When we look at the closing of the cycle of Pentacles, we see a story of hard work that has an ultimate payout of happiness, success, and longevity. We see the first real transformation begin with the V of Pentacles (poverty or hardship) and then to the VI of Pentacles (charity, recognizing/receiving support) up to today's card: the VII of Pentacles.
Traditionally, the VII of Pentacles is a card of patience, hard work, and investment; you put in the work, you reap the rewards - good or bad. With the suit of Pentacles, I think it's easy to associate this with financial investment (slow, progressive increases), growth of a business, or even improvements in physical health (whether that be lowering your blood pressure/cholesterol/blood sugar or getting swole and ripped with a daily workout routine). All these scenarios take dedication, focus, and hard work to see the results. It only seems obvious that the next card, the VIII of Pentacles, is the card of mastery, the indicator that not only have you achieved progress in your journey, but you are finding mastery through daily repetition (GAINS!).
Of course, there's a downside to this card too. This card of patience can also become a card of impatience and neglect, where we find ourselves cutting corners to find quick wins. I saw a TikTok of a guy talking about his workout journey who said he regretted, in the beginning, doing what he called "dirty bulking," a process of eating a shit-ton of calories and doing intense workouts to convert it to muscle. The reality is that yes, he got bigger, but really just added a lot of fat, ultimately defeating all the work he'd done in the gym. (Did you hear the "wah wah" horns?) There are some things in life you just can't - or shouldn't - rush. We've talked about this with our son and used the phrase, "play shitty games, get shitty prizes." He understands the concept.
The Seven of Pentacles playlist is available on Spotify.
Message of the Day: So yes, we get that the VII of Pentacles is a card of patience, hard work, and investment. It's slow growth and, hopefully, steady progress. Outside of the more "superficial" things (money, job, zaddy), there are other things that are deserving of a careful, patient hand: our relationships.
Taking this internally, it's very hard NOT to notice how this card applies to parenting, which is specifically why I chose the VII of Pentacles from the Ellis DecK Tarot. Anyone with children can understand what it is to watch your child grow: checking off benchmarks, growing physically, mentally, emotionally. It's often hard, when you're in the moment, to find patience. I remember thinking when our son was 2 years old, "fuck, I can't wait till this kid can talk so he can just tell us what the hell is wrong with him." (Turned out he was mega-constipated.) Fast forward five years, and I'm saying "fuck, what was I thinking? He won't ever shut up." (Roblox, Roblox, Roblox, Pokemon, OMFGBBQ ROBLOX!) Maintaining patience with a child (particularly a neurodivergent child) is a Sisyphean task; you find it and breathe (everything's gonna be ok), only to have them roll right back down over you, wiping out any progress you in maintaining a level head. Fuck.
And you know, this isn't just parenting - it's any relationship. Having patience with a friend who's going through a hard time. Patience for a family member who is sick. Patience with a husband who wakes up at the ass-crack of dawn and decides to very loudly eat cereal, clinking his spoon against his bowl repeatedly to devour every morsel of your sanity.
It's all hard work. If we stay too hyper-focused on a situation, the results come out shit. It's like overwatering a plant, over-fertilizing your yard, or moving in with your lesbian girlfriend after two weeks of a VERY intense relationship: lots of effort, but often with unintended results. Sometimes you have to force yourself to step back and simply be an observer to the progress. Tarot is very good at helping achieve that; it helps you step out of a situation to look at things from a 3rd party perspective.
Otherwise, you find yourself waking up one morning to your child turning 18 and walking out the door to college. You wind up in the heat of summer having missed the beauty of spring. You wind up with a bottle of vinegar without having enjoyed the sweetness of the wine. (YES. I should work for fuckin' Hallmark.)
Ultimately, the VII of Pentacles is inviting you to work your ass off on the things that are important. Sure, money, career, and health are important in life. But so are your relationships. When tending the seeds and blossoms of your relationship, how are you nurturing them? Are you taking the time to enjoy your efforts (smell the roses)? Are you able to maintain patience when tending the garden, or do you tend to over-prune when pulling weeds? How often do you decide to just burn the whole damn thing down? How often do you cut corners just to hurry up and get to the end?
So many of the little things in life pass us by simply because we constantly want or expect more. Have you ever seen the movie "Home for the Holidays" (the one with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr. - brilliant movie - we watch it every year at Thanksgiving)? If you haven't, please do. [SPOILER:] The clencher is the last 3 minutes of the movie when we see the tiny, short, "happiest" moments of these people's lives, viewed from the 3rd person. It's a reminder that so much in life is fleeting, and if we focus our hard work on the wrong things, we will miss the things that matter.
“I know a planet where there is a certain red-faced gentleman. He has never smelled a flower. He has never looked at a star. He has never loved anyone. He has never done anything in his life but add up figures. And all day he says over and over, just like you: 'I am busy with matters of consequence!' And that makes him swell up with pride. But he is not a man - he is a mushroom!” - The Little Prince
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