My son was rejected from all the highly-rated universities we'd thought he had a shot at. This year's application cycle has just been a beast. It's sad, but although he's got the highest IQ of anyone I've ever met, he's certainly not alone. All the kids who took gap years because of the pandemic are applying, colleges are trying to keep their numbers reasonable so that they don't end up with too many, so competition is just fierce. It's disappointing for everyone who worked so hard just to be devastated by rejection after rejection.
The colleges he did get into are great, so I won't complain about it. The problem with them is that they're a full day of traveling away, with multiple flight layovers and very expensive travel. We're going to tour two of them next week, and our 4-day trip is costing multiple thousands of dollars. Applying to colleges is a slog, and visiting those colleges is a money pit. 
It's a very reversed ten of pentacles! It's the worst-case legacy scenario (baby not getting into schools we expected him to get into), It's a financial loss (expensive travel), and we're all still muddling though this stupid pandemic that won't end (disaster).
Maybe I'll go eat fruitcake behind a bank, and hope someone throws out a bag of money. 

The Ten of Pentacles upright is about fortune, legacy, and inheritance. This card depicts the epitome of wealth, the highest level of career success, or a completed family tree.
Reversed, it is generally the worst-case scenario for finances, such as a disaster, bankruptcy, issues with inheritances or wills, divorce, or money loss.
 
Questions answered by the reversed Ten of Pentacles:
Who? Someone going through a divorce or bankruptcy 
What? A disputed financial transaction
Where? Behind the bank
When? The middle of September; During a reading of a will; At the end of a life stage
Why? “It’s easy to meet expenses – everywhere we go, there they are.” ~Anonymous
Yes or No? No

The reversed Ten of Pentacles as:
…an action?

• Deal with difficult family
• Dispute a transaction
• Take care of your business affairs

 
…a place in your house?

• Where you’ve stored the will
• Symbols of your culture or heritage

 
…a place in your city?

• A hospice center
• A divorce lawyer
• A planned neighborhood

…a place in the world?

• Los Angeles, CA
• Shanghai, China
• London, England
• Russia

 
…something to eat?

• Fried eggs
• Noodles

• Frozen food
• fruitcake

…something to clean?

• Clean out your social media friends list
• Items from your culture

 
…where to find the missing item?

• Someone older than you has it

 
…a color? blue, green
 
…a movie theme? Debt; financial disaster; family trouble

• American Hustle
• Get Shorty
• We’re the Millers

 
…a new career?

• Doctor
• Laborer

• Uber driver
• Estate planner

Ten of Pentacles reversed
Before any card: Refrain from financial dealings with (card)
After any card: Debt; bankruptcy; will disputes

For more on the reversed ten of pentacles, read Applied Tarot Reversed

Tuition payments for the four of us are coming due again soon. That's myself, my daughter and my son who are both in University, and my youngest who is getting ready to send a deposit to the college he ultimately decides to attend.
I'm not sure what possessed me to go to grad school when I already had three tuitions to scramble together, but here we are. What's done is done, and now I have to pay for it. 
Or, more specifically, my husband has to pay for it because he's the only one working right now.
I am dependent, suffering financial setbacks, and feeling very inept about the whole thing. It's a very reversed nine of pentacles way to be. I've sent a few resume feelers out, because what I might need right now is a job more than a master's degree. We'll see what happens. Until I hear back, I'm going to nosh on some celery and cry over Pretty Woman. 

Upright, the Nine denotes abundance, wisdom, luxury, and the obtainment of material goods. The person depicted in this nine has gained independent financial success and is now at a place where they should be seeking companionship to share it with.

Reversed, this person is dependent upon others for their financial survival. They may be marrying for money, living off their parents, or they are overworked and underpaid.
 
Questions answered by the reversed Nine of Pentacles:
Who? A dependent; a gold-digger 
What? The lack of elegance; superficiality
Where? At someone else’s house
When? The beginning of September; During a financial setback
Why? “Dependency breeds contempt.” ~Marty Rubin
Yes or No? No

The reversed Nine of Pentacles as:
…an action?

