|
Finally, we come to the last entry in my card information items, the reversed King of Pentacles. This King might be greedy or corrupt, but if it represents you or me, it's more likely that our businesses are failing.
That could not be more true for me. I haven't put enough work into my business this month, and I'm way in the red. I've bought more than I've earned, and even readership of this free blog is down over 50% this month. It's not great. The other day I was joking around with my youngest son, who hadn't yet committed to a university, and I said if he waited any longer I'd cancel the whole thing, I couldn't afford for him to go, anyway. He asked if that was true, and that's when I had to do the math to figure it out. To put four of us through college in one year, we're spending more than my spouse's starting salary when we moved here in 2006. We have reversed my husband, the Kind of Pentacles. We've tipped him upside down and dropped every cent out of his pockets, just so we can get an education. Remember, I'm in grad school, we have a daughter who is a junior and applying to grad school this year, one son who is a sophomore in college, and our youngest son who - -just now put his deposit down on an expensive private school. Dammit, boy! Get a job, instead. College is for suckers, like your parents. 
Upright, the King of Pentacles is powerful and successful, but also conservative and miserly. The king is a great dad, and generous when there is a reward in return.
Reversed, this King might be unsuccessful in business, corrupt, broke, possibly a gambler, and a terrible father. Questions answered by the reversed King of Pentacles: Who? A greedy, materialistic person What? A corrupt business Where? A casino or house of ill repute When? Mid-August to early September; When the business is in the red Why? “An unsuccessful person feels obliged to praise himself all the time because in order to feel happy, he must compensate for his failure in a virtual way!” ~Mehmet Murat ildan Yes or No? Maybe The reversed King of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Red, blue, orange …a movie theme? failure; business corruption
…a new career?
King of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Be wary of extortion or failure in (card) After any card: Corruption; haste; greed Flip that sad King back right side up - read about the upright King in Applied Tarot
0 Comments
My youngest child has to make a decision this week about which University he'll attend in the fall. I am trying really hard not to influence his decision, but it is frustrating me to no end that he's putting it off this long. With three adult kids in Universities across the continent, I need to start making plans for moving their things and getting them settled.
I'm trying very hard not to be a - I had to pause writing this because I just saw some type of animal scoot past my window. It might have been a rat. I hope it was a bird. I screamed. I digress. I'm trying very hard not to be a manipulative, overbearing Mom. (I'm also trying hard not to scream at rodents.) My kids are adults now and they can make decisions for themselves, I just wish they'd do it sooner rather than later so I can figure out the rest of our lives. Working this all out also reminds me that I'll miss them and I'll be an empty nester very soon, which makes me very sad. I am very much the reversed Queen of Pentacles right now. I'm going to eat some cake and call my therapist. Update: It was a squirrel. Whew, that's fine. Sorry I screamed, squirrel. I am the reversed Queen and I'm freaking out. 
Upright, the Queen of Pentacles is a nurturing parent who is down-to-Earth, approachable, practical, and successful in business and at home.
Reversed, the queen is self-centered, smothering, possessive, manipulative, or is an otherwise bad mother. Questions answered by the reversed Queen of Pentacles: Who? A cruel woman What? Troubles in business or relationships Where? Your physical environment When? Mid December to early January; When a manipulator arrives Why? “What you feed will flourish. What you neglect will die.” ~Unknown Yes or No? No The Reversed Queen of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Orange, black …a movie theme? Smothering, a difficult woman
…a new career?
Queen of Pentacles reversed Before any card: A gross misunderstanding about (card) After any card: A difficult woman; a manipulator Did you know that most of the Tarot Cards have a matching Rune? The reversed Queen is akin to the reversed Berkano rune. For more on practical Rune divination, read Applied Runes! This past week I flew my son all over the country for various reasons relating to his entire future. First, we traveled to California to write a math test, in the hopes that one of the universities he has applied to will accept him. Next, we flew to Pennsylvania and New York to check out two universities he's been accepted to already, in the hopes that maybe he could just settle on one and we can move on. We left with less information than we started with. Both schools were perfectly fine in their own ways, and my kid could see himself at either. My son's apathy about which college to choose is a very reversed Knight of Pentacles way to be. Flying him around the country for no reason makes me freak out about money, and I begin to hoard it like another type of reversed Knight of Pentacles. My kid's Dad then gets all impatient because our son hasn't made a decision yet and the due date is fast approaching, so that's yet another type of reversed knight of pentacles. And all of this takes place during mid-April to mid-May, which is the prime knight of pentacles (reversed or upright) time of year. No wonder the knight represents this time, all these kids with their decisions not being made, and their parents freaking out, is the knight of pentacles to a tee. Time to nosh on some carbs.  Upright, the Knight of Pentacles is a guard or another type of stationary protector. While ambitious, this knight surveys the land and chooses the best courses of action before making a move, making this card about practicality and dependability.
