I’m tried today. I have a few posts drafted and was thinking that I could sit and push through edits, but then I was like… maybe it’s okay to not do that. Thanksgiving is tomorrow and tarot has become a consistent part of my life. So instead of pushing through my drafts, I decided to let myself take a beat, and do a collective tarot pull for the energy around Thanksgiving and the days after.
Holidays can bring up a lot of different emotions depending on your situation. Generally, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas are my jam—my absolute favorite time of year. But I’ve had my down moments too. I spent a Thanksgiving alone in NYC (by choice). I was going home for Christmas and thought I’d save money on flights. It was not my most enjoyable Thanksgiving. My friends had all traveled home so I flew solo in my studio apartment on the Upper West Side. I got a turkey dinner from Zabar’s, watched movies, and honestly just let myself feel sad. A tarot pull would’ve maybe offered some intuitive perspective that I wasn’t able to conjure up otherwise.
On the upside, my younger sister and I would spend Thanksgiving together when she was living in Boston. We’d make a turkey and our favorite sides, bake a pumpkin pie—sometimes with friends—explore each other’s cities, and feel grateful for each other and everyone/everything in our lives. Then there were the Thanksgivings spent in LA with my brother and sister-in-law’s family. Always cozy, always warm, filled with nonstop eating, and so much love.
Regardless of how/where your Thanksgiving is spent, what’s important is being safe, well-fed, loved, and deeply grateful for all of it.
Now the tarot spread:
- The situation: King of Wands
- Challenge/block: The Emperor
- The root: 6 of Swords
- Desired goal: 6 of Cups
- What’s departing: Queen of Pentacles
- What’s entering: 5 of Swords
- Clarifying the root: 7 of Cups
- External energies: The Devil
- Hopes/fears: The World
- The outcome: 5 of Cups
- The advice: Ace of Pentacles
The King of Wands represents the fiery, leadership, action-oriented vibe of Thanksgiving day. There’s a lot going on and a lot to be done. The Emperor as the challenge/block says that we want to stay cool, calm, collected, and in control but that fiery King of Wands has other “go-get-em” plans.
6 of Swords as the root shows that it’s all going to be okay. While the energy might be a little hectic and busy right now, we’re moving towards calmer waters. Everything always feels a little more stressful in the anticipation phase, but once we’re in it, things start to unfold and become more manageable.
The 6 of Cups as the desired goal expresses an energy of hope, nostalgia, reminiscing on good times/memories, and savoring the simple joys of the day.
The energy of Queen of Pentacles says it’s okay to let loose a little bit. This Queen is very grounded and frugal, secure. I always feel like Thanksgiving is a time for releasing control and realizing that I’m always safe within myself and around the people that I love. The 5 of Swords shows the energy of conflict, a little stress, and competition. I feel this energy is a reminder that a little friendly competition is good during a game of Scrabble, but don’t let the stress of the holiday get the best of you and create more bickering than necessary.
7 of Cups clarifies the 6 of Swords. There’s a lot of confusion around Thanksgiving—what’re we making for dinner, what time are we eating, who’s coming to visit, how long are we/they staying, does everyone have a bed to sleep in, are we all good? 7 of Cups shows that we’re moving out of that energy and into smoother waters now.
The Devil represents external energies/influences, and I see this as a card that says enjoy all the indulgences of Thanksgiving (YES pumpkin pie, pecan pie, green bean casserole, and Christmas Ale with maple syrup + sugared rim). And also, remember that it’s a day for being thankful, grateful and loving the people, pets, and joys all around us.
The World represents our hopes and fears. This is all about our hope being joy, happiness, great food, fun, and love. The fear being that things could implode at the drop of one off-putting comment. Let’s all remember to be kind, grateful, and forgiving.
5 of Cups represents the outcome, and I read this as—there’s a lot happening in the world today and it can be easy to get lost in the chaos. This is a reminder to let go of negative emotions and look for the good/magic in what surrounds us. There really is so much to be thankful for.
Finally, the Ace of Pentacles represents the advice. I feel this energy as a suggestion to enjoy Thanksgiving and everything that comes with the day/days that follow. At the same time—remember that it’s just one day, and there’s a brand new day on the other side.
