New Moon Reading: Here comes the flood

This reading was done during the monthly New Moon Ceremony, hosted by Ana Cortez. Sadly, Ana and her daughter told us that this will be the last meeting of the sort, as they are moving on to new endeavours. Nevertheless, I plan on continuing to do the New Moon readings, even if just to keep a regular card-reading exercise.

The first thing that called my attention about this month's spread is the sheer amount of Hearts/Water. And I wish I could say it is merely a symbolic thing but.... it isn't. The fact is that, right now, we are going through the worst flood in history here where I live. We have had many days of torrential rainfall, which caused the rivers to overflow their banks, flooding entire towns, displacing hundreds of people and killing many. It's chaos and devastation all around, and it's still happening.

It's difficult for me to connect the catastrophe with the Hearts cards of this particular spread, since all of them are benign. The 2♥ (The Chalice) in the Head position is all about being ready to receive what comes from 'above'. The prior months had more active readings, but this one begins by suggesting that I cultivate receptiveness, a more 'wait and see' attitude.

Couple with the 8♥ (The Faun), however, the 2♥ comes with a wild streak. Amongst the keywords of the 8♥ in The Doors of Somlipith book, we have "intensifying unrest and the upheaval of ways". So not only this month's reading warns me to remain open and receptive, but it also tells that whatever is coming will be unpredictable and cause disruption. As if having a large portion of my city underwater wasn't disruptive enough, heh.

Dignified in his home position, we have the K♥, Nicomiah, the most generous, mellow and receptive of all kings. Again, there is the idea of remaining receptive and of trying to remain generous and open at this time. Overall, all the Water cards in this spreads point to remaining adaptable, willing to shift with the strong currents, rather than seeking certainty and stability where there is none.

But wait – we do have a Spades/Earth card here, which is, as we know, the complementary suit to Hearts. Perhaps it will lend some much needed steadiness to this spread? Nope, not this time. The card is the 8♠ (The Curse), whose keyword is "affliction". While the book tries to give a positive spin to this card (i.e "it's a disaster but it can change things for better"), it's undeniable that this card speaks of tragedy, material loss and challenging times. In the Foot position, this card suggests the loss of one's footing and probably significant material damage. The flood is coming, and there will be little left standing in its wake.

All in all, this reading is telling me that things will get worse before they get any better, and that to fight against what is coming is useless. I must be prepared to make concessions, to adapt, and try to keep a generous heart, since a lot of people will be needing help. I also get the impression this will be an emotionally charged month, with the inner waters turning almost as destructive as the outer ones. And it makes sense: not only disaster is happening in real time as I write, but also I am not a person who deals very well with sudden changes... I rely a lot on my routine to feel safe and stable.

Well, I guess the coming lunar cycle is about to challenge all that...