The Weekly One, 7/15/24: Continuous access to rest.
How do we integrate our need for rest into our forever-going lives?
The IV of Swords pops up two weeks in a row. We’ve got what Theresa Reed aka The Tart Lady likes to call a “stalker card.” Did we miss the lesson? Did we not rest enough? Or perhaps, this is a call to pace ourselves in general, to integrate the IV of Swords energy into our daily existence, and stop viewing rest as “something I’ll do when I’ve earned it,” rather than something we must do in order to survive.
Welcome to The Weekly One! Each week, I pull a Tarot card to help you focus your intuitive energy in real life, and take action with intention inside your business.
I pull these cards with the collective energy of my community in mind, but if you want a custom spread of your very own, you can get it right here.
Know someone who might like this newsletter as much as you? Hit the button below to share—the more, the merrier!
In The Card: The lesson continues.
When we talked about this card last week, we talked about resting within the safety of your self-care bubble. We talked about the idea of self-sovereignty and giving yourself the space to rest the way you need to with whatever time and resources you have.
This week, I want to touch on the aspect of structure that exists in the IV of Swords. Structure supports, provides boundaries - not just for those within the structure, but for those outside of it as well. There’s an integrative quality to the structure presented to us in this card.
How do we incorporate pauses, breaks, rest, respite, recovery into the continuity of our daily work and lives? What kinds of walls need to be put up, taken down or moved in order for us to have ongoing access to our modes of rest?
The IV of Swords can be more than just a call for a nap (like, let’s do that too, but also…) It can be a call for healing. And sometimes we don’t realize what actually needs to be healed until we pause long enough for our thoughts to settle and the dust to clear out of our brains.
In Between: Rest as part of the structure.
The IV of Swords connects back to two other IVs in the Major Arcana: The Emperor and Death.
In the energy of The Emperor, we have truly wise and benevolent leadership. This is structure and stability that serves the good of the empire. This is where action happens for a reason instead of just for the sake of the action.
In Death, we see transformation. A clearing out of the old in order for the new to have space to thrive. The bringer of that change might seem scary or completely unknowable to us, but the only way forward is to accept the change and work with it.
There is a trigger here in this IV of Swords that’s following us around this month. There’s a button being pressed asking us to take another look at the way we’re treating our brains and our bodies; at the way our mind is driving our actions. Does it look that way that’s best for the empire of your life? Or are there some structural changes that need to be made?
There seems to be a LOT of planetary activity this week. Some of it tense, some of it harmonious and supportive, but all of it feels very charged for lack of a better word. Sunday especially looks SUPERcharged with a Full Moon landing in structure-loving Capricorn in the early AM.
I won’t go into the details, because there’s a lot (although, if you’re interested, just reply here to let me know and I’ll WAY MORE HAPPILY THAN YOU ARE PROBABLY PREPARED FOR go into those details!) Just think of this week as a QA run on your existence, with an opportunity to ditch the bugs on Sunday😅
There’s no better time than a moderately squirrelly one to practice caring for yourself, fulfilling your needs for rest and respite, and learning where your boundaries must be in order for your continued health and self-sovereignty.
In Your Business: Acknowledge, let go or accept.
Full Moons are big, bright and shiny: they illuminate everything that’s been sitting in the mysterious dark, bringing all the baggage and bullshit to the light. I know. Fuck.
There’s a spread I like to do for Full Moons that goes:
What’s being revealed
What’s being released
What’s being reaped
Whether you’re using a Tarot deck or not, this is a great week to ponder on these questions. What’s coming to the surface as you allow your mind the space to rest and wander where it wants (or needs) to?
What’s happening in your business that you need to acknowledge, let go of, or accept?
You wouldn’t be here if your success wasn’t something that mattered to you, so please remember: you can make this whatever you want it to be, but not without facts and context in place first.
Until next week,
Zoha
PS - The Arcana Shift is a labor-intensive, reader-supported publication. Did you find this post helpful or valuable in some way? Consider becoming a paid subscriber, or leave a one-time tip to show your support:
About The Author:
Zoha Abbas is a Writer, Editor, Intuitive Tarot Reader and Business Coach who aims to explore the small business conversations around self-trust, critical thinking, reality checks and forging your (not so straight) path to success in the grey-area of real life. Find out more at zohaabbas.com
For inquiries, please email: info@zohaabbas.com