Seven of Pentacles

Rider-Waite-Smith

Ever have one of those days when you wake up feeling both wonderful and stressed? Life's good ~ great even ~ yet there are momentary set-backs or thoughts or feelings whisking one away to the dark side. To offset these fluctuating emotions seemingly so at odds with each other, I renewed my practice of drawing an oracle card.

Today's card is the Seven of Pentacles. A very fitting draw. The Seven of Pentacles is about pausing for a moment and taking stock of where one is ~ in the world, financially, at work, in society in general. And it's a good place to be. In the Rider-Waite-Smith image, the pentacles/coins are flowering on a plant. They are still in the growth phase, recognizable as the fruit and looking good...yet not quite ready for the harvest. The farmer looks at them, checking out where they are in their growth. This is a card of patience for a coming reward.

Shapeshifter Tarot

In the Shapeshifter Tarot, the Seven of Pentacles is titled Growth. There is a sense of forward motion as well as a blossoming of flowers and fruit. The horses on this card have a feel of movement. The woman and horse in the center look forward to.....something just over the horizon. Again, there is is a sense of waiting, of watchfulness, of wariness. Amidst all the light and beauty this is a time to pause, a time for reflecting on the possibilities of what is coming next.

When I see the beauty and abundance around me, my first tendency is to jump into it, to run over to the nearest fig tree, grab the fruit and take a bite. My impatience has more than once led me to spit out the bitter, not-quite-ripe fruit. I have caught myself anxious for something ~ from a meal to a blog post to bright sunshine or a snowfall ~ wanting what is not quite done, incomplete to express itself fully. The challenge remains to continue to wait for the fullness of time.


What have you wanted to be ready before its time? Did you catch yourself before biting into it? How do you prepare yourself for the challenge of waiting? Do you take stock of what has led to this time and continued to wait? Or rushed forward before things are ripe?