TAROT

Hierophant § Ten of Pentacles § Two of Swords

The Hierophant is, among her other duties, a keeper of records. This is the person who makes note of birthdays, graduations, and divorces too. Though she is not the least bit nosey, The Hierophant is privy to personal secrets because she often tends to those deep in grief or, conversely, those in the thralls of new hope. She is meant to act as a guide for the inner life of those she serves. It is from this experience with humanity that her wisdom has been forged. If you need a lesson on when to speak and when to refrain from comment, The Hierophant will teach you right away. The Hierophant suggests we treat all confidences with extreme care and consider how casually we can lie or misrepresent ourselves and others without consciously intending to do so. If we embrace the opportunity to objectively observe ourselves in this way, we will develop our skill for hearing it in others. The Hierophant encourages us to come from a place of seeking solutions rather than one of retribution at this time.

The Ten of Pentacles points our attention to wealth in general and to generational wealth specifically. We are asked to examine our relationship to transparency when it comes to our personal finances. What do we share about our personal wealth? Our absence of wealth? Our expected inheritances (or lack thereof)? Know yourself when it comes to this type of disclosure. Culture continues with its shifting nature and we can expect a change in the norms around how we talk about money. Where do you stand on how to create economic justice, and would that change were you to face a reversal of fortune in either direction? There is no correct answer. This is only an exploration of our own comfort and discomfort regarding the topics and feelings that collect around wealth. Think about it, because it is customary to use vague and subjective expressions in regards to individual holdings. One person’s broke is another person’s financial goal. We have created a culture of omission around wealth and poverty so thorough that we lack a meaningful social language to assess how much risk we are taking in comparison to our cohorts. We can make the best choices if we assess our own relationship to the imprecise terms used in America’s version of a classless society.

The suit of swords represents the mind, our thoughts, and our ability to process and translate information as we encounter it. We also think about our feelings, which is what sets a process in motion that eventually synthesizes the two into action. Even persons who are not consciously interactive with their feelings act on the thoughts those feelings provoke. The Two of Swords suggests—strenuously —that we reserve as much of our energy as possible for those who nourish our very best and for our own very private thoughts and considerations. The key to keeping calm in the midst of intellectual and emotional calamity is the confidence derived from knowing what you think, and why. This will assist whether you like to spar or prefer to focus on common ground and alliance building. Pass the final days of 2024 with the full knowledge that you will be up for what comes in the new year. May we give our spirit the preparation for which it longs.