“You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of interbeing, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer.”
There is that shift from the balmy summer days to the glorious colours of autumn. Little by little we see a marked change in our environment which gives us the opportunity to prepare for the oncoming darker days of winter and reminds us to make sure we have harvested all that we need as we move forward into the cold time.
Across the globe we have been seeing impressive displays of the power of a tempest. One can’t help but wonder if we are being reminded that we are a part of nature not separate from it and that we have to learn to live with the Earth and all her cycles. This seems to be a work in progress.
To meditate on Earth is to meditate on the connectedness between the body and the Earth. The Earth herself is a body and we are born from her consciousness. When we are grounded and aligned in our life we can expect to live a happy, healthy and productive life. When we heal ourselves we heal the Earth. Everything that we find on the Earth plane is sentient, animate and has substance.
We see her personified in Tarot as the Empress but it is the Pentacles and their connection to the element of Earth which tells us much about living a full and whole life. Wandering through the suit of Pentacles we get an insight into a set of thoughts, ideas and recipes for life itself. We begin to see that our life on the physical plane is immensely spiritual and one should not underestimate the power of a life that is well lived. The most spiritual thing you can do is simply to be alive.
The imagery in the RWS deck is evocative of Mother Mary and the Christ child, Isis and Horus. This imagery sends the message that we are from the Earth and of the Earth and as such it is within our nature to nurture. This Queen is the archetypal mother, Goddess, nourisher and giver of life. She warmly supports those she loves, enjoys companionship and sharing with others. Generous, affectionate and joyful in her pleasures hers is the domain of the process of life. She speaks of sexuality, rhythms and cycles, fertility and earthy power. Our Queen reminds us to take care of our health, to save a little for a rainy day and to be comfortable in the the home. What a beautiful window on the world she opens for us.
The Ace of Pentacles can appear like an answered prayer; we are offered a second chance to be in the material mix, to enjoy the fruits of our labours and receive new zest and energy to set our life aright. We are here to play and to learn in the garden. Here we find the prima materia, the beginning of the transition from physical into spiritual. Time to get rid of the dross and to be inspired and stimulated by all that we see hear and do. The physical experience is important in the progress of the soul and the reason for our incarnation.
Here we see the human condition at its most vulnerable. It is a card of isolation, poor health, disconnection and despair. It shows a lack of communication with the inner presence. Poverty consciousness pervades all that we do and spiritual concepts won’t pull us back from ever widening abyss. Perhaps it is time to be less concerned with self and instead offer oneself for service; perhaps there are things to be done for the community, assistance to be offered to those that deserve love and kindness. It is time to shine the light, your gift to the world.
It is how we rule our kingdom. It is the security of all our efforts. It is about investment, in ourselves, in bricks and mortar, in our environment. We find ourselves considering personal leadership, the well-being of family. None of us are without a story, it is for us to leave our footprint through our story. Ancestral wisdom has given positive aspirations and we realise that we are the result of a love of thousands.
So, the suit of Pentacles can be a treatise on correct living which can help us as we look for meaning and purpose on our path.
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TRY THIS SPREAD
- How strong are my roots?
- What do I need to do to be grounded?
- What must I do to strengthen my stability
- What do I need to know about my relationship to the Earth?
- Which area of my life do I need to invest more energy?
- Influences around career
- Influences around family
- Influences from my community
- Moving forward.
