Monthly Reflection: The Wanderer & Four of Pentacles

There has been a collective energy lately around emerging from our comfort zones, and this Monthly Reflection is no exception. As we enter into August, we are met with a sense of yearning, a sense that something is missing, and if we truly want it, we can’t stay where we are.

Deck: The Wandering Moon Tarot

July Reflection - The Wanderer

This is a beautiful bonus card found in The Wandering Moon Tarot (a wonderful, high-quality deck). In the image, we meet The Wanderer, who appears to be sitting atop the moon alone. She looks out towards a crescent moon in the distance. She may be physically on this moon, but her mind and heart are elsewhere. This forms the basis of our reflection for July.

It seems that The Wanderer has outgrown the moon she sits on, and so too, have we outgrown something in our own lives. Where we are in the present, for some reason, doesn’t quite match the vision we have for our lives, it doesn’t quite fulfil us in the way we need it to… and that’s okay.

Now, before I continue, I have to stress here, this doesn’t mean that where you are right now is wrong and it doesn’t mean that drastic change is required. For some of you, perhaps the changes need to be big, but that is not going to be the case for most.

This card is simply speaking to a sense of yearning for more than what we have, and is validating that desire. Perhaps where you are right now served you very well in the past, and it’s important to appreciate and honour that.

But still, you cannot ignore this feeling that there is something more out there for you, that something is missing… and it’s time to trust that.

So, what does this mean for July? It means that we have perhaps felt a bit off. Maybe we’ve been in hermit mode, we’ve hunkered down. We might have had big plans for this month, and then not been able to follow through or get things off the ground. Why? Because we have one eye elsewhere.

This month, we may have felt a little isolated, perhaps even alone. When something feels off in this way, it can seem like the whole world has its sh!t together and here we are, off on our own planet, looking in from the outside, unable to ‘fit in’. It can be incredibly hard to feel this way, and if you have been feeling like this, I want you to remember the fact that this is a collective reading. What this means first and foremost is that you are not alone, because we’re all sitting here, resonating with this card in some way, myself included.

There is also a feeling of restlessness with this card, an antsy quality. To wander is to be on the move, and so there is inherently a feeling here of not being stable or comfortable where you are. This makes sense, right? If you already have one foot out of the door, so to speak, how can you relax? Your nervous system is already preparing itself for your next adventure.

As you can see, July itself may have been a little difficult, with internal tension and discomfort. And while this is hard, let’s remember why we’re feeling this way.

We have outgrown where we are right now. What does this mean? You are ready for something bigger, something better. You are ready for more. Perhaps, at some point in the past, where you were right now was its own dream, and you made it… and you evolved beyond it. Could that past version of you have ever comprehended that you’d be here right now?

So, while these feelings may be uncomfortable, I encourage you to feel an immense sense of pride on behalf of that younger version of you, and recognise that your desire to wander is because you have the skills, the knowledge and the fortitude to take on a greater challenge. It’s time for a new adventure. Buckle up, and wander where your heart desires.

August Outlook - Four of Stars (Pentacles)

More commonly known as the Four of Pentacles, this is a very rigid card. Traditionally, this card is about holding on to what we’ve got. Of course, this can be both a good and a bad thing.

In the image, we have a hand clutching very tightly. There are four stars waiting for it to reach out and take - but doing so means unfurling that closed hand, and risking what it’s holding onto.

And so the hand stays closed, and while it doesn’t lose what’s inside, it doesn’t gain anything either.

And this is where The Wanderer sits too. Sure, she’s got her own moon underneath her, and that has great value and stability, but without leaving the comfort of her moon, she cannot find what she is yearning for.

This month, we’re being asked to consider, what is it we’re holding onto… and why are we holding onto it?

Is it because it is important to us? Or is it simply because it’s familiar?

If it’s simply familiar and comfortable, it’s time to put some robust thought into this. As we have already seen with The Wanderer, you are not satisfied where you are, and so holding onto something that isn’t giving you what you want, is only prolonging the discomfort you feel. The question is, what do you really stand to lose if you let go versus what you stand to gain?

Likewise, if it is important to you, we can consider that old saying. “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.” It might be cliché, but it’s absolutely relevant here. If you are afraid of what you stand to lose in the pursuit of something more, it’s important to remember that holding onto something out of fear of losing it is not healthy.

Setting something free here doesn’t mean cutting all ties. Rather, it’s simply about loosening our grip, so that we can allow other things to enter our world. Perhaps that’s freeing ourselves from a rigid or limited way of thinking, or not spending all of our time and energy on something that isn’t giving us what we want, or not trying so hard to make another person happy, when they’re not making us happy. It doesn’t have to be as drastic as walking away altogether. It can be small adjustments, a slow unfurling of that tightly closed hand.

And ultimately, that doesn’t mean that we’ll lose the thing we were holding onto. It might remain, even without you trying so hard.

Either way, we started the month knowing we wanted something more… so, it’s time to honour our hearts, go bravely out into the world, and wander where it leads us.

Blessed Be,

N x

P.S. Don’t forget to let me know how this resonated for you down in the comments!