Tend to your Garden

Tarot Inspired Reflection
For the week of Jan. 27. 2008

The King of Pentacles is a person who has become defined by nothing more than his or her earthly existence. S/he is so focused on material wealth that, in the vein of “Chauncy Gardniner” (a character in the film “Being There”) s/he has ‘left the garden untended.’ It has become overgrown and instead of growing, it is dying.

Unfortunately, (and ultimately) this is what happens in relationships when someone becomes so obsessed with work, and the prestige that the appearance of having money provides, that they may forget that it is relationships that are the true meaning and joy of life — not money — not work — and with that obsession the relationships they value the most begin to die.

The very people in their lives who are suppose to represent ‘refuge, safety and security’ in their lives are no longer there because a wall has been erected between them. Some people may try in vein to ‘buy’ love, but only do so because they don such a coat of armor that no other person can penetrate it. That armor will eventually begin to rust from the inside out so that no one can see the torment from the outside. And because people on the outside can’t see it, it’s easy to pretend it doesn’t exist.

In fact, people may become so bullheaded in their own view about money, they will actually stamp out any obstacle that gets in their way. This might be any obstacle, no matter how logical, which might require them to not only think about their own lives, but to feel their own lives, which may free them from the subconscious sludge they have created for themselves.

There is hope, however. If the tattered relationship is important enough to them — human beings will search for a sense of direction, knowledge and wisdom to know that there indeed is a problem, and what to do about it. If that love and desire for that relationship is strong enough, with mental awareness, insight, and determination to work for what is really important in life, a more balanced life and truly satisfying relationships are possible.

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Symbols Used:

• Yellow: Sense of direction. Logic over emotions or intuition. Search for knowledge and wisdom. Mental activity and awareness.

• Pink Flowers: love

• Pentacles: Material world. May indicate distress of the soul.

• Castle: Refuge, safety, protection.

• Bull’s Head: Stability, inflexibility

• Grapevines: abundance, subconscious