Tarot reading for Shining Hearth 2023  

Two of Swords (reversed)
The Two of Swords represents an impasse or a deadlock, generally one which is self-inflicted. One of the swans in the background is making a peace offering, but the person blocking themself is not paying attention. A reversal of this card indicates the release of an impasse, a breakthrough, though whether this bodes good or ill depends on context. 

Over the last year, the floodgates have opened as the world has put the pandemic behind it. Driven by a need to reconnect and be free again, people are attending events, meeting in social spaces, going back to the office, and returning to what routines are still available to them. The reversed Two of Swords serves as a warning that the pandemic situation was resolved because people decided to stop believing there was one, not because the danger has passed; the virus is still out there, as are the knock-on effects from the pandemic. While it's worth letting one's hair down a little bit, a bit of caution to keep yourself and your house whole is warranted.

Page of Cups (reversed)
The Page of Cups sits at the bottom of the sea, holding a bowl of glowing essence, gazing into it, allowing it to surround them and infuse their world. The Page of Cups is about romantic enchantment, intutition, sentiment, and the desire to take time to appreciate the world around us. The reversal of that is getting caught up in the hustle, an obsession with the trends and tendencies of the moment, often at risk of blinding oneself to the magic and beauty of the world. 

The last year has seen many upheavals in our lives as society finds its New Normal (TM). A lot us have been caught up in it, unable to find our center, a stable footing from which to be. In all the chaos, we may not have had time to reconnect to the magic of the world. Some of us are still grieving over what -- or who -- we lost, and the world at present is not very conducive to that. Things can seem very overwhelming right now, and that's OK. What matters is that we make space for ourselves and our magick, and insist that others respect that space.

Hierophant
The Hierophant is a teacher of the spiritual to those seeking enlightenment. A keeper of the Old Ways, the Hierophant is a creature of ritual, order and tradition, weaving knowledge and wisdom into the fundament of their doctrine.

As we move forward with our lives, the Hierophant suggests that, to reconnect with ourselves -- magickal and otherwise -- we look to the traditions and beliefs we held to in the past. Did you have a favored routine you did before the pandemic hit? Was there a hobby or practice you abandoned in the chaos of survival? What did you value and believe before the pandemic, and what has changed now? Reclaiming those bits of who we were in the past that are worth bringing forth into the present can help restore our energy so that we may put ourselves and our magick forward into the future.