ShinyAeon
Had an interesting insight last week about the Eight of Pentacles. I was having a bad day, and wanted to go eat at a Chinese Buffet I'm familiar with as a "consolation prize" of sorts. But because my day had been so disappointing already, I went ahead and did a one-card draw on Facade (RWS) asking "Will going to eat Chinese right now make me feel better, yes or no?" hoping for a simple answer.
I got Eight of Pentacles.
I usually interpret this as a positive card, so I decided this was a cautious "yes." Like, it wasn't going to solve all my problems for the day, but it wasn't going to hurt, either, so I should follow my star.
Perhaps, I thought, as I parked, this even means I'm in the process of learning something about myself and my emotions...I'm working through my apprenticeship, as it were.
So I went, I ate, had an okay time...nothing remarkable. It made me feel minimally better for a short time, but I finally admitted that I wish I hadn't gone...because it really didn't change the tenor of my day.
Later, though, I was talking over with a friend, and I said, "I think I only went because that's what I always used to do to feel better, but that really hasn't worked for a long time. I just can't seem to get it through my head that it's not longer a go-to cheer-up activity."
My friend pointed out that we all have things we do out of habit, even when the reason for that habit has pretty much ended.
Next day driving to work I had that "Ping!" moment. That's what the Eight of Pentacles was trying to tell me.
I mean, I've run across the idea before of the 8Pents being "continuing your apprenticeship long after you should have moved on to something more challenging," but (despite my musings as I parked at the restaurant) this wasn't really in a "learning" situation, so I didn't make the connection.
But the "repetition compulsion" (that urge to keep repeating the same actions even though you know they don't work anymore) seems perfectly illustrated by the Eight of Pents. He's making the same pentacle over and over again, which is good when you're practicing; but after you've got that one pentacle down pat, you're supposed to move on to something more challenging. Likewise, when your actions stop having the same effect they used to, it's time to branch out and try something new.
Anyway, just wanted to share that insight with you. Anyone have any thoughts?
I got Eight of Pentacles.
I usually interpret this as a positive card, so I decided this was a cautious "yes." Like, it wasn't going to solve all my problems for the day, but it wasn't going to hurt, either, so I should follow my star.
Perhaps, I thought, as I parked, this even means I'm in the process of learning something about myself and my emotions...I'm working through my apprenticeship, as it were.
So I went, I ate, had an okay time...nothing remarkable. It made me feel minimally better for a short time, but I finally admitted that I wish I hadn't gone...because it really didn't change the tenor of my day.
Later, though, I was talking over with a friend, and I said, "I think I only went because that's what I always used to do to feel better, but that really hasn't worked for a long time. I just can't seem to get it through my head that it's not longer a go-to cheer-up activity."
My friend pointed out that we all have things we do out of habit, even when the reason for that habit has pretty much ended.
Next day driving to work I had that "Ping!" moment. That's what the Eight of Pentacles was trying to tell me.
I mean, I've run across the idea before of the 8Pents being "continuing your apprenticeship long after you should have moved on to something more challenging," but (despite my musings as I parked at the restaurant) this wasn't really in a "learning" situation, so I didn't make the connection.
But the "repetition compulsion" (that urge to keep repeating the same actions even though you know they don't work anymore) seems perfectly illustrated by the Eight of Pents. He's making the same pentacle over and over again, which is good when you're practicing; but after you've got that one pentacle down pat, you're supposed to move on to something more challenging. Likewise, when your actions stop having the same effect they used to, it's time to branch out and try something new.
Anyway, just wanted to share that insight with you. Anyone have any thoughts?
