THREE OF PENTACLES § EIGHT OF WANDS § NINE OF PENTACLES
We move into April on the solid footing of the Three of Pentacles. Our work or development is clear; others see it even if we don’t just yet. If your instinct is to reject acknowledging your own accomplishments, ask yourself why you refuse. This is especially important if doing so affords you a greater sense of safety from the possible critiques of others. Find a small advancement you made—the smaller the better—and enjoy a micro celebration in honor of it. The reason for choosing a lesser accomplishment to commemorate is to teach our minds to notice and appreciate our everyday triumphs over the innumerable obstacles we all face. This is the method by which we energize ourselves for full engagement with what is most meaningful to us and maybe even feel something we might describe as happy.
The suit of wands signifies the element of fire and it assists us in sorting through our inspired ideas and passionate feelings. The Eight of Wands represents the ideas we put into the world in some way. These ideas are not necessarily fully formed but operate more like feelers searching for the right collaborators or resources to further the initial, inspired thought. Some of the eight wands depicted here will puncture the hillside, gaining the stability they need to burn brightly, while others will not. If we have not already flung our wands, now is the right time. Proposals that build on, or extract from, our pre-existing knowledge base or experiences are most likely to get the desired traction at this time.
The Nine of Pentacles indicates that our best possible outcomes will be achieved through inspired perseverance. The figure in this card is here to mentor us through the development of habits that tend to elude us and thereby hold us back. Whether it is time management or confidence or organizational skills that we wish to improve, she is ready for us. Sit quietly and ask yourself for one trait to build and one tendency to drop. This simple act will point you in the right direction instantly. What we deserve has nothing to do with what we actually get in this world. It is important to divest ourselves of outdated notions about hard work, morality, and suffering as tokens to trade in for what we want or what we think will make us feel the way we want to feel. May our most practical endeavors produce magical results.
reading by Michelle Embree
illustration by Gurleen Rai