The Eight of Stars:

on disappointment, Abandonment and Withdrawal

Night has come, and you’ve found yourself on the outs in some way, having just crossed the Eight of Stars: An adult spotted lanternfly is seen leaving its swarm, which flies along a field of spotted knotweed. The knotweed and the lanterflies, both destructive and invasive species, have hit a dead end: a barren drought-ridden desert. We cannot see where the fleeing lanternfly is going, only that it is venturing away from the others. This card is about coping with disappointment, abandonment, withdrawal and how those feelings can become invasive and pervasive. Disappointment, abandonment and periods of isolation are unavoidable in our lives; we cannot control the outcomes of our efforts, the events that happen to others, or the way we are all affected by all the tragedies and disasters that happen across our global web. We can only control how we process our feelings and emotions, how we talk to ourselves in isolation, the empathy, compassion and grace we work to extend toward others.

Maybe you once felt the world was in your hands, that you had everything you wanted, or were thisclose to getting it all, but promises were broken, the path turned, the climate changed and the things holding you up? Broke. Or maybe you’re walking away from something or someone unhealthy or toxic, or something that was unfulfilling or wasn’t meeting your standards.. Whether you’ve been left behind or have left something behind, you’re facing a lot of unknowns. What happens now? It’s the middle of the night, but the stars are shining bright. This is the period of time when the world opens, where seedlings grow into opportunities. Don't let the disappointments haunt you or join you on your future journey, wherever it goes, and whatever you do, don’t abandon yourself. You are the one person you really need.

If you're feeling blocked

Perhaps you’re having difficulty leaving something or someone behind, stuck in the middle of the question of staying or leaving. Do you have more to give? Is your North Star calling you to venture somewhere else? It’s easier to leave when you’ve got nothing extra you’re taking with you, but only you can know the right path for you. Some problems will follow you if you haven’t properly dealt with them, whereas others only exist where you are. Or maybe you aren't stuck in the middle of anything; you’re just feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere, drifting from knotweed to knotweed with no view of the road, with nothing worth staying for and nothing worth leaving for. The ‘nothing’ is an illusion, a disease of the imagination. You’re having a hard time believing in yourself, but you do have the power to follow your destiny, to create your life, to focus on the things that bring you joy and to take actions that help change the world.

Creativity Exercises:

Make a Joy diagram: Draw the outline of your body. Think of 8 things that bring you joy to your different senses and dimensions — what specifically brings you joy to smell, to taste, to see, to touch, to hear, to do, to think about, to love — and create a symbol for each, tying that joy to the part of your body it’s connected to.

Create something based on the theme of ‘invasion.’

Map out your dream vacation; create a dream box and make or find eight ‘hints’ that can help others figure out where you’re going.

Write a letter to your younger self. Tell them about where you are, how you got there and where you’re trying to get to. Take all the creative licenses a Hollywood executive would take in telling the story, as long as the real truths stay real.