The past is cute, but the future needs us

April 2025 Collective Offering

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Hi tarot besties,

Is spring springing for you? It certainly seems to be for me.

My life is a blur of momentous change (one aspect of which is covered below), and all around me things are moving forward for better or worse, as all in things in nature must.

My hope is that each of us can embrace whatever small or large changes that come our way this month.

Ilayda x

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Wtf are the cards saying?

Preparations to move are in full swing. The Mr and I have completed on the purchase of our first ever property, and the enormity of the decision (Justice) is not lost on me. Every other day I wonder if we've done the right thing. After years of the Landlord Special treatment (aka neglect) from its previous owner, the flat we’ve purchased is now in need of serious work. It’s also in an area that a friend endearingly called "a bit naughty" - quite deprived, not a hipster coffee shop or farmers market in sight. It is, of course, both of these factors - the need for works and the not-so-desirable neighbourhood - that have allowed us to achieve the impossible dream of owning a flat in London on average salaries in the first place. As I yo-yo between elation and terror, Justice - who knows about the subtle magic and elegant beauty of action and consequence, balance and restoration - shrewdly reminds me of this fact.

But that's the thing about big decisions, isn't it? They have a way of stirring up complicated emotions. They force us to reckon with cause and effect (Justice), to accept the weight of our choices, and to embrace both their promise and their cost. Any step forward - whether it's a new home, a career shift, or a relationship milestone - brings with it the whisper of uncertainty. Did I make the right call? Can I handle what comes next? Justice reminds us that every decision is a sum of the choices that led to it, and that clarity often follows commitment, not the other way around.

For me, this means I press forward into the chaos and strain of the physical, financial, environmental and emotional changes of this next chapter. I try to trust that all things will find their level eventually. Despite, or perhaps because of this steadfast acceptance, I find myself meeting wave after wave of nostalgia (6 of cups) about the flat and lovely area that we're about to leave behind. This place sheltered us through Covid, saw us plan a wedding, helped us transform into husband and wife, gave us neighbours who became friends as we ate, drank, and partied together.

It can be easy to get lost in the golden hue that nostalgia adds to memories. But it's always worth approaching nostalgia with a touch of restraint - lest we become so punch-drunk on the past that we forget to live in and enjoy the present. A wise approach is perhaps to know that sipping on nostalgia's cup is actually an act of longing. And longing, in small doses, can be a fantastic teacher because it can help uncover what we value. My nostalgia is telling me that I value connection and community, simplicity and beauty, vibrancy and stability. It's reminding me of what I want to bring forward into the next chapter.

And it's this understanding of what we (you and me) want, what our values are, what our vision is, that will help us do the work needed (3 of Pentacles) after any big decision. It's this understanding that will help get others on board and offer their support.

Okay, yes - the new place is currently a bit of a gross money pit. And yes, it will take an enormous amount of effort to create something beautiful out of it... But it holds enormous potential (Be Your Own Daddy)… and my nostalgia trips have reminded me that I’ve created something beautiful and meaningful out of much less in the past. Who says we can’t do it again? What’s more, I am lucky to have people in my life who have offered their help as the Mr and I build toward our shared vision (3 of Pentacles). Whether that help is literal, in the form of manpower and painting walls, or emotional, in the form of friendly ears and cups of tea - all of it is valuable. Remarkably and poignantly, it also carries many of the things I look for when sipping on nostalgia's cup: community, connection, vibrancy.

So, I'm just getting stuck in, keen to see how else the things I value will manifest in the new chapter that follows this enormous decision. Our lives are not shaped just by the big decisions we make or the significant action we take. They are also shaped by the subtleties of our care and our intention (3 of Pentacles), our longings and losses (6 of Cups), our tenacity and drive (Be Your Own Daddy), and where we choose to place our attention (Justice).

So if you, too, find yourself standing at the edge of something new, caught between the past and the unknown - trust that you will make a home of whatever comes next. The past will always be part of you, but the real magic is in what you choose to build now.

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UPDATES

April Availability for 1-1 Tarot Readings
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Events
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