In the cards this week: strength

To handle whatever the world throws at you

All the astrologers I follow have been predicting a bumpy beginning to 2025, so I was happy to see a positive, supportive pair of cards show up for this week that straddles the doorway between the two years.

I like to take the first week’s cards for any year as a harbinger for the 52 weeks to come. The time around the turn of the Gregorian calendar is a “divination window” for many of us, alongside other, more natural cycles such as the solar — Winter Solstice, for example — and lunar — Full and New Moons.

When I turned over these two cards this morning, I felt like I was getting a message of hope and perseverance, and that felt like a relief. I don’t know about you, but for me, the past few months have been nail-biters, given what’s going down in the Big World these days.

Interestingly, I got the same Fire-and-Air pairing as last week’s cards. But last week’s message wasn’t so hopeful. It felt more like a reminder of how challenging life can be sometimes. [For reference, you can find all my previous weekly card draws here.]

This morning, I shuffled as usual and drew one card from the top of the deck and one from the bottom, for the more and less obvious aspects of the upcoming days. The top card, the Nine of Daggers, has a powerful message: Whatever life throws at us, we have what it takes to handle it.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy or pretty. Real life is messy and unpredictable even when there aren’t major chaotic things going on around us.

But we can be steadfast in our own inner strength. To me, one thing this means is to make sure that every decision I make hinges on my core values and goals in life. If you’re not sure what those are, now is a good time to reflect on these issues. Because if you know who you are and what you want out of life, it’s easier to sift through the static when life gets chaotic. Astrologer Diotima Mantineia goes into this idea in more depth in her excellent Substack.

Then I looked at the second card, the one from the bottom of the deck: the Priest of Labryses. And there’s our method: think clearly, reason carefully, strategize thoroughly.

Emotions are an important aspect of our being, but this isn’t the time to make purely heart-led decisions. You don’t have to be coldly calculating; that’s not what this card says.

What it does say is to keep a clear head and look at the facts you have in front of you, even if they’re not what you want to see. Think your decisions through carefully and make sure they align with your values and goals. Then stick with what you’ve figured out; don’t waver. That process will take you down a path that more than likely will end up being emotionally satisfying, even if you didn’t lead with your emotions to make the decision in the first place.

One step at a time, with mindful thought and leaning on our inner strength, we’ll make our way into 2025.

I wish you a year of as much peace and joy as your life situation can possibly bring you.

This week’s cards:

Nine of Daggers: You have what it takes to deal with whatever the world throws at you: the strength to stand up against opposition, the ability to detect danger before it gets too close, and the endurance to keep going despite obstacles.

Priest of Labryses: You are able to rationally analyze situations that appear in your life and develop effective strategies to address them. You'll do best right now by making firm decisions based on reason, acting promptly, and sticking with what you've decided on.

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About Laura Perry

I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. I'm also an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. My spiritual practice includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write Pagan / polytheist / magical non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. My Minoan title in the Moon Books Pantheons series is now available for pre-order and will be released on 26 August 2025. While that process percolates along, I’m working on an illustrated book of modern Minoan myths. I’m also an avid herb and vegetable gardener and living history demonstrator.