9 of Pentacles

 In order to get to the essence of each card in the Minor Arcana, I like to find the underlying theme among the cards of the same number, which you can also find in their Major Arcana Counterpoint. So, the 9s in the Minors relate to the Hermit—the Major 9—and all share a common theme of personal responsibility. Our work in the 9s is something we must do on our own—no one else is going to swoop in and make it happen for us. 9 of Pentacles is about building a life that is our own. While it’s often interpreted as wealth or abundance, I find that it’s more about self-definition. When we envision a life that feels like *home* to us, that feels like *our own*, what does that look like? Can we trust that we are capable and resourced enough to take care of ourselves, and to find a sense of intimate belonging in our own lives and in our own skin? I find that this card often comes up for folx who are getting divorced, for instance, and are having to take care of themselves alone for the first time in a long time. 9 of Pentacles reflects both the personal financial responsibility involved--and serves as reassurance that they are capable of handling it--but also shows that the time is now for creating a life that is truly unique and reflective of who they are. 9 of Pentacles can also reflect a state of health and ease in the body, or serve as a reminder that you are totally safe and not at risk of material ruin. 

When this card comes up in any reading, it asks us to recognize what we already have.  What are you “rich” in? A sense of abundance is available here if we learn to make a true accounting of our inner and outer resources. 

the Sun

The Sun is one of the final cards of the Major Arcana, which as a whole can be read as the narrative of our spiritual development. So coming towards the end the story, the Sun represents a rebirth; throughout the ‘Fool’s Journey’ of the Majors, we have established the self, begun to question the self, and ultimately surrendered the self. In the Sun, we have reached a point where the deeper spiritual trials have done their work. We have wrestled with our shadows and have become, in so many ways, *new*. When this card comes up in our readings, it calls us to acknowledge all the work we’ve done to grow and allow ourselves to feel the fruits of that: the lightness in our being, and a sense of abiding faith and hope that we have developed over time that allows us to trust ourselves and our path. Optimism is warranted when this card is present. I also feel that this card is one where we begin to understand how interwoven our spiritual and emotional selves are with everyone around us. We are all particles of light, not separate from one another. Humanity is its own organism. I always think of the practice of metta meditation the Sun card shows up, and see it as an invitation to extend compassion and warmth and loving-kindness towards all those around me. 

Page of Wands

I think of Page of Wands very simply as “permission to hope”. This card often shows up when we have ended something or completed a phase of our lives that was difficult and heavy. We find that reflected in the 10 of Wands, which precedes the Page: an experience of burden or labor (often emotional labor, but sometimes literal labor as in too much damn work) that has drained us of optimism and joy. In the 10 we find a saturation point, but in the Page, something has shifted enough to allow us to see ourselves and our circumstances with a renewed sense of possibility. We find ourselves here with a stirring of long-dormant ambition and a hunger for new experiences. Page of Wands relishes in anticipation and teaches us to savor the beginnings of things. It tells us to go ahead and believe that things could be *good*. 

The High Priestess

The High Priestess is a card that carries a lot of weight and significance in the Tarot community. Being a card that in many ways represents access to our intuitive self, its energy is often joyfully welcomed in readings. High Priestess is considered a passive or reflective card, and while we embody this energy in our turn inward to hear the whisper of our own innate wisdom, it is not often a place where we actively make decisions. We may desire answers very much, but in the silent, interior space of the High Priestess, we are simply in a time of consideration and contemplation. This card is ruled by the Moon, as so it can remind us of the wisdom of cycles, and that everything comes in phases. What is illuminated at one point in time will be shadowed in another, and vice versa, so the High Priestess patiently watches the unfolding revelation of the truth. 

for more on the High Priestess see my YouTube video

4 of Cups

Four of Cups is a card of emotional digestion. Much is said about the figure in this card refusing the cup that is being offered, and there are suggestions that he is being petulant and bratty. While that *can* be the case, it’s good to explore the reason behind that refusal. There are 3 cups on the ground, the contents of which we could infer that this character has already consumed. Perhaps this person is just really *full*, and they need to sit and wait on this new offering until they have the capacity for it, both literally and figuratively. It is not wise to binge on anything, right? Not only can you make yourself sick, but at some point you stop enjoying the whole experience. You become numb to the flavor of things. Even if you *want* to keep saying ‘Yes!’ and ‘More!’, eventually you have to concede that you just need a break. You have to allow what you’ve already taken in to process, digest, and absorb. Our hearts can be like sponges; holding so much they become heavy and can make our energy leaden and even depressed. We can misinterpret that for emptiness, when it is just the opposite. We can wonder what’s wrong with us that we have no *appetite* for life when it is just that we are full. This card tells us that it’s wise to give ourselves that time away from the ‘buffet of the heart’ so to speak, and allows us to trust that when our appetite returns, more will be waiting for us.