So much of my life has felt out of control recently. Enough that it’s been hard to keep up. (Anybody miss this column last week?)
I haven’t magically “fixed” all the anxiety or overwhelm or stress. But I have been clawing back ground. Little by little—organizing, note-taking, creating systems, doing the hard stuff even when I don’t feel like it. And it’s adding up. It’s not perfect, but it’s significant progress.
I think the main difference is that I’m feeling some optimism. Not white-hot, not all the time, but still there. I actually believe I can get there! And it’s kind of a shock.
The cards this week are about exactly that: putting yourself solidly back in the driver’s seat, on purpose, instead of letting life’s distractions run you into a ditch.
In the Cards
More angelic illustrations from the Kingdom of Heaven Tarot.
Outlook: The Emperor
Finally, we get some solid structure. This is “I’m not caught up, but I know what I’m doing next” energy. We’re talking less fairy godmother, more a decent project manager moving into your head.
Upright, the Emperor understands that leadership starts with self-control. He’ll make the unpopular call, set the boundary, cancel the nonsense as needed. He does it because it’s his job, not because he wants drama.
That’s the vibe to lean into: not so much “how do I feel about this?” and more “what needs to happen and what’s my role in making it happen?”
Advice: Five of Swords
The Five of Swords is not about playing nice. It’s about deciding which hill you’re willing to die on, what battle you are determined to win and then refusing to back down.
Sometimes the “foe” is a person. More often, it’s the pile of crap in your head and on your desk: the shame spiral over what you should have handled differently, the chaos of a thousand half-finished tasks, the story of why it’s so hard for you, instead of the thoughts that might actually help you keep going.
This card asks, “What exactly is beating you down right now? And what would it look like for you to win instead?” Not in theory. In practice. Today.
Once you’ve got a basic handle on things, you start slaying specific dragons between where you are and where you want to go. One overdue phone call. One hard conversation. One scary mess cleaned up. One clear battle at a time.
Now for You…
Where are you feeling some authority? Even if the rest of your life feels like a dumpster fire, where have you been making progress? Ask yourself what stands between where you are and leveling up? (Not the reasons why it’s hard. The obstacles themselves.)
Pick a single, concrete, measurable step to chip away at those obstacles. Not for someday, eventually, when things calm down. Pick something you can do now that will matter. That’s how you actually make a difference.
