Stoic Saturday Tarot Reading - March 30th, 2024

Greetings friends, on this delightful Saturday, we explore a spread that dances around the Swords suite heading towards a renewal in the Cups. Recognize the stresses that bind you, delegate to the wisdom that envelops within, and embrace the fresh start that follows. Let’s delve deeper into the truths behind these timeless symbols, using them as tools for introspection bolstered by stoic wisdom.

The Nine of Swords is the first card drawn today. With its classic interpretation of worry, guilt, and sleepless nights, it may seem a difficult card to contemplate. But in the stoic’s mind, we recall Marcus Aurelius’s words,

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

I encourage you not to shy away from this card, but to embrace it as a reflection of your own inner anxieties. As Aurelius reminds us, our perception of events rather than the events themselves is what induces our feelings of distress. Reflect on what troubles you, and ask yourself why these events have such power over your tranquility. Challenge and reshape your perceptions, and the Nine of Swords indeed will lose its sting.

Next, The King of Swords stands tall, symbolizing intellectual power and authority. This card invites you to embrace the stoic virtues of reason and wisdom. For, as Seneca the Younger wrote,

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have.”

When the King of Swords appears, it is a call to cut through your illusions and see the world for what it truly is. Take command of your thoughts and actions, use your intellect to discern truth from falsehoods. From under the authority of the King of Swords, you can redirect the power of Nine of Swords to not only challenge but change your perception.

Finally, The Eight of Cups graces our spread. An image of leaving behind what no longer serves, it echoes the stoic principle of self-renewal. Old cups, old fears, old perceptions - all these must be abandoned, as Epictetus advised,

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

The Eight of Cups is an invitation to disconnect from negative influences and situations. Seek out that which uplifts and fulfills you, for better is it to walk alone in positive contemplation than to remain in company that pulls you down.

And so, from the wake of anxiety, reasoning through the authority of the King, we walk away towards the sun of renewal, leaving behind what no longer serves us.

As a journaling prompt today, consider this: What thought patterns or situations are causing you distress? How can you exercise your wisdom and authority to change your perceptions, and what steps can you take to leave those self-sabotaging influences behind?

Remember, the stoic’s strength lies not in avoiding suffering, but in journeying through it with calm and wisdom - learning, growing, and transforming along the way.