On Expectations
A Full Moon Report ft. the Two of Swords, The Star, and The Fool
Noemí Delgado, cards by Zoe Storz
On this Full Moon in Aquarius, I ask the deck, my ancestors, our angels, and the Divine for guidance on Expectations.
What we understand to be our realities is shaped by both our own expectations and (our perception of) others’ expectations of us. Still, most of us rarely take the time to assess whether we are living in intentional relationship with Expecting.
The Mind: Two of Swords
Our minds are constantly prophesying. I do believe that, if we really listen to the guiding forces surrounding us, it can become possible to tap into future timelines, but most of our predictions are not constructed through such connectivity. Neither are other people’s. (And not only are their calculations of us frequently flawed, but our ability to detect them is also quite inaccurate—yet we let these perceived expectations define us.) The Two of Swords depicts a blindfolded person sitting under a crescent moon, crossing their swords in front of them. This card can be understood as a metaphor for the turmoil of being pulled in two different directions; the misalignment that arises when what you know to be your true self does not reflect what you believe other people are expecting from you. The Two of Swords holds both the problem and the solution; its moonlit blindfold also serves as a medicine of freedom. What would happen if you were no longer shown, or more accurately, could no longer assume, other people’s expectations of you? How would you act? Feel? Express yourself? We would likely fall in love with our own authenticity. Perhaps unintuitively, we would become less selfish: showing up for each other out of a genuine desire to, rather than a compulsive preoccupation with living up to external projections about us; finding the energy to take care of one another instead of constantly struggling to catch up to unfounded prophecies.
The Body: The Star
The Star card (my favorite in the tarot deck) reminds us of our own divinity, a truth which we easily forget when we are taught to believe that god only lives outside of us. In this reading, The Star’s energy—signified by a person indulging in the elemental beauty around them—helps us reflect on the universe’s fiercely nourishing expectations. This card invites us to use our planetary senses to interpret what the universe wants from us: What is the wind communicating when it touches your skin? What are the birds telling you when you hear their song? What do the clouds want you to see? The messages we receive when we connect to our surroundings often go beyond what words can describe, making our physical bodies the perfect receptors for this ineffable information. What does it feel like to listen in ways often overlooked by a colonial system that severs us from our natural world? The Divine, which you are a unique expression of, reveals its conjectures in subtle ways; and, in the end, these are the expectations that matter.
The Spirit: The Fool
Most people forecast out of fear, an impulsive desire to control, habit, or some combination of the three; our expectations are usually painted with an unloving brush. The Fool represents innocence and naivety—qualities that have a bad rap in a country that only values the victor. So this card’s offering is a nudge toward more optimistic expectations, even if it feels silly or vulnerable at first. What would happen if you assumed you were loved? If you acted as if things would work out? Words are a powerful tool of creation and intentional expectations are inherently asking to be fulfilled. In divine reciprocity, we can not only interpret requests from the universe (as The Star reminds) but also become wiser about the expectations we emit. Maybe The Fool is wiser than we thought.
This reading encourages us to decrease our sensitivity to other people’s projections, not out of an impulse towards individualism but out of a craving for sovereignty and a deep trust in our ability to care for others without perpetually attempting to detect their desires. Instead, we can tune into the expectations that the universe has for us—which requires honoring the messages of the elements around us. And this earthly communication goes in both directions; we are continually reminded that our prophecies can be a powerful, creative force when used intentionally.
I wish you clarity and groundedness this moon cycle,
Noemí
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You can read Noemí’s essay “Territory of the Moon Not the State” in issue 1.