From Overwhelm to Alignment: How I’m Using Tarot to Map My Business Growth
When I hit that familiar cycle of overwhelm — too many ideas, too many tabs open, too many half-finished posts — I did something I’ve never done before for my business: I pulled a tarot spread. Not for love, not for personal guidance, but for Ink & Insights.
It might sound a little out there, but here’s the thing: the cards gave me exactly what I needed. They cut through the noise and showed me where to focus, what to let go of, and how to find momentum again.
And here’s the part I don’t usually say out loud: I’ve always been a little bit of a spiritual woo girlie. Like most teenage girls in the late 90s and early 2000s, I had my witchy phase (thank you, The Craft). These days it looks less like spells in notebooks and more like a quiet belief in manifestation — not the “magical thinking” kind where you just dream something up and expect it to land, but the practical kind.
For me, manifestation is goals, vision boards, visualisation, and the way our thoughts shape what we notice. It’s rooted in psychology as much as spirituality. Psycho-Cybernetics, often called the first self-help book, was all about visualisation. Then there’s the Pygmalion effect and self-fulfilling prophecy — the idea that what we expect shapes what we see. When we’re more positive, we really do spot more opportunities.
So, Why Tarot?
So why tarot, of all things? For me, it’s not about fortune-telling or predicting the future. It’s a tool for reflection. When I lay out a spread, I’m not asking the cards to hand me a business plan. I’m asking them to help me step outside the noise of my own head and see patterns I might miss when I’m buried in to-do lists and content calendars.
Tarot works like a mirror. The imagery, the archetypes, the stories — they spark connections and remind me of truths I already know but might be ignoring. And that matters in business. Because when you’re running something like Ink & Insights, it’s so easy to slip into autopilot: keep churning out resources, keep posting, keep moving. Tarot forces me to pause, ask better questions, and realign with the bigger vision.
For me, it’s the same principle as journaling or coaching — except with more symbols, more story, and a little bit of magic.
Reading Tarot Like Literature
Part of why tarot resonates with me is that it feels so close to what we already do as English teachers: analyse symbols. Every card is an image packed with meaning, and just like in a poem or novel, those meanings shift depending on context.
The four suits are like recurring motifs:
Cups are emotions and relationships — they flow, they reflect, they ask how connected (or disconnected) we feel.
Pentacles are finances, stability, and the material world — the practical side of life and business.
Swords are conflicts and thoughts — the sharp, cutting things that can wound or clarify.
Wands are creativity, energy, and drive — the fire that gets us moving.
And then there are the Major Arcana — the big archetypes, the turning points, the moments when the story shifts. They’re the equivalent of a text’s central themes: authority, change, temptation, balance, rebirth.
When I read the cards for my business, I’m not looking for destiny. I’m looking at symbols, at narrative arcs, and at how those mirror what I’m living through in real time. It’s an analysis, with a little extra intuition.
The Tarot Spread Shaping My Next 3 Months
When I shuffled the cards, I wasn’t asking for a miracle or a magic answer. What I wanted was clarity. Running a business like Ink & Insights means spinning a lot of plates — from lesson resources and writing boxes to blog posts, social media, and the daily prompts hub. It’s exciting, but it’s also overwhelming. I wanted tarot to show me where to focus, what to release, and how to find alignment so the next three months weren’t just about hustling, but about growing in the right direction.
Here’s what I pulled:
Core Energy - Two of Cups Reversed
Right now, my business energy isn’t sitting at the very top of my priority list — and that’s ok. With big family things happening in the background, it feels natural that Ink & Insights is running slightly out of sync. The Two of Cups reversed reflects that disconnection, reminding me that I don’t need to force “perfect balance” right now. Instead, the work is about honouring what I can give, keeping small points of connection alive, and trusting that alignment will return as life steadies.
Month 1 Focus - King of Cups
The first step isn’t hustle, it’s steadiness. The King of Cups calls me to show up calm and collected, even when things feel chaotic behind the scenes. It’s a reminder that creativity thrives from inner calm — when I ground myself, the words and ideas flow more naturally. I also felt I am being guided to bring in my wisdom here, to use the blog as a space to share honestly and help others. Leading with balance, clarity, and compassion is what will set the tone for everything that follows.
Month 2 Focus - Knight of Pentacles Reversed
The Knight of Pentacles reversed shows me where I can get stuck: playing it too safe, sticking rigidly to routines, or clinging to the comfort of “slow and steady.” In Month 2, the message is clear — don’t stall. This is the time to experiment, to test new ideas, and to shake myself out of autopilot. The blog and business don’t grow from endlessly perfecting the same formula; they grow when I’m willing to try something different, even if it feels risky. Progress comes from loosening the grip, letting go of perfectionism, and allowing momentum to build.
