The 5 of Pentacles is often associated with being one of the worst or saddest cards in the tarot deck, even by people who are very familiar with tarot. We see two people who have been injured, leaning on each other, out in the cold – outside of the warmth that they would benefit from as the frigid winds blow against their faces.

Every card can be interpreted negatively or positively, and inverted cards are often read as the opposite meaning of the card ‘right side up,’ or that the positive energy is “blocked” in some way. (This is a quick explanation, but that’s the common understanding by most practitioners.)

I’d like to issue a warning for anyone using other people to read cards, tea leaves, oracle decks or to interpret the Bible, or give you advice on your health, taxes, buying or fixing a car, or giving you relationship advice…..:

There is one very critical factor you need to know before you trust ANYONE for their advice – including your parents!!

HOW DO THEY (perceived authority figures) SEE THE WORLD?

Many people see the world through a very fearful lens, whether they are reading the Bible or Tarot.

They choose to see things as either black or white, good or evil. They are often led by fear in almost every situation and decision, in a constant state of survival, distrust, and ‘lack’ thinking.

People who interpret ANYTHING through the filter of fear or their wish to control other people will never come to good or accurate conclusions for you.

My favorite spiritual teacher, *Florence Scovel Shinn, has a different way of thinking!

She has the belief that there is only good and only good will come from things that others perceive as bad. A higher way of thinking can be that things that we judge as bad or evil have no power over us as a person committed to being good and loving in this world. (If you are not committed to being in Light and Love, you may have a different experience.) This thinking is an option for you to experiment with!

Because of my positive spirituality, I use the Tarot and other oracle decks to hear a message of love, encouragement, and instruction for myself and others from God/the Universe. Superstitious, fearful beliefs and ignorant (uneducated) historical interpretations from certain religious camps have caused people from religious backgrounds or families to FEAR the use of any kind of divination tool to amplify their own intuition, even though similar tools were used by biblical prophets and characters.

People will and have always had a desire to reach out to a power higher than themselves for connection and guidance.

Some people capitalize on this desire to lead people astray for their own purposes. Many people over the centuries have used religious teachings or positions to assert that only THEY have the power to interpret messages from the Divine instead of people having the right to their own connection with Spirit.

Many of us who have left fearful, controlling, or negative religious groups are currently healing our trauma and triggers to embrace a Good and Joyful LOVING God and learning how to hear God for ourselves!

As we grow spiritually we must let go of old fearful beliefs put in place by controlling religions, influences, and family trauma. God can speak to us through ANYTHING – movies, tv, songs, the birds, nature, clouds…we need to release anything that inspires fear in us. We must trust that if we are asking Great Spirit to speak to us…the message will come!! We can expect it with excitement.

I am in love with God /Great Spirit and know that ONLY GOOD can happen for me! I am only open to good! My authority over my own Spirit and my own belief in Goodness causes me to minimize the negative aspects of life as learning experiences that bring me greater gain and wisdom. I trust that I will be divinely guided through the day, in all ways. My life is a daily connection with God and other creatures.

I can’t tell you how many times a bird, a snake or a butterfly has flitted by at the EXACT moment that I was asking or seeking an answer from Great Spirit. I have learned to TRUST MY OWN ABILITY TO HEAR from the Divine and I encourage you to do this as well!

There are MANY great and good interpreters of spiritual tools like the Bible, other sacred texts, and divination tools like the Tarot. It’s just up to YOU to make sure that you’re getting advice from someone who isn’t listening through a filter of fear.

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Here’s an example of how we can use the religiously-feared tarot deck in order to hear a message of love and encouragement.

I chose a card of the day, and today’s card drew my attention to the following images and thoughts.

• My eye noticed the snow-covered tree on the top of the image. That reminded me of Christmas. It just turned December here in Florida, and I was thinking that today might be a good day to allow myself to tune into some of that Christmas Spirit energy with food, decorations, and music!

• As this card is often indicative of physical ailments, injury, or recovery from sickness, I took it as a reminder that this is a good time of year to get enough rest (which I need) to take care of myself.

• Notice the warmth of light and energy coming from the windows outside into the cold darkness. This was a reminder to me to enjoy coming home and staying home and cozy at this time of year – even in Florida. I’ve been noticing I want to stay at home and work on art projects and eat my own cooking! There’s so much to do building this new website, writing on my blog, and all the art canvases I want to paint on…some in time for Christmas gifts!

• Overall, I took this as a message to find warmth, rest and well-being at home and to focus on the beauty and magic of this season!

I hope this discussion leads you to learn to trust your own intuition from a place of emotional safety, love, and joy!

With Love & Beauty, Auretha

If you’d like to have a Spirit-Filled reading or guidance session from me with (or without) biblical wisdom, oracle decks, or tarot decks, you can book a session right here. https://calendly.com/auretha/30-minute-psychic-session

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