A very warm hello to you, my friend.

And a warm welcome to 2020! In terms of tarot, we have collectively stepped out of a Hanged One / Empress year and into an Emperor year (2+0+2+0=4=The Emperor). The Emperor is correlated with the zodiac sign of Aries and the element of fire. The Emperor is steeped in rooted authority, in that they are exceedingly capable of making decisions and taking action for the benefit of all rather than for personal gain. They possess the expansive roots and branches of great old trees, reaching deeply into the darkness underfoot as well as high into the celestial space above, all while maintaining a compelling, spacious presence in between.

What a welcome step indeed after the necessary discomfort of hanging out in all our personal and collective dis-ease throughout 2019. We’ve moved from a directive of “wait and witness” to one of “take action.” Honestly, it’s just nice to have feet on the ground. Though if I am being full-disclosure honest, it’s more than just my feet, as soon as they hit the ground I went and dug myself a burrow and plan on curling up in there to reorient to seeing things right side up.

We might be tempted to run with the energy that comes along with a new gregorian calendar year, especially when it is supported by such a strongly actionable archetype. However, we must remember that we have a full twelve months with The Emperor as our guide and so must consider the seasons (both internal and external) if we are to learn to embody them holistically.

There has been a wonderful reclaiming of The Emperor in a departure from traditional tarot theory in recent years, one of the more prominent aspects to be woven into the collective definition is the notion that The Emperor takes up space and does so without apology. They know that there is room for them because they know there is room for all. It’s one of the most wonderfully liberating things I find when I spend time with this card.

What I am being guided to share is that taking up space doesn’t have to be loud or even visible from the outside. We’re being called to begin the process of taking up space in the world by first taking up space in our own minds. I talk all the time about tracing my thoughts and beliefs to their source and finding out if they are truly mine vs something imposed upon me and correcting course as needed. That’s because it takes a tremendous amount of practice and diligence before it becomes a default behavior, it doesn’t happen overnight. Lately when I catch myself in a thought loop or anxiety / fear fueled fantasy that I’m not able to interrupt easily, I engage a simple but powerful mantra Spirit graciously dropped into my mind a few weeks ago during one such incident:

I trust myself. I honor my wisdom.

I repeat it mentally or aloud as the case requires until I feel purposeful and expansive inside, a feeling I believe ties in beautifully to The Emperor and all their confidence and capability. Feel free to borrow it, and do let me know if you find it helpful, I would really love to know.

Let’s take a look at the cards I have drawn to support us this month, as always please take to heart what resonates, and leave the rest behind.

With gratitude,
Megan

COLLECTIVE TAROT

The expansive point of view The Emperor takes into action begins within. As we just discussed, we are being called to take up space in our own minds, with Nine of Cups and Sage of Crystals as our champions. Crystals take the place of Swords in this deck, which is the suit that corresponds to mental activity/chemistry, thoughts, knowledge, communication, etc. Cups remain the same and correspond to emotions, feelings, deep psyche, intuition, relationships, etc.

We have just spent a year being asked to pause and reflect so we might be able to see clearly everything that lead us to this point, especially I think our “mistakes.” We were asked to witness ourselves and take responsibility, we were asked to witness others and request they do the same. More than likely once we felt we had a handle on the bigger picture, we probably found another obstructive / distorted layer to remove from our vision. And then another. And then another. And still another. This was meant to lead us to a space within where we can see the flaws in our actions and the actions of others not for the purpose of blame or even understanding why, but for the purpose of making better plans as the spiral continues. Some of us may still be practicing how to center ourselves in that space, some of us may have already been waiting in it for a while, but no matter where you fall on that spectrum January brings the opportunity to individually experience its value.

To stand confidently in one’s own Truth is arguably the greatest fulfillment we can possibly achieve, but sadly the messages we receive for how to go about this are dubious at best. We are constantly being advertised to and manipulated, our fears and insecurities exploited for the benefit of a powerful few. The good news is that their power is only theirs so long as we agree to give it to them. We can decide instead to orient to our own inner authority by engaging in self reflection and / or investing in our relationship to the Divine. This is how we learn what our Truth is, and then we can set out to make it our guide.

The pursuit of knowing ourselves is not selfish, it serves the collective most highly because when we truly know ourselves, then we know that separation is an illusion. We make different choices when we realize that what we do to one we do to all. Make it your mission this month to become aware of your inner world and what might be influencing it, making changes with the confidence and long-ranging vision of The Emperor. Can you allow yourself more space inside? Internal space comes in the form of self-compassion, rest, quiet, meditation, dreaming, visioning, and the hardest one for me: being OK without having all the answers right now. Bring a sense of limitlessness to your mind as you restructure, and begin to recreate the world starting with yourself, trusting that you will carry the magic you make outward when the time is right.

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