Jan 27 | 2023 — X of Pentacles
Happy Friday! It has been a busy week (and I’ve actually struggled to get these out in a timely manner! No one wants a card of the day at the END of the day… or so my metrics tell me).
Today’s card: X of Pentacles. Tens are the ultimate number in Tarot, signifying completion and attainment, but not just in Tarot. Look at Olympic Scoring, Ballroom, and Drag. TENS TENS TENS ACROSS THE BOARD! And while not all Tens in Tarot have positive connotations, they still reflect the end of the journey of that particular suit. Today: the end of the journey of pentacles.
Pentacles in Tarot represent the material world: our money, jobs, material possessions, and our bodies and health. The Ten of Pentacles is the “happy retirement” card, about being able to provide stability for your family or “legacy.” I like to see this as not just a monetary reference, but in terms of a healthy, happy family unit, providing spiritual and emotional abundance as well. After all, we all know money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can afford stability which can then allow other, more important, family traits to thrive.
Message of the Day: I just finished reading “Deadbeat Druid” yesterday, a gay-friendly urban fantasy novel. It wasn’t my favorite in the series, but it wrapped up the story nicely and brought closure to the overarching themes. One of the big themes of the story was turbulent and traumatic family history, particularly stemming from poverty and not really being able to climb out of it. So I’ve had the idea of families on my mind.
When I was thinking about the nature of this card — which traditionally is more material focused — I kept coming back to the idea of family stability and what that means. I have witnessed poverty to the extreme: an apartment with a single month and nine children. No furniture other than mattresses, and a single lightbulb in the house which would be taken from room to room as needed. It was a hard life. The older children all worked to help pay the rent, and not one of them complained; it was still a better life than what they had in Nigeria. They had clothes and food, but most importantly, they had each other — and they clung to each other to make sure everyone was safe and provided for. That was 23 years ago, and I can only wonder how things transpired for them now that all the children are grown.
Nobody has a perfect family. I joke that no one escapes their family without the need for therapy. The things our parents, siblings, and relatives provide for us are more than just presents unwrapped at Christmas. It’s memories, how we communicate with others, our values, sense of personal identity. In that sense, some people really make bank. For others, their value is almost nil. It’s unique for each of us; “pain is personal and happy endings are hard-won — a quote by David R. Slayton, author of Deadbeat Druid.”
So when you think of this card, the X of Pentacles, what do you see? How has your family history shaped the legacy you leave for your family? How has money influenced your family and your family connection? What sorts of non-financial things are you investing in for the sake of your family’s betterment? How do you actively teach these “investment” strategies to your children and those around you?
I hope you all have a great weekend and take the opportunity to “invest” in your family — immediate or chosen.
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