• Change your plans
• Be realistic
• Get a job
• Support yourself

…a place in your house?

• Another person’s possessions
• A pet’s ashes
• A makeup case
• Unused exercise equipment

 
…a place in your city?

• A clearance store
• Downtown
• An abandoned lodge

…a place in the world?

• The Maldives
• Aruba
• Amsterdam
• Las Vegas, NV

…something to eat?

• Poultry
• Celery
• Food someone gave you

 
…something to clean?

• Someone else’s stuff

 
…where to find the missing item?

• In the chicken coop
• With someone else’s belongings

 
…a color? Red
 
…a movie theme? Dependency, reproductive issues

• Baby Mama
• Pretty Woman

• The Wedding Singer

 
…a new career?

• Marry for money
• Hobo
• Financial advisor
• Duck hunter
• Surrogate

Nine of Pentacles reversed
Before any card: A toxic dependency on (card)
After any card: deceit; superficiality; infertility

For more on what to do with your lack of resources, try tossing some Runes.

I'm rapidly approaching the end of my first year of grad school. I have one more big paper due in two weeks, and then some little things here and there to read and take notes on. 
I don't wanna.
Do you ever get to the end of a big project and just not want to finish? Like you've renovated your entire kitchen and the last thing to do is tack a few pieces of backsplash behind the coffee machine, but you're like - nope. It's fine.
No? Then you are one of the lucky ones. Those of us who live with attention deficit or bipolar personality disorder frequently suffer from Acute Unfinished Projects Syndrome. We throw ourselves whole-heartedly into the beginning of things, but the end peters out to nothing.
That's where I'm at with this last paper. nothing. I haven't even opened a blank Word doc for it yet. It is a very reversed eight of pentacles way to be. Maybe I'll go grab some fried cauliflower and groom my dog. 

The upright Eight of Pentacles is a skilled craftsperson or apprentice. This card is about patience, hard work, and pride over one's studies and work accomplishments.
Reversed, it is the negatives of school and work. It could be a boring job, mediocre work efforts, a lack of interest in studies or business, or underemployment.
 
Questions answered by the reversed Eight of Pentacles:
Who? Someone in a dead end career 
What? Poor quality work
Where? At the workplace
When? The end of August; When you get a boring project; 8 months
Why? “Dead-end roads don't mean you've come to your end, just means you need to take a different detour.” ~Anthony Liccione
Yes or No? No
 
The reversed Eight of Pentacles as:
…an action?

• Find a new fulfilling career
• Take a break from a project
• Watch out for shabby work

 
…a place in your house?

• A cluttered desk or room
• A collection of school supplies

 
…a place in your city?

• The pub during the daytime
• A cat café
• The movie theatre

…a place in the world?

• South Africa
• The Czech Republic
• Spain
• Slovakia

…something to eat?

• Chicken legs
• Canned food
• Fried cauliflower
• Stew

…something to clean?

• A pile of clutter
• Your desk

 
…where to find the missing item?

• In a junk drawer

 
…a color? blue, purple
 
…a movie theme? Boredom; underemployment

• The Breakfast Club
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• Tiny Furniture

 
…a new career?

• Technical Support representative
• Office assistant

• Dog groomer
• Student

Eight of Pentacles reversed
Before any card: There is a lack of success in (card)
After any card: Boredom; underemployment

Need more info on the reversed Eight of Pentacles? Grab Applied Tarot Reversed:

This last Saturday, I hosted a party for a bunch of teenagers here. It was our first giant event since the Before Times. It felt wonderful to have all that fresh energy running around the house, but with it came the need to dispose of old energy. I had so much clutter on tables, counters, floors, everywhere, and I needed to get rid of it, fast! So I dumped it all in my office and declared the office off limits to guests. 

