The card of the week is.....

The Knight of Wands

The Knight of Wands asks a question I've been ruminating on a lot lately, which is:

HOW do we defend what's important to us, defend those who are most vulnerable, and fight to create a better world...without violence.

Luckily, the Knight of Wands also has an answer for this.

Notice the Knight on the card isn't holding a sword, or even a lance. He's just holding a stick. Small, and even pretty insubstantial.

It reminded me of the beginning of the book Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. In Zélie's village there's a woman who secretly teaches any young girl who wants to learn the art of fighting with the staff (from the outside, or when guards come, it looks like she's hired them as seamstresses).

The girls in question are the most vulnerable- daughters of a race that has been persecuted, massacred, and enslaved by those in power, but they're taught to fight with the staff, instead of swords. And when they ask why, their teacher says:

"It avoids rather than hurts, it hurts rather than maims, it maims rather than kills - the staff does not destroy." (p.16)

Similarly, the Knight of Wands tells us it is time to fight, but to pick a weapon that your conscience is comfortable with.

Not that everything is about fantasy books.... but it makes me think about the Fellowship of the Ring - how it was made up pretty evenly of people (and elves, and dwarves) who were comfortable swinging a sword, and little hobbits who on first glance didn't bring much to the party. But they were the heart of the mission.

When you ask yourself this week what you can do to help make our world a little safer, to make our world a little brighter, don't ask yourself to pick up a weapon you've never used before, or one that you're not sure you believe in. Focus on what you do well, and use it!

The Fire Horse

​

The fire & horse imagery in this card are no accident. Next week, February 17th, is the Lunar New Year and the start of the year of the Fire Horse.

I don't pretend to be an expert in Chinese astrology, but I found a bit on what that means for us:

"The Year of the Fire Horse combines two highly yang forces: Fire and Horse. This pairing amplifies intensity, speed, and transformation. Historically, Fire Horse years were misunderstood as disruptive. In modern interpretation, they are better understood as periods that demand clarity, self-regulation, and intentional action"

​-Saffron & Sage​

This week you're going to start to feel the shift from last year's energy of shedding what doesn't work, to a much more fiery energy of charging forward. With your stick. Sorry! Er, wand.

The Main Message:

The work is starting, and the best way to do it is to lean in to what you are already good at & brush up on your "fighting skills".

Don't stay quite.

Don't sit back.

Don't put down your stick.

Even if it feels like you just brought a stick to a sword fight.

Practical Magic:

• The magic of momentum: This is a great week to get shit done. Tackle some of the items on your to-do list, especially ones that have been hanging over your head.
• The magic of movement: Physical movement will help you align with this Fire Horse energy! Run, dance, cardio... all of these are good for this week. Something like restorative yoga might feel a little stale this week, so opt for something that's more high energy!

<3

Megan

P.S. Have you started journaling yet? You really should!