March 21, 2022: X of Pentacles and The Star

 Another really lovely pair!

The True Black X of Pentacles shows a beautiful white elephant rearing up triumphantly and reaching upward with trunk and tusks, his hind legs upon a square raised platform of stacked gold bricks.  Behind him are ten golden coins arranged in a circle along with two well-established trees with straight and thick trunks.  The keywords for this card are prosperity, stability, family, and longevity.

The Star in this deck is the bringer of hope and a light in the darkness.  She is wearing a black dress and she is pouring clear water from two bowls.  Each stream of water drifts off into the night sky behind her, transforming into a field of stars.  She stands at the intersection of the sea (the endless possibility) and the earth (the physical manifestation of that possibility), and she seems to dance in a lighthearted way. Behind her is a holograph of circling stars (as if in a time lapse photo), with Polaris at the center.  The keywords for this card are hope, goodwill, guidance, and optimism.  

The X of Pentacles tells us that we have worked hard and focused with diligence, successfully making it through the challenges presented in this cycle of the Minor Arcana cards.  Our foundation is strong, and it might be time to begin visualizing some evolution that will build upon the wealth, health and security already created.  In Hindu culture, the keeping of an elephant in a healthy environment requires a massive amount of wealth, so the white elephant in the image of The Star not only symbolizes this wealth, but also the sacredness of this time of acknowledging accomplishments.  The Star is the symbol of hope, a hope that inspires a great journey and encourages us to take new action.

The suit of Pentacles represents the element of Earth, and The Star is connected to the element of Air.  Earth represents the cold that binds and the dry that shapes; Air represents the heat that separates and the wet that adapts.  That means the slowness and stability of the element of Earth does not mix well with the lightness and motion of Air.  This could mean that these two elements weaken each other's ability to affect the environment.  So while these two cards seem to be completely positive, when taking into account Elemental Dignities, they may cancel each other out.

We are also dealing with the number 10, an indication of an end of a cycle which in turn reduces to the number 1, and the number 17, which reduces to the number 8.  The number 1 represents a new beginning, or a point or location; it represents authority and individuality.  The number 8 tells us that we have the skills and knowledge to move forward, so we must act. The X of Pentacles acknowledges the stability and prosperity created in my physical world through this last cycle of effort, and The Star encourages me to use my intellect to see my accomplishments as placeholders or guideposts, to support me going forward. Perhaps the Elemental Dignities are telling me that I should not allow the mental processes to distract me from the physical world concerns, and I should not allow physical experiences to pull me away from the workings of the mind.  It appears that on this day after Ostara, the Sabbat of balance and of turning our awareness from the dark and cold toward the light and warmth, moving forward with action, focus and awareness will be the key.