Stirrings of Autumn and the Pentacles Cards

Forgive me- I have been a very bad witch blogger. This summer took me by storm and I adjusted to a radical, magical, and completely unexpected lifestyle change. But now I’m back and with some musings about my favorite time of year. I was always an Autumn witch-from the moment I felt the crisp gales with the scent of smoke and the briefest taste of lingering summer, I was in love with the fall. What is it besides the physical changes of this season that I and so many others adore? There is magic in transitions…young to old, seed to tree, night to morning. Autumn is even more special to me because it is about the tip toe from open world to the inner hearth.

The summer is about connecting with others, travelling, enjoying life of all kinds. In fall, we withdraw from the world and into ourselves. We seek shelter from the winds as they turn bitter and the earth as it turns hard and unyielding. Into the hearth we wander to warm our hearts as the light outside dims and the night turns uncomfortably quiet. Here, in the hearth of our own hearts and minds, we discover and explore our shadow.

As an earth sign, I have shadows around money and stability. Most of my life I have lived comfortably but not wealthy, and yet this fear was driven into me at a young age by my grandmother who had lived during the Great Depression and worked hard to stay alive. She related terrible memories of having to eat lard sandwiches and potatoes for many meals because she had very little income, 2 children, and a husband in the military. Before that she had worked in a bingo hall. She saves all of her left-overs and tried to instill practicality and sensibility into my spending habits, gawking and reprimanding me each time I spent any cent of my hard-earned paycheck.

She meant well and did guide me to be a responsible adult. Mostly. But these shadows around money while I live comfortably and now work in a job that I enjoy, brings guilt. I have been working hard on releasing these shadows and working through them. I have begun to realize my own powers of manifestation and that I can rely on myself far more than I ever thought possible. Now, I want to give back. I am beginning to see that I amassed too many physical items over the years and must release that which no longer serve me.

As I was musing about giving to charity and using the time in the next few weeks to release and clear cluttered energy, belongings, and systems, I thought of the pentacles cards. The 4, 5, and 6 of pentacles in particular tell a story about greed. It is a transformation of possessiveness to charity- perfect for this time of year.

The man depicted in the Rider Waite 4 of pentacles is a scrooge-like character, hunched over his gold coins and looking as though he is afraid of someone taking his wealth though he is alone. In a society of bills, college debt, mass consumerism, and ridiculous health-care costs, it is so easy to feel as this man does on a daily basis.

That is where the 5 of pentacles comes in. These two figures are barefooted and walking in the snow. A loss of money or ill fate has befallen them and walk beside a church but do not seek shelter. One of the men walks on crutches. The other person walks ahead of the injured man their face turned down, away from the cold winds. The person walking ahead isn’t thinking about the injured man, only about him/her self. But they are both so busy feeling sorry for themselves that they don’t see that shelter is at hand. Pessimism and wallowing in your misery only blinds you to the solutions that are available to you. Also, there is usually always another person who is having a more difficult time than you. No matter how burdened you are, you can stop to help them in some small way.

The 6 of pentacles is about giving. But this card depicts 3 figures and it is a challenge when reading it because you need to figure out which of the figures matches your situation. Is it the man giving the coins, receiving the coins, or begging for the coins? In most cases the message is the same- charity. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Also, do not be too proud to accept help. So pentacles 4-6 are the journey from greed to charity and I feel that this message is especially relevant during this season. The homeless and children in homes need clothes, food, and toys, especially before the temperatures begin to drop. I’m going to do my best not to end up like pentacles man 4 and start looking through my closets and shelves.

Blessings,

Ambyr