Time to turn back? 🌑 Eight of Cups Reversed
Tarot for the week of 15/05/23 💫 Taking a moonlit stroll, getting your ducks in a row and breaking down Mercury's shadow period. And making all that make sense for your week ahead...
Hi all.
Thanks for bearing with me last week. I found myself in the busy part of the season (May means we farmers are planting, harvesting, prepping and coming down with colds) crashing out all weekend. After some much-needed rest, I’m back, baby.
On Sunday, as I write this, Mercury is leaving its retrograde motion. It begins to head in its original direction again. But lo, that pesky planet, touted as the means of miscommunication and the failing of small engine parts (apparently), is still in its shadow period. Yes, yes, I know last time I talked about Shadow work, but this wasn’t meant to be a link back. However, it is an adjacent theme. Mercury being in its shadow period means that we are not fully out of the woods.
For those who are new to (or completely uninterested in) astrology, Mercury the messenger of the gods is a planet that goes retrograde about three times per year. At this time the planet appears to be moving backwards in the sky. In essence, causing problems in that aspect of life. Hence miscommunication and the failure of small engine parts. Once the planet stops moving “backwards”, today, in fact, it is still not back to where it started. This is known as the shadow period. The time when the air is still clearing before its onward journey in the sky.
So what does that mean for you? And does the planet really move backwards?
Watch your words and No. The simple answers to these. Astrologers often warn not to sign important documents during mercury retrograde but what that really translates to is reading the fine print. And watching your own words. people are more likely to misinterpret during this time. And as for planetary movement, the backwards motion of the planets within our system known as retrograde is just a result of our orbits in creation to theirs. It’s actually where planets got their names “planētai” or “Wanderers” in ancient Greek. I love thinking about the planets ambling about our solar system on their own journeys. And us observing their complicated and beautiful movement, while on a journey of our own.
This week’s card is continuing on the shadowy theme. It’s one of the few cards in the deck that take place at night and I find that interesting as we approach the new moon this week. The new moon in Taurus takes place on Friday and this is a prime time to do a little soul searching. As long as you don’t peer too hard and get lost in it all.
Tarot for the week of 15/05/23: Eight of Cups Reversed
Another cup this week. After last time’s Page, which suggested light-hearted reflection this week is about diving deeper still.
The Eight of Cups depicts a figure that is actively walking away. They have on clothes for travelling and are leaving in what seems like the dead of night. The figure is walking into mountainous terrain. Along a winding river. Maybe out toward the sea?
I often find myself thinking of the Five of Cups with this card. The fallen Cups in the five are a stark contrast to the upright Cups in this one. This makes me think of getting your affairs in order. Of doing all the little tasks, physical and emotional that will make movement, travel or upheaval easier. Before I moved to the US I had to do several things to get ready, a covid test, updated my passport, quit my job, make sure my phone worked there, and the list goes on. All these tasks made the movement (when it finally came around) something I could do relatively painlessly. The Eight of Cups is all the things you need to do before setting off.
But with the moon looking on I feel there is more to this card than the surface things. The real work, the emotional organisation is what is hinted at. How to make sure that the relationships you leave behind will email full, and that you will know when they need refilling.
Traditionally this card signifies escapism, disappointment or even abandonment. But I don’t often vibe with that when this card comes up in a reading. There could be the initial feelings of abandonment, and the call for distraction or escape. But here is where you are asked to reflect, to see if these are the core feelings. Or if relief and realignment come up too.
In the reverse, the Eight of Cups reaches us at a point of indecision. Should I stay or should I go? And if I do go, how can I better prepare for the journey ahead? How can I leave but still have somewhere to come back to? It’s very much don’t burn your bridges mood.
Add into that the stillness of the night and the solitary departure. In the reverse this card makes me think that if you snuck back in, if you didn’t leave if you gave something one last shot, it might just work out.
So then let’s weave all this together with the earlier astrology. With Mercury still in the shadow period now is not the time to make hasty decisions based on something you don’t have clarity on. This is the classic rom-com misunderstanding of someone seeing their love interest out with another woman and it turns out their sister. If they had literally just talked it out then there would be no issue. Remind yourself of that rom-com pitfall this week. Remind yourself you have countless chances to restart. Remind yourself that what you leave behind is just as important as what you work towards. And then go for a little moonlight stroll.
As always, my Tarot offerings are available online. They can be written or via Voicenote, or as a live Zoom session. All of my sessions are done on a sliding scale, so it's pay what you can. If you can pay more, then the “extra” is carried forward so that someone else can get a session for free. Let me know if you're interested in any of this.
Catch you in either.
Bye.
M
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