January 6, 2022: Anant and the II of Pentacles

We had a major snowstorm this week, a foot of snow, and I was a bit distracted.  But I'm back.

Anant is an extra Major Arcana card unique to the True Black Tarot.  The card image shows a golden fetus surrounded by two coils of a golden serpent; behind them both is a black star field.  "Anant" is the name of the serpent surrounding the fetus, and it means "remainder," representing that which exists when all else ceases.  Anant is not a temporal being but rather, exists outside of the rules and constraints that apply to temporal beings.  The golden fetus acts as a bridge between the ending and the beginning.  The keywords for this card are endless, infinite, exempt, and cyclical.

The II of Pentacles image shows a playful white ferret playing on top of a precarious arrangement of gold coins and golden nuggets.  Ferrets love to play, and this one is able to balance itself and still move around, shifting its body and its attention as needed. The keywords for this card are fun, indecisiveness, juggling, and finances.

These are both interesting cards.  The star field behind the image of Anant is Barnard 68, a "dark nebula" that appears like a cosmic void because of the amount of dark dust that surrounds it, but there are stars hidden there.  The serpent represents the perpetual cycles and renewal of life, death and rebirth.  Serpents can also represent energy, including sexual energy (and sex is connected to the cycles of life). A snake can perceive its surroundings through vibration or heat signatures, and thus serpents are connected to the ability to perceive even the hidden parts of the physical realms.  The fetus represents innocence, potential, and it represents a bridge between endings and beginnings, past and future.  The II of Pentacles tells of being able to maintain balance during change and upheaval.  This balance is achievable through practice and talent.  This card warns me that multitasking will be important, as important as balance, in the days to come, particularly in my physical world.  I also will need to be aware of my connection to my own body (after all, this is a Pentacles card) along with the material forces present in the physical world.  

My son had two ferrets, and I can attest to the fact that everything is fun to them.  Watching them play and tumble around always made me smile.  Perhaps I need that II of Pentacles today to remind me that it is okay to take a bit of time to just have fun.