Ancestral Advice on Travel & Resilience

 

 

What message do my ancestors have for me? 

    The 6 of Swords is a card of travel, new horizons, and melancholy. Conjure means intention, manifestation, and ancestral veneration. Together these cards indicate a need to escape, go on a journey, and embrace the spirit of adventure. At its core, its a message about a desire for change. There is a sense of restlessness or dissatisfaction that leads to a need to let go and move on. 

Why is this important for me to understand? 

    The 7 of Cups is a card of illusions, options, and faith. Burdened means weighed down, struggle, stress, and tenacity. Together these cards express how we all face challenges that weigh on our shoulders whether dealing with health issues, juggling relationship problems, grieving a loved one, losing a job, and so on. We all struggle and need help sometimes. 

    At its core, this is about resilience. It isn't about never falling apart or having a bad day, but rather resilience is enduring and finding a way to thrive again. Sometimes going on a vacation trip, a hike, or camping offers an escape in order to recharge our batteries, clear our heads, and see new options that we couldn't before. Travel can help broaden our horizons as we experience new things.

How can I take action on this advice? 

    The 5 of Coins is a card of poverty, oppression, and lack of comfort. Adventurer means exploration, resourcefulness, curiosity, and discovery. Our ancestors had the courage to travel to America in order to escape famine, disease, war, religious persecution, etc. Many struggled with difficult labor work like mining and farming, and some even worked for freedom as indentured servants. We can take inspiration from their stories to embrace the unknown and embark on our own adventure. We can even travel to places our ancestors lived to better connect with their history.  

    I am planning a trip to Hawaii in January with my mom and Grandpa in honor of my grandma Debi who loved the Hawaiian islands. But embracing an adventurous spirit isn't just about big trips. It's also about being curious and resourceful by finding small things to get out of our comfort zones and expand our knowledge such as going on local nature hikes with my pugs, learning a foreign language on Duolingo, adding to my list of safe places to eat gluten free, or reading folklore and mythology tales from around the world. 

    How can you embrace our ancestors' spirit of adventure and resilience? Where do you want to travel? What new experience are you going to try? 

With love, 

Autumn Rose Surratt 

The Ancestor Witch