it rather knocks Brexit into a cocked hat and I know it has been a very difficult and stressful week for everyone. For me personally, it has been devastating. My income streams for the foreseeable future have virtually vanished overnight as events, where I would have been trading and reading Tarot, are cancelled or optimistically postponed. In addition, for various reasons, I no longer have any regular clients needing their dog walked (my main off-season income). People aren’t going out, or to work, proms are cancelled, so no alterations work either. I won’t even start on the effect of the media (social and other) on my state of mind. On top of all that my MacBook finally gave up the ghost. It’s been quite a fraught and very expensive week and I have had periods of abject despair, not least because today is the first Mother’s Day that I am without my mother. All that remains is the online shop.

I have tried, as always, to only allow myself a small wallow and to then try to find a positive way forward. Today has been a better day. The shops have food on the shelves again, DD made some lovely cherry scones for afternoon tea, and then made a really nice Sichaun Pork noodle dish for dinner. My larder is reasonably stocked, I have chocolate and I have gin. Th sun shone all day and I pulled up my big girl pants and tackled the greenhouse, cleaning out cobwebs, ripping off the encroaching ivy and cutting back other shrubbery. I also cleared the two veg beds which were mostly full of grass and weeds. The only useful thing in them is a rhubarb plant which is sprouting nicely and now has room to grow unhampered. The weather promises to be good until Thursday, so I will sow some seeds tomorrow. 

Garden therapy accomplished, I felt in a better frame of mind to tackle a reading, as suggested to me earlier this week. With no particular agenda, I did a quick card per month to see what the year ahead holds for us all. Here are the cards I drew with a brief interpretation:

This Month (March): 4 Cups Reversed
Worry and dwelling on problems may result in missing support that is offered. Talking to friends who offer a helping hand will help ease the burden and assist in emptying those potentially overwhelming emotional cups.

April: Wheel of Fortune
Often read as “Fate” or “Destiny”, I think of this as the wheel starting to turn, of life giving us a push forward. This suggests progress, but being a Major Arcana card, it is still progress that is outside out control. We will be carried forward but may not have much control over the situation.

May: 3 of Wands
This suggests new horizons and the need to decide what to do next. I think May will bring new opportunities and perhaps some respite. It will certainly be a “where do we go next” kind of month.

June: The Devil
I can’t say I’m thrilled to see this fellow here. His theme is bondage, powerlessness, not feeling in control and anything where we feel that we are under the influence of something not entirely good for us. May’s respite would seem to be brief and it appears that June brings a lack of movement, perhaps literally, and a feeling of not being able to change or escape the situation. It would suggest a relapse, possibly lockdown and not feeling that we are in control of our lives.

July: 2 of Swords
A “between a rock and a hard place” sort of month. Decisions need to be made but they won’t be easy and neither option may be particularly appealing. On the plus side, at least they will be choices that we have some control over, which would seem to be progress. Logic may tie you up in knots and this might be a choice that needs to come from the heart or gut rather than the head. Somewhere deep down, you will find the answer.

August: 4 of Pentacles
Things could get tight this month and there is a need for caution, certainly financially. However, stability is not always the best way to make progress. Consolidate and be cautious, but be careful not to be risk-averse to the extent of preventing progress as a result.  

September: 7 Swords
Traditionally, this card can be seen as doing something sneaky or going off on your own. Whilst I wouldn’t discount the possibility of people taking desperate measures, I tend to think of this one more as having to move out of your comfort zone. Time to do things you would rather not do, but might be necessary or for the best. Some people may go in a bad direction, so be cautious in your dealings, but remember that sometimes people can make bad decisions in desperate times. Try to make good choices.

October: Tower
This card is definitely one I’d rather not see, under the circumstances! It challenges your beliefs, the direction you thought your life was going. This isn’t always a bad thing, sometimes the change can be for the better but it is a bolt from the blue and requires a drastic rethink of where you are going and a change of direction. This is going to be a crunch month on many fronts. The tower of your beliefs will be challenged and what remans will very much depend on the solidity of the foundations of those beliefs. I can see relationships strained, career paths and visions of your future life challenged.

November: 10 Pentacles
Some stability at last. The turmoil of last month will have some positive consequences and financially, at least, things will be more comfortable. They may not be happier, but they will be more prosperous and a suggestion that normality will return.

December: Hanged Man
The Hanged Man is suspense, a lack of movement, but it’s not an unhappy state. Think of it as a breather, a time for planning and regrouping. With Christmas this month and a more prosperous November, it will be a good time to just hang about and plan for next year.

January: 6 Pentacles
A time for balance. Knowing when to give and when not to on many levels: finance, emotional and physical energy, time, etc. I can see a return to austerity affecting some as we start to get back on track and need to start paying the bills that have maybe been deferred, addressing the things that we have put (or been forced to put) off, but this means there will be fewer resources to spread around. Share what you can, but remember your resources are finite.

February: Star
This card fills me with joy. It represents hope and faith and the knowledge that nothing is impossible. It is going to be a very difficult year that, at times, may seem hopeless as progress turns to set back, but hope will return. I am pleased to see this as the final card in this reading. Reach for the stars!

In summary, June and October will be particularly challenging, with some difficult decisions needing to be made throughout the year. The tide will turn in November and we will start to get back on track. 

These are my predictions based on the cards I have drawn on this day in the present circumstances. Things may change and evolve over time and I hope they are less severe than this reading would indicate. Only time will tell. 

If you would like a personal reading via Email, FaceTime or Skype, you can contact me via the web form on my main page. I have been reading Tarot professionally for over 15 years. 
If you’d like to support a struggling small business in these difficult times, please visit my online shop and share with your friends, even if you don’t buy anything. Thank you. 

*with thanks to Dragon Building Services for the installation work and the heroic battle with our ancient walls and pipes; and WES for sorting out the tricky problem of the electrics. I take credit for the tiling 🙂