Baby Steps and Big Plans

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Sometimes when we’re in the midst of experiencing a card like The Tower, the idea of landing with our feet on the ground, sure of where we’re going, sounds like a ludicrous hallucination. At the beginning of the week, however, that’s just what happens as The Knight of Pentacles shows us ready to start cultivating something new. The only thing missing? A clear-cut path forward, but, as this reading suggests, who needs that anyways?

One of the secrets of the Knight of Pentacles is that, even though they’re one of the famously-eager knights in the tarot deck, this particular character is able to focus their energy and ambition into distinct and concrete steps. One thing at a time, baby steps, taking care of business - you know the vibe. We can see this in the uniquely sturdy and solid horse they’re riding; unlike the other knight cards, this trusty steed has all four feet on the ground. What happens when you can stay grounded in reality, in touch with your resources, and are able to plot your course as you go?

This week is all about building. It’ll be worth our time to use the Knight of Pentacles’ planning savvy and single-mindedness to break down our larger goal into actionable steps. I’m drawn to how the energetic yellow of the background appears to meld with the single pentacle in the Knight’s hand, as if what they’re holding is really just the framework of the symbol lit up by the sky. Our plans may feel similarly bare-bones this week, but this is far from discouraging. There’s opportunity in being open to creative energy and cultivating a sense of humility - like the knight, might we be servants to something greater, on a mission to turn a creative spark into reality?

I’m going to skip to the end here, because the answer to the Knight’s quest is right in front of us in our final card: the Three of Pentacles. While the Knight is a solitary figure - in touch with an idea, beginning on the path, but not yet sure of how to manifest their goal - things really start to come together in the social, dynamic Three. Think about what plans, goals, and dreams you’ve been working to cultivate that are now ready to become real. Now, think of the people you could work with to make that happen.

Pentacles are tied to the element of earth and deal with things in the physical world. They’re most commonly associated with work and career issues (pentacles are also called “coins” in some decks, so no surprises here), but it’s worth expanding our understanding of this group since they’re so prominent this week. Your pentacles journey could also be unfolding in your body - undertaking a physical challenge, working to improve your health, exploring your sexuality - or in the tangible world around you - improving or working with your home, creating anything with a physical form, hosting gatherings or building communities.

Regardless of the specifics, it’s highly likely that we all have a sense of our area of focus as we start the week. Like the bright sky in our first card, our new goal is lighting us up and impossible to miss. The key to bridging the gap between our knightly calling and making things happen lies in our central card, the Six of Cups. We’re looking for people who we can truly trust, both with our plans and our tender, emotional selves. The collaborations that come into focus this week should be based on vulnerability, mutual respect, and maybe even a shared childlike sense of wonder.

I like the powerful filter that this otherwise tender card is giving us, and I imagine that it would be hard for the solid, comprehensively armored Knight of Pentacles to step off their horse, strip off their finery, and… start trading cups in a quaint medieval courtyard?

We may be feeling a little exposed and ridiculous and we try to workshop our ideas with others or propose collaborations. But the ever-prepared Knight of Pentacles wouldn’t lead us astray, and it’s hard to be agile when we’re covered in clunky armor. If the people we encounter are able to share our enthusiasm and reciprocate our vulnerability in kind, we’ll be off to the ultimate “card of construction,” the Three of Pentacles, ready to start working.

The Six of Cups can also represent a willful naiveté. Look to the left hand side of the card and you’ll notice a figure walking towards the edge of the card carrying what looks like a spear, perhaps a guard walking away from their post? Be careful for situations where you abandon yourself in the hopes of making a dream come true. This can appear as ignoring or glossing over issues in partnerships, justifying or ignoring bad behavior, and relinquishing personal responsibility and discernment. If it doesn’t feel good, it’s no good - even if it looks really good, and especially if you really, really want it to be good.

The pentacles give us a characteristically practical solution, and it’s a classic for a reason: it works. Pay attention to what people do, not what they say or how they try to make you feel. In the pentacles, everything comes down to our actions and, more specifically, whether we’re really showing up and doing the work. These are the people with whom we can build something truly wonderful, healthy, and long-lasting.

Seeking out meaningful collaboration. Working from a place of resonance and respite rather than pressure and achievement.