Ace of Wands, Nine of Wands, and Seven of Cups

All reversals. Maybe I should change the way I flip my cards.

We have a three-card spread today: Where you were, where you are, and where you are going. 

The Ace of Wands (reversed) is from the Lubanko Tarot. Aces of the suits are the raw form of the suit and a beginning. Wands deal with passion, the fire from within. This version has a tree growing out of the user's hand, a metaphor for planting the seed and watching it grow. Plant the seed, mix in some passion, and maybe, with a whole lot of work and luck, you’ll get to bask in the shade of your success. 

But it’s reversed, which means that passion is blocked.

In response to feeling blocked, the reversed Nine of Wands (by En Tze) appears. The Nine is traditionally associated with defensiveness. The main character is bloodied but unbowed. Their wands are arrayed defensively, and the character looks off into the distance, as if an attack were expected at any moment. The reversal, of course, is the opposite. A breaking down of walls, and an opening to the moment: new ideas and new ways of thinking.

The Seven of Cups, illustrated by Lisa Hunt from the Pride Tarot, is all about decisions. In this version, the character stands with their back to the various cups and selections, seemingly unable to choose. The reversal pushes clarity and gives you a push to decide. 

This feels like the life cycle of a hobby. A lack of passion causes you to open up and look at life, yourself, and your situation. New ideas and thoughts are explored as you try to regain your zest for life. This could be as simple as starting a new hobby or changing a relationship with a preexisting one. After that brief love affair, you have to choose: keep going or let it go. 

There is no wrong answer to this, of course. Humans have so many passions and so little time; if you don’t choose to continue with this, you will undoubtedly find something new to entertain you. That’s wonderful. Specialization is for insects anyway, and life is to be explored, one way or another. If you do continue, you’ll build your craft and see which new avenues you will travel.

The absolute worst thing you can do is not choose. It leaves you in a state of trying to do “all the things.” Invariably, it forces you down an easier path toward metaconsumption (listening to a podcast about your hobby) instead of actually practicing it. Make a call and go for it. If you mess up, you can always go back.