"If only I had the talent", or, "I will never be as good as..." We are our own worst critics, we don't dare to take up painting, or to sing or to dance and constantly worrying if the result is aesthetically pleasing to others. If only we could be playful and creative like a child every now and again, enjoying ourselves without holding back! It is important to create moments in our lives in which we can express ourselves, unencumbered, without boundaries, as free as a the Gods intended us to be. Let's find s moment of creative joy today and let making moments like that into a hobby! 

Preparing ourselves for the future by making plans and setting aside some money to fulfill them is in itself a virtuous thing. To a certain extent it ensures our safety and stability. However, whenever the opponent - also known as the Challenger - is on the table, we know that the Oracle is warning us not to take things into the extreme. In this case we are alerted to the fact that we run the risk of forgetting our present by looking too hard at the future. Life is that which is happening today while we are preparing for tomorrow, so don't miss it!

So many ideas are ricocheting through our head we do not know which one to choose. Do we stay or do we go, are we going on a trip or do we spend a week in the comfort of our home, do we want to switch career or do we consolidate what we have and try to better ourselves there? Let's not drive ourselves crazy with all the options available. Today is not the day to form a definite opinion about anything. Let's go with the flow for a while and leave the starting of new things for another day.

Somebody is in need of help but find it really difficult to ask for it. And if they did ask somebody to help them,  they try to micromanage those who come to their aid. That is the challenge of the Lady who finds it difficult to let go of her control over the situation. So, a moment of honesty; is this us? Or is it somebody we are trying to help but isn't really letting us do it? In either case we need patience and gentleness towards this situation. Accepting help is not the same thing as handing over our agency. Let that be clear to all parties involved. 

It is tempting to avoid dealing with a tricky situation or a difficult problem by ignoring it's existence. Withdrawing, for example by sleeping a lot more than usual, is one of the many strategies we can employ to avoid the confrontation with our responsibilities. Often this is an unconscious mechanism , so let's be on our guard; are we exceptionally tired and do we want to sleep all the time? Maybe it is our body's  way of expressing the discomfort we feel with a situation that we really need to resolve. Let us no longer postpone this duty but get it done as soon as we can. We will feel liberated once we've done it. 

Our mind is a very strong tool that sometimes gets in our way. What thought-pattern, what attachment or what feeling are we still clinging to? The cast of today reminds us to let go of thoughts and feelings that are holding us back. The Crone is here to aid us with the process of ending what needs to be ended. Let's clean house thoroughly by letting these feelings go, thus creating room for a new level of confidence!

Why are we still here? Why do we allow ourselves to stay stuck in this place we don't want to be in? We know we have to end a situation but we are hesitant to do so. We fear the loss and do not know what will come in it's place. However, this cast is not about how we feel about loss, this cast is about how we are going to walk away, how we are going to enter the process of ending this situation. It can feel difficult and stressful to let something go. We need to pull ourselves together and do what is necessary: walk away.

In order to make the right decisions in life we need to free ourselves from prejudices. During our lives we become conditioned to think a certain way, but we don't need to be! That is the beauty of aging: day by day we are becoming who we are truly meant to be. When we free ourselves from all the unproductive and unkind ideas installed in us we acquire a freedom of spirit that no-one can take away for us. Only than we can lead a life that is truly ours. 

The Sword cuts away what isn't needed anymore, uncovering that what matters. We need to do something. No more contemplating or weighing pros and cons: it is time to come to an conclusion and act accordingly. And remember: not taking action is also a choice, but one in which we allowed our agency to dissipate, leaving us no other option than to follow somebody else's decision. We might as well take matters in our own hands, right? The Ally is on the table to empower our sword, let's do this!

There are some good, solid lessons we can take from our ancestors. Books and museums are filled with them. Let us take some time to consult the knowledge and experience that is already gathered  by our predecessors before we start working on a problem. Let our actions be guided by those of our (grand)parents so we do not make the same mistakes. 

All kinds of claims are being thrown at us by authoritative figures. They might the leaders of our society or our managers or even our medical doctors. Sometimes we are unable to follow them since we cannot ascertain the validity of their claims. The problems we are  facing are manifold and we are confused about the solutions we should put in place. Therefore we need to be extra careful in deciding whom we are going to trust. Let's not believe everything we're told today, it is a good time to practice critical thinking! 

Sometimes it is a good idea to take a step back in order to create some distance between ourselves and our subject, but not today! This cast clearly states that we have to come down our mountain, to roll up our sleeves and put our feet in the mud. For a firm grasp on the situation we need to fully immerse ourselves in it. Whatever we need to accomplish, it doesn't help if we do not truly engage ourselves in it. Back to work!