Being the person I am, not only did I pull a card every day during 2016, but I also recorded my draws and made a set of graphs to compare all my cards (I know, I’m a geek 🤓). It was interesting to note, and also quite affirming, that my year was incredibly heavy in Pentacles. Now thinking logically, if we were to completely remove any magic from the Tarot then over the year there should be a rather even amount of each Minor suit drawn and a higher majority of Majors drawn simply because the suits are equal in number and there are more Major’s in the deck! Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe this, as I believe that each card comes to you for a reason and hence the draws are not going to be evenly spread between the suits, but I just wanted to put it out there for those of you who still feel a bit skeptical about the Tarot’s power. Now as I said before, my year was heavy on Pentacles, between 25-38 more Pentacles than the other three Minor suits, and only 15 less Pentacles than Majors!

Crazy right!! No, not really, because looking back at 2016, most of my time and energy was spent at work, and thinking about my life with regards to my job and my future. Now don’t get me wrong, my year wasn’t only the drudgery of day to day working life! I met my partner Phillip ❤️, which changed my world completely, we went on lots of adventures together 😊, and he brought love back into my life 😊. I also got back into acting and performed in a full time play while also working full time! So 2016 was a blessed year as well, but with regards to my daily draws, the fact that my working life had changed, and was now impacting my work/life balance was clearly evident! And what card, more than any other card in the deck, came up most often you ask? Was it The Empress you say?  Oh you cheeky bugger, no my Tarot Stalker from way back when only came up 4 times out of a possible 365!!! So who was it then? Why it was the Knight of Pentacles of all cards. The Tarot’s famous workhorse.

The Knight of Pentacles is traditionally seen as the most reliable and moderate of all the knights. He does not come across as hot tempered like the Knight of Wands can, nor overly emotional like the Knight of Cups can if he is not centred in his emotions, nor is he seen as blunt and unfeeling like the Knight of Swords can often be. No, the Knight of Pentacles’ shadow side comes out in an unadventurous, overly work focussed energy. Work always comes first for this Knight, and he can quite often forget that life should be fun! Not only is he work focussed but he can also be obsessive to a fault, concentrating on what is wrong with an inflexible and compulsive need for perfection. This sounds a bit like me during 2016!

Now of course, like all cards in the deck the Knight of Pentacles is not simply a one sided coin. Although his actions are generally always motivated by resources, finances or the material world and he can come across as dull and stubbornly set in his ways, he also has the stamina and patience for the long haul. Give him a task and he will sit there until it is done, and not only just done, it will be done perfectly. He is an incredibly hard worker and you know that anything he does will be done with upmost care due to his rigorous work ethic and a methodical attention to detail. He is also incredibly reliable because of his deep sense of commitment and responsibility.

In the Shadowscapes interpretation above we see the Knight sitting atop a great Earth Dragon. The Earth Dragon is grounded and slow, in comparison to his cousins of the Air, but he is undeniable in his power and progress. The Knight sits there, seeing his goal close at hand, represented by the lights dangling from the tree, but he keeps his Dragon still. For he knows the value of active observation. He will not rush in and make a mistake. Rather he is cautious and realistic. He is the spirit of patience, of biding your time knowing that you can do what is asked of you!

So why did this card come up for me so often!?!? Well, the start of 2016 was when I officially became the Manager of my store; a promotion from Assistant Manager. The Knight of Pentacles can often represent a time where you a required to take charge and assume responsibility and this was definitely me during 2016! Initially I was very excited with plans to increase the profitability of my store, which I did in fact accomplish, using the Knight’s patience and commitment to perfection. But as I indicated earlier the Knight of Pentacles can also represent the drudgery of the day to day, routine, routine, routine! Which is how I started to feel by the end of 2016! My commitment to the job was starting to take all of my energy and I had very little left to pursue my passions. And on top of this he represents an overly conservative approach to living, leaving the risk taking to his counterpart from the realm of fire 🔥. Very much like myself during 2016.

I think it’s interesting to note that for most of the year I was implementing the more constructive traits of the Knight of Pentacles but as the year came to a close and throughout the first half of 2017, his more deconstructive traits were coming to the forefront! Skipping forward however, for the last 12 months, I’ve been actively thinking about where I want to go in my life and what will help me be happy and fulfilled! I’ve been torn though, growing more and more unhappy with the conservative approach to life while still being afraid of jumping out and following my passion! The Knight of Pentacles still really had a hold on me! However, I am happy to say that now I have made a decision to let go of the need for perfection and the conservative approach to my life that I had been living for the past two and a half years, and like The Fool, I am taking a leap of faith, and putting my energy where I wish to eventually create a career. And that is here, with you all, and through the remarkable tool that is the Tarot!

Until next time,

Live well xx