February 26, 2010 - The Two of Pentacles

I ask about the emotional realm and get pentacles, the material realm. Hmmmmm.

One of the great things about this particular card is how easy it is to read. Just look at it and you know exactly what it means. A young man is deftly juggling two coins. The sideways figure eight, the infinity symbol, suggests there is something timeless about this dance, about this need to juggle, keep in balance, and staying flexible. Behind him two ships easily navigate a restless sea. He looks happy, as if he's enjoying it all which he is.

The Two of pentacles says you can easily balance all that's on your plate and you can do it effectively and gracefully. It does remind you to stay flexible, to adapt, to see possibilities and change directions when you have to. It is also a strong reminder to have fun.

Life has not been fun for me the past few years. It's been hard, dreary work. My visit to my brother in Alaska showed me a person who has experienced hard time, maybe has some regrets, but doesn't dwell on them. He enjoys life, the big and little things. His motto: "Life is good." And he's right, it is, even when it doesn't go the way we hoped or planned. A recent dream reminded me of this, of the magical beauty of my life, there if I only see it and appreciate it.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Two of Pentacles is depicted by Marianne Dashwood watching the love of her life, John Willoughby, turn from their love to the love of another, a love based on money and status. Marianne can give him love but neither status nor riches. He has an estate to care for. He chooses riches. And while Austen tells us he regrets that choice later on, it's too little to late for he or Marianne.

What Would Jane Do?

"Our common sense doesn't always walk hand-in-hand with our hearts. We are often torn between our desires and our needs. Sometimes we make decisions we regret, and not only when we follow our hearts. We can momentarily be so swayed by pragmatic considerations that we agree to things we later regret. Sometimes we must even withdraw our word, and that causes its own brand of shame and heartache. Life turns us in some strange directions, but that does not mean we can remain static -- because that's no life at all." p. 127