I should have done more planning before agreeing to host this party. What I should have done is systematically gone through clutter and sorted into keep, giveaway, and throwaway categories. Instead, I threw it all into boxes or randomly onto my office desk, and now what I have is an office full of junk. It took a bunch of labor and resulted in getting nowhere fast. It is a very reversed Seven of Pentacles way to clean - tons of work with no net benefit at the end. I still own all the clutter, it's just now in one place. I still need to deal with it. 

I think I'll go eat a hot dog and watch Office Space.

The Seven of Pentacles upright is about patience assessment, perseverance and hard work.

Reversed, it’s almost always negative. You can look at the reversed seven as the opposite of hard work. It could be bad business management, an inability to complete what you’ve started, or not getting any benefits from your labor.   
 
Questions answered by the reversed Seven of Pentacles:
Who? One who is unable to retire
What? A failed investment; a debt
Where? At a failing business
When? The middle of May; Seven months ago; when the investment loses money
Why? “We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work” ~Thomas A. Edison
Yes or No? No

The reversed Seven of Pentacles as:
…an action?

• Change your mind
• Do not take action now

 
…a place in your house?

• Dirt
• Unused pots and pans
• A pile of unpaid bills

 
…a place in your city?

• An empty construction site
• An abandoned building

 
…a place in the world? 

• California
• India
• Barcelona, Spain
• The Suez canal
• Edinburgh, Scotland

…something to eat?

• Hot dogs
• Pie

 
…something to clean?

• The space around you right now

 
…where to find the missing item?

• Where you were last sitting or lying down

 
…a color? Light blue
 
…a movie theme? Laziness; bad business management

• 101 Dalmations
• Office Space
• Startup.com

 
…a new career?

• Line stand-in
• Tester – food, hotel, video game, etc

 
Seven of Pentacles reversed
Before any card: Bad business decisions about (card)
After any card: Failed investments; laziness

For more on this reversed seven, read Applied Tarot Reversed!

Times are tough in the 'ol Applied Divination house. I have two college kids who need first and last month's rent for next year's apartments, plus tuition payments will be due soon for all four of us (myself and three kids are in college at the same time! Whose bright idea was that?) 

Because of this financial pressure, I am hoarding every cent I can get, and robbing Peter to pay Paul! It's a glorious, selfish way to be. It is very reversed six of pentacles. I have nothing to give, so I'm not giving anything.

I'm trusting the reversed six of pentacles when it says my situation might improve at the beginning of May. 

​The upright Six of Pentacles brings us to a position where we either have enough resources to give back, or we are finally open to receiving gifts. Whether you are the giver or the receiver will depend on where you are in your life, but in either situation the six is about generosity and favors.

Reversed, there is a lack of generosity happening, or an abuse of power. If gifts are given, there may be strings attached. Someone isn’t helping someone else when they can or should.
 
Questions answered by the reversed Six of Pentacles:
Who? A miser 
What? No financial support
Where? In a selfish person’s possession
When? The Beginning of May; When help is requested
Why? “Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” ~Oscar Wilde
Yes or No? Yes

The reversed Six of Pentacles as:
…an action?

• Give more
• Ask someone for help

 
…a place in your house?

• The safe
• The bedroom closet

 
…a place in your city?

• A church
• A casino resort

• A country club

…a place in the world?

• Connecticut
• Uganda

• Portugal
• Vatican City

…something to eat?

• Soup or pudding
• Sloppy Joes

 
…something to clean?

• The master bedroom and closet
• The office

 
…where to find the missing item?

• In your personal belongings; on your person

 
…a color? Green, orange
 
…a movie theme? Selfishness, inequality

• Period. End of Sentence
• Slumdog Millionaire
• Lion

 
A new career?

• Software Developer
• Stock or mortgage broker
• Secretary

 
Six of Pentacles reversed
Before any card: There will be no assistance with (card)
After any card: Selfishness; inequality

For more on the Reversed Six of Pentacles, read Applied Tarot Reversed!