Tarot Reading for Wednesday, March 13th 2024

Our theme for this Wednesday, my dear Stoic travellers, is Serenity Amid Strife.

We begin our story with the Temperance card. The angel depicted in the Temperance card is gently mixing water and wine, a classic symbol of moderation. This card breathes the essence of stoicism, reminding us to proceed with moderation and patience. Seneca once said,

“For a man is not of a perfect mind unless he understands that not everything that happens should stir him deeply.”

Keep this wisdom in mind when you are faced with challenges or situations that push you towards emotional extremes.

Temperance and Your Day

As we navigate through the day, Temperance calls us to bring balance and moderation to our emotional responses. Let’s take it as a reminder to pause, breathe, and choose calmly no matter what the day brings. The stoic principle of “voluntary discomfort” can help us cultivate endurance and discipline. Start by incorporating tiny challenges into your day – you’ll find it a way to build emotional resilience and embrace a stoic mindset.

Moving onto the sturdy scales of Justice, a card of truth, fairness, and responsibility, it urges us to consider the consequences of our actions. Epictetus told us:

“Freedom is secured not by fulfilling our desires, but by the removal of desire.”

Your actions, decisions, and even emotions are under your control. Realize your inner power by seeing the long-term results of your present actions.

Justice and Your Day

Throughout the day, Justice compels us to weigh our decisions, to strive for fairness in our interactions and to accept accountability for our deeds. It aligns with the stoic lesson of seeing the world objectively and finding meaning in our actions. Do not rush, take your time, and make truly fair decisions. When you feel the turmoil of the day’s events, remember to calm your thoughts and judge fairly.

Our final card, the Eight of Swords, appears to tell a foreboding tale of imprisonment and restriction, yet stoic wisdom shines a light for us here. Remember Marcus Aurelius’s wisdom:

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

Eight of Swords and Your Day

Anxiety or fear may cloud your thinking, but Eight of Swords asks us to bravely confront our perceived limitations. Where do your fears hold you back? What if instead of a prison, you saw an opportunity to break free, to shatter those restricting thoughts that bind you? Today, your challenge is not only to identify these self-imposed constraints but to find ways to overcome them. Take your freedom, it’s there, waiting for your courage to claim it.

To end today’s tarot story, the story of Serenity Amid Strife, it’s fitting to offer a final piece of actionable advice. Reflect on your limitations - are they solid, concrete barriers, or constructs of your own mind? Embrace the balance of Temperance, the accountability of Justice, and the liberation of the Eight of Swords.

Journal Prompt: Write about a situation you feel trapped by. How can you apply the principles of temperance, justice, and courage to find a way out of this situation?