Eight of Pentacles

Well here we are again, my darlings. Slowly but surely digging our way through a standard tarot deck. Today we move on to the Eight of Pentacles.

Upright, the Eight of Pentacles is a sign of encouragement. You are developing skills through repetitive tasks, and while it may feel like drudgery, your discipline and consistency are bringing you closer to your goal. Keep doing what you’re doing and it will lead to success. It requires a lot of dedication, focus, and patience, but the energy you invest in your personal development will be worthwhile.

The reversal denotes that you are focused more on perfection than on your goal. You’re losing sight of the big picture and why you’re doing the task in the first place. You’re spending a lot of time and energy on your task, but not seeing the desired outcome manifest. Shift your focus to bring your actions back in line with your broader goals. Don’t get bogged down in the details.

While it’s great to want to do a job well, remember that perfection is an impossibility, and it is in our imperfections that we are unique and special. No one can do the task like you can, that’s what makes your work so important, my darlings.

Seven of Pentacles

Look at us here two weeks in a row! Ready to pick up with the Seven of Pentacles? Me too, my darlings.

The upright Seven of Pentacles indicates a long term investment. This can be something that is in the planning stages or something that you have been working toward for a while and may be feeling that your efforts will ultimately go unrewarded. Either way you need to step back from the day to day grind and take a look at the big picture. Take time to assess where you can best invest your time and energy to get you closest to your goals. Remember, there are no guarantees. Your frustration with slow results may be valid, but focusing on what you can do with what you have will get you further than pouting. Be patient and follow through.

The reversed meaning of this card is to make those same assessments of time and energy. Are you too scattered to be making an impact on your goal? Or are you at a point where the project isn’t as fruitful as you had hoped? If it’s the latter, it may be time to pack it in and try a different approach to get what you want. If you’re drowning in frustration that you aren’t seeing the results you want even though you’re giving it your all, recognize when you’re beating a dead horse. You are the one in control of where your time and energy goes. Shift to a productive course of action.

We have the final say in what our lives look like. If you are unhappy, my darlings, pinpoint where your frustrations lie, and change your actions to align with your happiness. You’re in charge. Don’t give away your power or your energy to a fruitless cause.

Slowing Down with May’s New Moon

Hello my darlings! I want to touch on the New Moon that’s coming up on May 30th. This one is going to be in Gemini! Associated with Mercury, who is currently in retrograde, they rule over transportation, technology, communication, and contracts. If you’ve been having trouble expressing yourself lately or finding a lot of inconvenient mishaps making you late, we generally chalk that up to Mercury being in retrograde. That being said, I think that this New Moon may be a good time to cultivate some patience. Patience with ourselves, others, and general circumstances of any given situation.

Keep in mind that Mercury will be leaving retrograde right after this New Moon on June 2nd. Giving ourselves and others the grace to be fallible and human during this time will resolve a lot of misunderstandings before they even become an issue. If you’re entering into any legal agreements at this time, don’t be pressured to move quickly. Take your time to read the fine print and make sure you understand what you are agreeing to.

I know now that the weather is becoming more amenable to playing outdoors we all tend to overbook ourselves and we wind up not feeling rested or relaxed at all. My suggestion for this New Moon is to slow down. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been feeling a little disconnected lately, from my craft, from the earth, and from a lot of the things I enjoy. So here is how I intend to reconnect with patience and quiet on Monday.

Since I’m lucky enough to have Memorial Day off of work, I’ll be spending the majority of the day with friends, but once I’ve returned home, I want to gather some materials at my work space and cleanse it. Namely Bay Leaves, my cauldron, a lighter, a marker, a piece of paper, salt for cleansing, Lavender for calm, peace, and to represent Gemini, Chamomile for abundance and health, Calendula petals for joy and stability, Clover Honey for a lasting effect and sweetening stressful situations, and a chime candle. I’ll also be grabbing Rose Quartz (which I’ve been drawn to lately) for universal love, Clear Quartz for clarity and grounding, and Blue Lace Agate to calm stress and anxiety.

Once all my items are gathered, I will ground myself by setting out my stones, then making a list of frustrations I face regularly that are out of my control. As I write them, I will envision the frustration leaving me through the ink. I’ll fold the list up and set it aside, and bring forward the herbs, honey, and chime candle. First I’ll carve the word patience into the side of the candle with my thumbnail. That’s what we’re creating here, a sense of peace and living slow. Next I’ll put a thin layer of honey on the outside of the candle. A little goes a long way, so don’t feel like you need to slather it on. Then I’ll sprinkle the herbs over the candle. I usually work over a small plate to avoid large spills. This also helps if the herbs have trouble sticking, you can roll the candle on the plate to help adhere more onto it until you’re satisfied.

When you’re ready, light your chime candle. Allow it’s light and warmth to roll over you, before lighting your list of daily frustrations and letting it burn in your cauldron. Remember, guys, fire safety is incredibly important. Use common sense! As the candle and my frustrations burn, I am going to meditate on the path I want to walk and the patience required to do so. If I find a few revelations during the meditation I will journal them. If not I will probably do a tarot reading or scry in my mirror for clarity.

And there you have it! A quiet easy way to add a little peace to your life. Slow down and breathe. Tomorrow will come, today will leave, and the small things, while inconvenient, are only that; small. I love you, my darlings! I hope you enjoy the long weekend if you’re able, and don’t push yourselves too hard.