Monthly Reflection: Continuum & Keeper

If you’re familiar with the tarot, these might not be the tarot cards you’re used to, but the Ephemere Tarot deck by Arthur Wang is just as powerful. Though the minor arcana follows the traditional structure, Ephemere’s major arcana, follows The Hero’s Journey, instead of our familiar Fool. In this month’s reflection, we have two majors. Whether traditional or otherwise, this is always a sign that big things are occurring for us. As someone writing this on the precipice of a major house move, I can certainly say that energy is reflected in my own life!

May Reflection - Continuum

As the last card of Ephemere’s major arcana, Continuum of course indicates the closing of a chapter, but moreover, the cyclical nature of everything in existence. With every ending, comes a new beginning, as they say.

But while we are indeed starting a new chapter, we do not need to repeat patterns and cycles that came before.

Look closely at the image and you will see that the circle held in her hands is being split in two. She is, in essence, breaking the cycle.

What this card calls us to reflect on is what has ended in our lives during the month of May. As a collective reading, for some of you, I’m sure there is a real, tangible ending. For others, this may feel more internal or spiritual, an awakening to something that isn’t working for you, and doing the hard work to finally put it to bed.

Either way, whether it’s clear to you or not, this ending does indeed mark an internal shift in us, one that refuses to continue the same old patterns. One that says, “This ends here”.

What loop have you been caught in? In what ways has it been keeping you stuck and limited? Notice that there is an elevating motion in this card. She is rising. We can see that loop like a chain, keeping her stuck in a cycle that is preventing her from growing to her fullest potential. As she breaks that loop, she is liberating herself from those chains… and so, too, have you in the month of May.

For some of you reading this, there is a possibility that we aren’t talking about your own cycle, but rather, a generational one. Perhaps you were presented with a choice this month, to continue down the same path as someone who came before you, or to go your own way. And you chose the latter.

Make no mistake, breaking cycles, whether generational or personal, is hard work. It requires self-awareness, accountability and conscious effort to go against your natural programming.

If this is all resonating, recognise the work you have done here. Feel proud of yourself. Well done you.

Be sure to celebrate yourself. You are a cycle-breaker, and I bloody love you for it.

June Outlook - Keeper

The Keeper is the guardian of our heart, and when you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense that we would see this card here.

In breaking a cycle, we are choosing to protect our heart. We are seeing the past pain we have endured for what it is and refusing to put our heart through it again. We’re also honouring our most authentic self, our true heart. Breaking an unhealthy cycle is an act of self-compassion. It is a recognition that we deserve better. We are worthy of more.

When we drown out all the external noise keeping us in unhealthy loops and just tune into ourselves, we are stripping away everything, down to our purest core, our heart. And so, it stands to reason that, after Continuum, the outlook for June would be Keeper.

However, as we enter into June, it’s important to remember that our heart is to be protected not locked away entirely.

It is a tempting prospect, right?

Let’s not forget that the heartbreak of the Three of Swords was our April Reflection. That sort of pain is incredibly difficult. Of course we don’t want to go through that again.

And so there is a temptation to build our defences up. The walls go up and our heart gets locked away in an impenetrable fortress. But when we do this, we prevent ourselves from experiencing the good stuff too - and what is life, without love?

The true sweet spot comes in Keeper. We can see the figure in the card standing bravely among fearsome creatures, yet he is not afraid.

The stronger we can stand in our own truth and our own authenticity, the more grounded we are, the less those outside forces can influence us. This means that, as we broke those cycles in May, we must get in touch with those core parts of ourselves and stand bravely in them, unwavering.

We must be willing to express the same openness, kindness and compassion that we have previously, that is core to who we are, knowing we have a better sense of discernment now. After all, we became the person strong enough to break the cycle.

A cycle-breaker wasn’t meant to be hidden away.

Go fearlessly into the month of June and create your next chapter from your heart.

I’m rooting for you, my friends!

N x