Starting with the central card, the King of Wands, the general energy this week is all about tapping into the visionary leader within you. The King of Wands has come through the mill, he has failed and come through by focusing on his goals and objectives. Driven by the passion of Fire, he gets what he wants, he also carries the warning to not allow this drive to be all-consuming or arrogant.

Our friend, The Hanged Man is back again! Following from Justice and before the Death card. The Hanged Man indicates a period of initiation, suspension and contemplation. Have the changes and shifts you have made in the last while benefitted you or hindered you? Allowed you to move forward or held you back? It is a good time now to take a step back, and centre your focus on what is really important to you. Is it having a positive impact on your current reality? Remember positive impact doesn’t always mean nice and fluffy impact. It could also be painful, but ultimately necessary. The Hanged Man can also represent sacrifice and preparing to shift awareness.

The central card – the 8 of Swords shows a man blindfolded, tied up and trapped with swords all around him. It appears as if he is stuck and can’t find his way out of the situation. If you look closer though, you will notice that behind him, there is a space in the sword “cage”, if he takes a breath, and relaxes a bit, he can cut the ropes on the swords surrounding him, remove his blindfold, and step through the gap towards the “home on the hill” behind him. There is still a bit of a way to go, but he can resume his journey in safety.

To be honest, I was a little nervous this week. The last few weeks have been quite intense, but I was pleasantly surprised by the cards that came out today. Still a no-nonsense message, but with an indication that things are improving and moving on again – as the saying goes, this too will pass … and so it does.

Some hard-hitting cards this week – the common thread is quite clear though. Take a step back, and consult “professionals” in your field or situation. Find out the truth of the situation, not evidence of the truth you have already decided on, but the truth behind other people’s perspectives too. Speak up if you have knowledge others might need or insights others may not have thought of.

A lot of shifts and shakings happening and the cards for this week reflect that. Every moment of chaos leads to a period of harmony, every upset creates a new understanding. Hang on tight or maybe, just maybe, let go, stop fighting and desperately holding on to ideas, thoughts, feelings, people and situations that no longer serve you, regardless of how “noble” they are, and just go with it, without judgement. Who knows where this may end up!!

You are at a place right now, even if your life seems to be falling apart, particularly on the financial side of things, where you have the power to change things. Do not let the “failures” of the past drag you back there, or the guilt incapacitate you, or even the future goals and aspirations derail you, find your strength for right now, it is there I promise, and abundance will shower down on you in much greater volume than you could hope for. Don’t look into the future too far, just focus on the next step, often when we look at the goal, it seems too big and intimidates us, or we think that this next step will derail us, this is not always the case. Make the best decision for yourself right now and see where that leads you.

The message this week is quite simple for me. “The world is too much with us” as Wordsworth said. It is very easy to get side-tracked by the physical environment, the world is in chaos, there is no doubt. For me the only way to get through this is to breathe and focus on my energy, what am I putting out there, am I adding to the fear and hatred, or am I acting in love and compassion.

For me the main points here are to realise that “bad” or “negative” situations aren’t ever a failing or punishment, they are a rebalancing, and reminder and a challenge to do things differently, to make decisions and choices that expand our experience.

We have the tools, experience and knowledge within ourselves, we do not need others to dictate our existence, make us fearful, or try to control us.

As the new year begins, pay attention to yourself. Where is your energy, are you spending too much time worrying and stressing about stuff you have no control over?

Concerned about whether looking after yourself for a change will make people think you are not as “spiritual” as you profess to be, not a good person, etc. Remember the following – your reputation has nothing to do with you, it is the picture others create of you in their minds and is a reflection of their own judgements, failings, and feelings.