Tarot Reading for May 2024
A beautiful woman in a gown of red flowered silks strolls through her gilded garden in the Nine of Pentacles. The garden is lush and green, so abundant that it drips with dark, ripening grapes, large grape leaves and flashing, golden coins. The same is true for this rich aristocrat. She has worked hard, as younger cards in the Pentacles reflect, and finally, she has manifested a rich, comfortable life through careful restraint, determination, and self-investment. One hand strokes her fertile garden, the other holds a falcon, whose eyes are hooded. In this animal we find the hidden power of discipline – how instead of it limiting our vision as we might expect, it allows us to soar to new heights of insight and awareness. Together this pair savors a relaxing day in their self-built oasis. How do we get to a place such as this? Perhaps by dreaming deep enough and stepping toward our inner gifts and desires with clarity and perseverance. Can we allow ourselves true contentment, gratitude, and continued authentic representation throughout life’s challenges and unexpected twists? Are we daring enough? The Nine of Pentacles teaches us that if we have the courage to create solid self-love and if we lean into our deepest passions and strengths, we will be gifted with not only material success but also a kind of self confidence and beauty that will radiate around us.
Like the wealthy lady in this card, we too can discover the deep joy that is stepping into our most powerful version of ourselves, using whatever we were given (or whatever we were denied) as we move through life, to make it work FOR us instead of against us. The good and the bad – the hurts, traumas, failures, mistakes. The realizations, insights, triumphs and tender moments. What if we learned from both and didn’t forget our lessons? What if we used our trials and tribulations to inform our journey, helping to lead us away from what is not good for us toward a path where we can eventually reap a bountiful harvest? The power is in our own hands. We are the masters of our own personal lives and ultimately, nothing can hinder us more than our own inability to prepare, plan or invest in ourselves. If we listen to nothing but our fears and insecurities or become overwhelmed with the grandness of our goals, this can immobilize us. The Nine of Pentacles shows us how through planning, foresight, and determined application, we can transform our lives into something that will soar into new heights of personal success with beauty and grace.
The perfect blending with the Nine of Pentacles is the pungent scent of Patchouli. Obtained from the leaves and flowers of a bushy perennial herb (Pogostemon cablin), this essential oil is native to tropical areas of Southeast Asia and is related to other well-known aromatic plants in the Lamiaceae family, such as Mint, Lavender, and Sage. Traditionally it was used in India and China to treat headaches, nausea, abdominal pain or digestive distress, as well as insect and snake bites. Because it can blend well with other essential oils, giving them a strong base, lasting character, and fixative properties that aid in preventing the scent from fading, it has also become an essential ingredient in the perfume world. It is also widely found in trace amounts in soaps, body lotions and cleansers where its anti-inflammatory properties are great for the skin, helping to soothe flare ups as well as improve collagen production. Over the centuries, the scent has become associated with a reduction of depressive symptoms and is known to calm nerves, lower the stress response, diminish appetite, and even improve libido. Patchouli oil is often associated with the root chakra (located at the base of the spine) and is related to stability, security, and grounding. For this reason, it is a common scent used during meditation and yoga, an association made infamous by young hippies in the 1960s and 70s who brought it back with them from trips to India.
Together Patchouli and the Nine of Pentacles become a powerful blend of self-awareness, discipline, enlightenment, and calm confidence, helping us manifest our most daring dreams and desires. With this pair, no goal is too daunting. No dream too big. Aligning with our true purpose is not only possible with Patchouli and the Nine of Pentacles but essential to living a well-nourished life of contentment, magic and gratitude.
*Tarot reading is based on the Rider-Waite Tarot Card deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith
References
Forsberg, Amy. “Patchouli: What Was Once Old Becomes New Again…and Again.” The Herb Society of America, 18 July 2022. https://herbsocietyblog.wordpress.com/2022/07/18/patchouli-what-was-once-old-becomes-new-again-and-again/
Mallappa Kumara Swamy and Uma Rani Sinniah. “A Comprehensive Review on the Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Pogostemon cablin: An Aromatic Medicinal Plant of Industrial Importance.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, 12 May 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6272783/
Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. San Francisco, Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 2007. P243-244
Seladi-Schulman, Jill, Ph.D. “Patchouli Oil Benefits and Uses.” Healthline, 17 July 2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/patchouli-oil