Monthly Reflection: The Star & Seven of Pentacles

Deck: Dark Wood Tarot

August Reflection - The Star

I’m pleased to say that we begin September in a powerful and positive position!

So, let’s get the tough stuff out of the way first, shall we? With The Star as our card for August, this may have started out as a challenging month. In the image we see here, bats circle in a dark sky. The woman in the image is stripped bare, vulnerable. This is a general reading of course, but for some people, there may have been a bit of a ‘dark night of the soul’ type moment - where we just feel awful, hopeless and exposed. If you have felt this way in August, I’m glad for say this isn’t for nothing. There is value in the difficulty you have endured this past month, because it has healed something, whether tangible or intangible. When I say ‘healed’, this has a somewhat metaphorical meaning. It’s like a wound has been brought to our attention, perhaps a wound reopened, that never fully healed, or maybe one that we’ve ignored for far too long. Either way, it’s been brought to our attention because it needs to be dealt with, in order for us to move forward and embrace our future in the best possible way. We cannot carry this into the next chapter of our journey, and so we needed to address it right now.

Note that the bats circling are actually flying away. The Star in the sky shines so brightly, that it is exposing them. Like these bats, what darkness or energy-draining things (bats are synonymous with vampires after all) have been exposed in your life, during the month of August?

While these epiphanies, realisations and situations can be acutely painful and difficult in the moment, these cards indicate that you are on the other side. August is over, and what does The Star bring beyond healing? It brings hope.

The storm we may have been through in August has reached its conclusion, and here we sit in the calm that follows. You may feel a little delicate, but make no mistake, you are stronger for the experience. Sometimes, when we’ve been in fight or flight mode, it can be difficult to turn it off. The stillness that we face now may feel almost eerie - what’s coming? What’s next? If you feel like this, be gentle with yourself, and take it easy for a minute. It’s a bit like straining an ankle. We’ve been through the difficult and painful process of healing, and now we’re ready to start walking on that leg again. This isn’t the time to go and run a marathon. But if we can ease ourselves gently back into normal activity, we will be capable of running that marathon, given time.

Essentially, the path has been cleared by a perhaps turbulent or difficult time during August, perhaps even before that, but the dust has settled. We can now see a hopeful future ahead - we can see a future that is beyond what we ever thought possible, only made possible by the events that have arisen lately. And although we’re ready to move forward, September is a month for patience.

September Outlook - Seven of Pentacles

The Seven of Pentacles reminds us to have patience. It tells us that anything that is worthwhile takes time to build. As you can see, the pentacles in this image have been planted, and now the woman in the card is resting. The reason she can rest? She has built a scarecrow, who is now looking after her crops.

A few things here. Firstly, you have planted some seeds, laid some foundations, in the months previous, that will grant you a bit of grace this month. You may be eager to push, push, push, but consider to yourself, are you in this for short-term gain or long-term success? If it’s the latter, why push yourself so hard? I go back to that marathon analogy - why push yourself to exhaustion at the start? You’ll never make it to the finish line. Slow and steady wins the race. Some of this comes from having trust and faith in yourself and all the efforts you have made in the months previous. Trust that you have done enough, and that it is safe to take rest when you need it this month, recharge, and go again when it’s time. Perhaps those seeds you planted need some time to take root, and then they will need your attention again. You’ll be in a much better position to do so if you grant yourself some grace now.

Secondly, there is that fight or flight thing coming back in here again. The scarecrow stands watch, allowing the woman in the image to sleep, and so she is safe to do so. But when we’ve been in that survival mode, our brain can be trying to look for the ‘dangers’. We can be waiting for the other shoe to drop. There is a sense of urgency, like if you don’t keep moving, or keep your guard up, or keep fighting, thing something will catch up with you. Again, this comes back to recognising all the work you have done, in August and even before.

And lastly, if you have planted some metaphorical seeds, you may be impatient to see results. You may hope for rewards this month. But again, are you here for that short-term gain or long-term success? If it’s long-term success you’re after, then realistically, are you going to be seeing the results you seek so quickly? Generally, most valuable things are built or earned over time. Anything that warrants quick success often isn’t built on a strong and sustainable foundation, and ultimately, that success doesn’t last, a house of cards, if you will. Have patience, my friends. I know it’s hard, especially when we’ve put a lot of work in, and we’re desperate to see those results. I take you back to The Star. Have faith that you will see the results you desire. Have faith that you’ve laid the foundations, and that you can ease up a little, while you wait for some of that hard work to pay off. Don’t panic if you don’t get those results immediately - because realistically, was that going to happen?

Take your time. Have patience. Give yourself grace. Trust.

Have a beautiful, restful September, my friends.

Blessed be,

N x