Month 3 Focus - The Chariot
By the third month, the energy shifts into forward motion. The Chariot is all about direction, willpower, and taking ownership of the path ahead. After a season of grounding and experimentation, this is where momentum gathers — but only if I’m steering with intention. The timing is no accident: December usually brings a slight upward tick in my TpT sales, and the Chariot reminds me to harness that natural momentum. Success isn’t about speed alone; it’s about knowing where I want to go and holding the reins firmly. In practice, that means setting clearer goals, streamlining what’s working, and riding that seasonal boost with confidence instead of hesitation.
Biggest Opportunity - 8 of Wands
The Eight of Wands is the card of speed, momentum, and messages flying quickly. For my business, this points to opportunities that come through visibility and fast-moving content — blog posts that gain traction, pins that spread, ideas that resonate more widely than expected. The message here is not to hold back or over-edit, but to release work into the world and let it travel. My biggest opportunity lies in leaning into that momentum: publishing consistently, sharing boldly, and trusting that some pieces will land in front of the right people at the right time. It’s a reminder that growth doesn’t always come from carefully controlled plans — sometimes it comes from letting the arrows fly.
Biggest Challenge - Judgement & 5 of Cups
When I was shuffling, these two cards literally jumped out of the deck — which tells me they’re not to be ignored. Judgement calls me to step up and own my voice, to speak with authority, and to stop second-guessing whether I’m “ready.” And that’s the hard part — because I do second-guess myself. I worry if I’m making the right decisions, posting the right things, or taking the right steps. This whole business is new for me, and I’m still learning as I go.
That’s where the Five of Cups comes in. It’s easy to look back at what hasn’t worked or what I could have done differently, but dwelling there only drains energy. Together, these cards remind me that my biggest challenge isn’t competition or algorithms — it’s my own self-doubt. The work here is to trust that missteps are part of the process, lift my head, and keep moving forward with conviction.
Best Growth Strategy - The Emperor
If Judgement and the Five of Cups show where I second-guess myself, the Emperor shows me how to move past it: structure, authority, and a clear foundation. The Emperor doesn’t get lost in “what ifs” — he builds, brick by brick. For my business, this means creating systems I can lean on instead of constantly questioning every decision. Scheduling posts ahead, mapping out product launches, and having a content structure will free me from overthinking in the moment.
This hits home because one thing I keep saying is that I need to change my schedule to fit with everything going on in my family life at the moment. The Emperor reminds me that structure isn’t about rigidity — it’s about building a framework that supports me. Authority comes from consistency, yes, but also from creating routines that make space for both business and life. That’s the foundation on which growth will stand.
Outcome - 10 of Wands Reversed
The Ten of Wands reversed shows release. This is a season of putting down unnecessary burdens, dropping the pressure to carry everything at once, and finding lighter ways to work. For me, that means not forcing myself to do all the things, all the time. By letting go of the weight I don’t need to hold, I can actually focus on what matters most — and create from a place of energy rather than exhaustion.
Undercurrent - The Lovers Reversed
Sitting at the bottom of the deck, the Lovers reversed felt like an undertone running through this whole spread. It mirrors the Two of Cups reversed from the start — that sense of things not being fully aligned, of relationships and priorities being pulled in different directions. Right now, that reflects my reality: business isn’t my only focus, and I’m juggling huge family things in the background. The Lovers reversed doesn’t feel like failure — it feels like an honest acknowledgement. This season is about working with that imbalance, not against it, and trusting that alignment will come back in time.
Final Thoughts
Looking across the spread, the message is clear: this season isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing differently. Steadiness, experimentation, momentum — those are the stages. My biggest challenge is self-doubt, but the strategy is structure, and the outcome is lighter, more aligned work. Even with family things taking priority, the cards remind me that my creativity, my wisdom, and my voice can still thrive here.
Before closing, I pulled one last card to ask: How will this post land with others? The card was the Three of Pentacles — a reminder that sharing my work isn’t a solo act. Posts like this don’t just sit quietly on a blog; they become part of a bigger conversation, connecting with teachers, writers, and creatives who are also building piece by piece. The Three of Pentacles tells me this post will resonate as collaboration: my voice joining with others, sparking dialogue, and helping to build a stronger community.
BRB, just setting up my Etsy shop as a part-time tarot reader — lesson plans and life paths available on request.