Reversed, the knight is impatient, irresponsible, or doesn’t finish what he or she starts. This card could also indicate a problem with earning money, or someone who is greedy and materialistic. Questions answered by the reversed Knight of Pentacles: Who? An unreliable person What? Apathy Where? A large shopping center When? Mid-April to early May; When you’ve given up Why? “Many sophisticated, intelligent people lack wisdom and common sense.” ~Joyce Meyer Yes or No? Not now The reversed Knight of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Blue; green; purple …a movie theme? Complacency; unreliable narrators
A new career?
Knight of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Promises are not being kept about (card) After any card: Disloyalty; lack of common sense
This week we're traveling around the country for various reasons all related to my youngest son, who has to make a choice about University by May 1st.
Our first stop is Cupertino, California, where he'll write the Euclid Math Contest, an optional entry requirement for the University of Waterloo. We need to do all the optional things because he needs all the help he can get for consideration in these applications. His ability to excel at schoolwork during the pandemic was... not great. He's got a high SAT and 5s across the board on AP tests, but those Covid Ds do not look good on his academic record. The next day we head back to crash at the airport for one night, then we're flying to Pennsylvania, hopping in a car, and touring a couple of the schools he did get into, to see if he likes them enough to attend. Here's where this stuff is all Page of Pentacles related - it's expensive! and unrealistic! This trip is costing us a fortune, all because my kids' grades weren't quite good enough to get into some closer schools. Of course he had to apply to the hardest field to get into, as well. If he were going into Humanities, we wouldn't be flying around the country like this. His college advisor said "Computer Science is the bloodsport of college admissions." Every student in CS is having trouble getting accepted this season, not just ours. They're all pages of pentacles, suffering bad news, not getting into some of their safest safety schools, and costing their parents a fortune just trying to figure it all out. I feel bad for all of them. My accountant feels bad for me. I'm going to go eat a Pizza and download The Hangover for our flight. 
Upright, the Page of Pentacles is a young, studious individual. This is a card about going back to school or engaging in activism for a sustainable future.
Reversed, this page is unfocused, disorganized, immature, and unrealistic. The reversed page might be the bearer of bad news, or a warning that you are living a champagne life on a lemonade budget. Questions answered by the reversed Page of Pentacles: Who? A careless young person What? A lack of money Where? An amusement park When? Spring (Northern Hemisphere) or Fall (Southern Hemisphere); When the money runs out; after college Why? “Never spend your money before you have earned it.” ~Thomas Jefferson Yes or No? No The reversed Page of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Purple, red, green …a movie theme? Bad news; immaturity
…a new career?
Page of Pentacles reversed Before any card: A lack of common sense about (card) After any card: Bad news; being unfocused
Switching up from Tarot? Try our companion book, Applied Runes. It has more info for your confused and unrealistic young'uns!
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?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? blue, green …a movie theme? Debt; financial disaster; family trouble
…a new career?
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?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Red …a movie theme? Dependency, reproductive issues
…a new career?
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?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? blue, purple …a movie theme? Boredom; underemployment
…a new career?
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?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Light blue …a movie theme? Laziness; bad business management
…a new career?
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?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? Green, orange …a movie theme? Selfishness, inequality
A new career?
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!
Thank goodness it's short, because I hate February. February is when the bad things happen. When the bills and taxes from last year start coming due, when it's the coldest (northern hemisphere) or the hottest (southern hemisphere) time of year so you're just miserable, and it's when the OB/GYN calls to tell you it's a boy but he'll probably die after birth in April.
That last part might just have been me. It was trauma that happened 20 years ago, but it happened in February and I hated it. The baby was fine, by the way. He's in college spending my money. Money! That reminds me... what was I talking about? Ah yes, the reversed five of pentacles is the end of this hardship. It is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a savior who has come to help, or a solution you didn't think of, or just the end of an always-stressful time of year. On the advice of the reversed five, today I'm going to restock my medicine cabinet and eat a healthy salad. 
The Five of Pentacles upright is about poverty and feeling unstable. There is a need to look for opportunities, or change from a mindset of scarcity to gratitude.
Reversed, you've seen the light at the end of the tunnel. There might be a slight improvement in finances, the end of a difficult situation, or a financial or physical recovery. Questions answered by the reversed Five of Pentacles: Who? Someone in recovery What? Employment; security Where? Inside When? The end of April; When things start looking up Why? “Always hold on to the material things with open hands" ~G Swiss Yes or No? Maybe The reversed Five of Pentacles as: …an action?
…a place in your house?
…a place in your city?
…a place in the world?
…something to eat?
…something to clean?
…where to find the missing item?
…a color? blue …a movie theme? Recovery, finding hope
A new career?
Five of Pentacles reversed Before any card: Overcoming a difficult period of (card) After any card: recovery; financial breakthrough For more on the reversed Five of Pentacles, read Applied Tarot Reversed! |
Buy the Book
AboutEmily loses her keys and uses divination tools to find them. Sometimes it works! Archives
October 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed