Zoom in of a vintage tarot cart featuring The Chariot. — Credit: Shutterstock

Dear Oracle,

I’m horrified about how quickly we’ve slipped into an authoritative state. I’m scared about the new year, but I don’t want to be pessimistic. I want to be hopeful that we can triumph over fascism, but I’m not sure how to balance that with the feeling that we’re all doomed. I don’t want to be one of those people who “doesn’t read the news,” but I also don’t want to be so overwhelmed with everything that I can’t function or fight for what’s right. So how can I balance these feelings without losing my mind? —Light in the Dark

Cards as Above: The Chariot, Six of Pentacles, Ten of Wands.

Cards so Below: The World, Waxing Gibbous, Seven of Cups (reversed)

Dear Light,

While I received your question at the end of December, these past few days of violence and grief have made it feel all the more potent. In a world of chaos and brutality, how do we find balance and hope? I know I’ve certainly wondered that these past few nights.

For your cards, I did a different sort of spread. The first three are to help you find this balance and are meant to be read together. The bottom three cards are the shadow of those cards, what you aren’t seeing, and are intended to read as three pairs (ex. The Chariot/The World)

Let us begin, though, with a plan of action.

To get through this, you need to understand your own thoughts, strength, and convictions as The Chariot. The rider in The Chariot is focused but not obsessed. He knows and speaks his own mind and can plow through obstacles with his own sheer force of will—but he also knows when to slow down and when to go at top speed. It is important to you to speak out—literally using your voice—but you also need to be aware of your limitations.

You may have heard the Audre Lorde quote that “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Lorde wrote that in the context of her battling cancer while working as a poet and political activist, and how she could not overextend herself without causing herself harm. Sometimes, it can be difficult to clock what is actually harmful to us versus what is simply uncomfortable, but knowing the difference (and knowing when to step back and rest) is crucial.

There are times when you will need to turn off the news for your own sanity and to replenish yourself. For you, this means community.

The Six of Pentacles is a card of generosity, of sharing gifts and time freely with others. This is time spent with other people joyously sharing life. It takes a village to survive the cold winter of fascism, and that means showing up for other people and living it up with them. It’s a card of rejuvenation, when the sparks of so many cause a great fire. You need to be reminded that there is good in the world, that life has beauty and wonder and humor in it. And you need to remember that you are not alone.

The last card is the Ten of Wands, the heavy, survivable burden. You can carry this burden alone, but remember that you don’t have to. This task is eased with community, with working together and carrying this bundle stick by stick. Balance can come from the collective, with everyone doing something. You can make it through.

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Now, here is what to consider about each card.

While it is important to know yourself as The Chariot, it’s also important to know where you stand in The World. You have power in your life, but you cannot control the universe. The World is a reminder of endings, of beginnings, of the mystery and brutal vastness of fate. There will be things out of your control. It doesn’t mean you should give up, but rather, understand that you are human and exist in a brief moment of time. You might not be able to blast through every obstacle. Adapt, accept, pivot. Do what you need to.

When it comes to community and generosity of the spirit, the Waxing Gibbous asks for you to refine and reprioritize. What actually makes you feel rejuvenated and inspired when you’re with other people? This is also a time where new opportunities can arise, which may be healing. If your activism tends to be lonesome, could you volunteer with a group? Would joining a community garden, choir, or D&D campaign fill your cup? What, inversely, can you let go of that drains you? This is a time for nourishing, not spreading yourself too thin.

Lastly, when it comes to the burdensome Ten of Wands, the Seven of Cups reminds us that not all is what it seems. I’ve written before about how this card can appear when something seems “too good to be true” (it usually is), but this can also appear when something looks impossible but isn’t.

Authoritarianism depends on image. It has to project strength and uniformity, and inspire terror, to stay in power. It does this through very real acts of violence—as we are seeing now. But that strong, uniform base is a lie. Authoritarian governments always breed chaos and corruption, and usually go through several cycles of vanguards who rise to power only to be picked off by a later generation for not being loyal enough. It’s a cannibalistic model of government, and while it will cause great death and destruction as it flails about, it is a weak thing that can be stopped.

This is not a lost cause. There is no inevitable conclusion that we must accept this violence and turmoil as our new way of life. We can carry that Ten of Wands together.

Thank you for trusting me with your question.

See more of Caroline and learn about her services at carolinedebruhl.com.

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