Dear Oracle, the past two years have been a lot. Both my husband and I have been working from home, and after 19 months of duel Zoom meetings, conference calls, and exhausting stretches, my house doesn’t exactly feel like a tranquil, relaxing space. We’ve decided to start trying for a baby (yay!), but I would really like to have a tranquil home for when the baby arrives. So besides painting and making everything smell like lavender, how can I create a calm, harmonious home?—Longing for Calm Quarters
Cards: The Empress, Ace of Wands, The Tower, The Hermit reversed
Dear Calm Quarters, first, I will not knock paint colors. I’m not what you would call a “color-witch,” but every room in my house was “depression grey” when I moved in, and now I got a kitchen the color of mint ice cream and a bedroom that looks like the bottom of the sea, and it’s lovely. So if you feel like painting an accent wall or feathering your nest with a lavender candle, have at.
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However, I don’t think it will help because with three Major Arcana, there are much bigger things at play, and paint color can’t fix that.
It’s exciting that you and your husband are trying for a baby! The Ace of Wands is an excellent card for that; it’s all about new beginnings and creation—which is fitting if you’re creating a new life! It’s a time of great potential and very exciting! It is, of course, followed by The Tower, which is absolute chaos and a complete upending of life as you know it… which is about par for the course when a couple welcomes their very first baby into their lives.
As someone who’s only a Cosmic-Aunt to a variety of friend’s babies, I don’t know the exact ins and outs of babies. Still, from what I gathered, everyone will be very sleepy for at least four months, you’ll need way more diapers than you think, and having a freezer full of meals is clutch. (No shame in Stouffers!)
It will be exhausting and exciting and wonderful and overwhelming all at once—an enjoyable chaos.
Now, while I don’t think you’ll have a Kinfolk calm house with a newborn baby in it, I do believe The Empress and The Hermit are going to help you find a balance.
The Empress is a strong feminine card, full of both compassion and not-taking-any-shit. Now is the time to start setting up some firm boundaries with work. You’re going to have to be protective of your time, and that might mean saying no to things (if you’re able to.) The earlier you set those boundaries, the easier they’ll be to hold when you’re sleep-deprived.
The Hermit is also an important card here. It’s both a card of inner wisdom and outer guidance. You might know in your gut what you need, and you might need to ask for help. Do you have any friends who are parents? Do you have any family that might be able to help?
Also, importantly, do you know any other working moms? Can you talk to them about how they handle striking a balance?
But don’t ignore your inner wisdom. Once you’re a mother, people will just start telling you things you should and shouldn’t be doing. So trust your inner Hermit and call upon that Empress energy to deal with the should-heads. Best of luck!
Dear Oracle, I am thinking about changing jobs but have been fearful. On the one hand, I want a change because I do not feel I am being valued at my current position. On the other hand, my current job is a more relaxed environment, and I like the flow. Should I take a leap or a step back?—Stay or Go?
Cards for taking a leap: Ace of Wands, Queen of Swords reversed, Eight of Wands
Cards for stepping back: Magician reversed, Ace of Swords, Six of Wands reversed.
Dear SOG, for about a year now, I have cautiously given permission to people to quit their shitty jobs. I’ve told people to make sure they can afford health insurance and housing (it is a pandemic after all), but the cards have always fallen towards digging up your steaks and heading off towards the new horizon.
However, dear SOG, this is the first time I’ve ever written these words: I don’t think you should quit your job. I think you should stay.
It’s not terrible if you quit. You have the Ace of Wands, which is an exciting energy of new beginnings, and then the Eight of Wands, which is exhausting but manageable. However, you do have a reversed Queen of Swords, which can mean a sharp inner critic. It’s not the easiest choice.
However, if you stay, things can’t remain status quo. With the Magician reversed, I don’t think you’re appreciating your own power. You’re probably very good at your job, and that’s hard to come by. You have leverage. The Ace of Swords is a card of intelligence and leadership. It’s time for you to put yourself in the running to run things.
I don’t know if there’s a ladder at your job to climb or if it means advocating for more projects, but whatever you need to do to step into your full power, you should do it because the outcome is a lot more harmonious. The Six of Wands is a celebration, and while it’s not going to happen quickly, it is a promising future.
I know it might not be as exciting as starting something new, but I think there are enough good things at your job that you aren’t rushing out the door. It also can feel daunting to advocate for yourself, but really take a long hard look at your abilities.
Then look at people around you. Are you better than middle management? The answer is probably yes, so show off your power.
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