Once again, I let the cards choose the theme of this pick-a-card reading. The themes that popped up spoke of building security and long lasting structures for everyone’s ability to thrive. The Ten of Pentacles came forward, which represents resources being well used to gain a sense of stability and safety for a family — or in this case, a community. The artwork on this card in the deck I chose depicts a young couple holding each other in the distance, a young child standing in the yard, and an older gentleman sitting with his dog just outside the archway. The man may or may not be related to this family, but the point is that regardless of their relation to each other, everyone has ‘pentacles’ (community resources). In a stable community, the vulnerable are taken care of. 

So for this reading, we ask the cards, “What do I need to do in order to contribute to the stability of this community?”

For some of us it will be about taking direct action, while for others, now may be the time to temporarily step back so that they do not burn out in the long run. Take a few centering breaths, and see which section catches your attention. As always, feel free to journal and reflect, as this reading is only the beginning of the message.

CARD ONE:

The Ten of Wands is a card of responsibility towards community, hard work that serves people well, and efforts that feel balanced. This time, it has appeared in the reversed position, indicating a period of heavy burnout, resentment, and hard work that is not paying off in the way it is meant to. Working hard feels rewarding when you know that the young and old around you are going to be well taken care of, that the effort is going to the long-term sustainability of those you care about. When that payoff goes unrealized, resentment can quickly build over the hard work that you’re doing with no benefit to those you want to protect.

This is a call to identify the areas of your life that are leading to burnout. Some of those areas require some rebalancing that you may be able to do within your personal life — such as delegating tasks or saying no to opportunities that you do not have room for at the moment — but others are far bigger societal imbalances that we cannot solve as individuals. When it comes to those larger issues, now is the perfect time to raise your voice and lean on the community. You as an individual may not be able to fix everything, but there are those around you that may have skills and knowledge that is compatible with yours in a way that can motivate change. 

Many of us are going through prolonged periods of burnout; you are being asked to stop trying to shoulder it all alone.

CARD TWO:

The Three of Wands is a very exciting card. It represents the moment that a plan becomes a reality. This card likes to appear when you're on the brink of an exciting new beginning that will shift the course of your life. As part of the Wands suit, this message speaks specifically about the changes that impact your passions and pursuits in life. The Three of Wands, specifically, is about the fuel for your ambitions. It is an invitation to start building the structures you will need in order to live the life of your dreams — as if they are already yours. On a larger scale, this is an invitation to our community to keep building the changes we want to see.

If you were drawn to this message, it is time to stop refining the plan; now is the moment to take the first steps in your new direction. You are ready to see the expansion of your goals, and there is a great amount of potential on this journey just waiting for you to find it. This card is giving you a huge green light, particularly regarding goals that involve you shifting your life and perspective towards a new direction. You will look back on the decisions you make now with the realization that your life would have been so different if you hadn’t embraced your dreams. 

Head down your new path bravely, and with a sense of purpose.

CARD THREE:

The World is one of the Major Arcana cards, which means it is an impactful and very important message that typically refers to multiple areas of your life at once. The World is about completion and fulfillment, and being right where you need to be. This card shows up when you have been working very hard on your personal growth and navigating the shifts in your life. It represents the moment you make it to the peak of the mountain you have been hiking and take in the view, and it will soon be time to head back down and plan your next adventure.

You did it. Your hard work is paying off in ways you may not yet see or anticipate. If you got this card, you need to know that your efforts mattered, and that it is time to breathe and accept a job well done, even if forces outside of yourself did not allow the end result to come to fruition in the way you had hoped. Regardless, you climbed the mountain. Celebrate every person you met along the way and every sip of water you offered to those who were struggling. Also celebrate every helping hand you received from others, too. Do not let yourself get pulled under by the guilt of all those you could not carry up the mountain with you, for they are on a different journey and have their own paths to walk. (Consider that not everyone is even tasked with getting up the mountain.) 

This was your path, and you need to take a moment to acknowledge that you’ve completed this chapter of it. Do something that marks the occasion and celebrates how far you’ve come.

Jae Melland is a tarot, rune, and palm reader. You can visit seidrwhispers.com to schedule a reading or see her at her shop, Luna Apothecary on Clearwater in Kennewick.

Illustrations by Liam Bray