Abundance- noun; a very large quantity of something.
It's a word that the spiritual community loves to use when describing financial security and success, because what else is the goal other than having lots of money? When you're a billionaire, you never have to worry about not having enough money. Jeff Bezos most definitely spends his spare time making decisions like, 'which yacht should I try out today in my backyard lake?', while we regular humans are stuck deciding Uber eats or sleep for dinner.
We talk a lot about how our relationship with others and with ourselves are super important to unpack and work through, but we never really take the time to think about where money and success falls into that. Because let's face it, money is super important. I could go on my usual ant-capitalism rant and complain about how I wasn't meant to be here on Earth just working for a living and so I can enjoy my time here in comfort and peace, but unfortunately that's my reality. I do have to work so I can maintain a happy and peaceful existence and lifestyle.
Money funds everything I need- and what I want. As much as we can complain about the evils of money, there's also a lot of good that can come with it. And that's why having a good relationship with money ends up mattering- we need to be able to know how to handle it properly because otherwise it will take over our lives and never give us a sense of peace. When we fixate on money, we overvalue it too much and believe it is too much for us to properly keep and accumulate over time- and then that's when we associate money with evil things, thoughts and people.
Like many other things in life, tarot has helped me reevaluate how I look at my relationship with a lot of factors and aspects of my life, and finances are not an exception! In fact, tarot has a lot to say when it comes to how we should view money. There's a whole suit for it, as pentacles represent not only money, but material wealth, as well as focuses on our home life.
A regular tarot deck holds a lot of knowledge over how we should approach this idea of abundance in our life- how to get it, how to keep it, how to not let our search for financial success hold us as prisoners. Below is a nice little break-down of what a usual tarot deck has to say about getting rich and staying rich.
Ace of Pentacles
In tarot, the very first card under a new suit is called Ace rather than a 'One of...'. Ace of Pentacles is always a great reminder that opportunities to make money or come across money are always around the corner- and usually they may catch us by surprise. It's important to always keep in mind that just how opportunities can come out of nowhere, any situation we face is also an opportunity as well. Take it this way; when life gives you lemons...you know the saying!
Two of Pentacles
In the pursuit of a specific career title or certain financial goals, it can get really easy to take on a lot more than one can actually realistically handle. Two of Pentacles always has an illustration that demonstrates someone juggling their pentacles, and that in itself is a direct translation of: get your priorities in check. When we have big goals in mind for financial success, we can't just assume we can take on everything at once. This road to financial freedom, abundance, that dream job- whatever that success looks like for you, it needs time to happen. And with a longterm plan means knowing how and when to break up your responsibilities so you don't overwhelm yourself with more than you need to. This is a sign that baby steps aren't a bad idea at all- they help keep you in check.
Three of Pentacles
There's always going to be room for improvement when it comes to financial habits, just like when it comes to self-growth. You never can fully reach a point where it's like, oh, that's it. We're done here!
The good thing about this journey is that you can always learn something new and find new ways to grow in terms of financial literacy, streams of income, etc. There's also value in who you choose to learn from and who you choose to invest in. I look at this as almost like a cycle; where you learn from will affect how you handle your finances, which will then affect where you decide to put your money and energy towards. Learn from a community-focused person or organization, you might in turn want to invest in your own community. Learn from an entrepreneur, and you may end up focusing entirely on just your business as well as helping others do their startups. I suggest being open to learning from different focuses and types of mentors, as this will give you the opportunity to learn from a ton of different perspectives and allow you to tailor your financial habits to what fits best for you personally.
Four of Pentacles
By far one of my favorite tough love lessons: you cannot have a choke hold on things and expect stuff to naturally play out in your favor. When you exert so much control over something, you don't give it room to do anything really. People who are super stingy with money tend to have really miserable relationships with money because they expect themselves to potentially be at risk for losing everything all the time. Their only security comes from being super strict with money.
But being super strict with money won't allow you to be at peace with money. You'll only continue to freak out every time a surprise cost comes up. And you won't allow yourself to invest in what you need or want because you'll be too busy putting energy into cutting corners and making money last when your focus should be on making money work for you.
I'm going to leave you with this thought. Imagine working a 60 hrs/week job for 30 years, taking no time off, no sick days, no vacation days, no PTO because you want to make as much money possible. You spend close to nothing on outside expenses because you choose to live in a really cheap area and you never buy yourself anything other than complete necessities. Haven't enjoyed any concerts or trips lately because you just want a spectacular retirement- and then the day after you retire, you have a heart attack, end up in the hospital alone because you never bothered to emotionally invest in anyone and really build something with them because you were 100% dedicated to your career and the grind and then you're brain dead after several weeks and now the money has been left to a distant cousin that you spoke to maybe twice in the past year. That's sad. And all because you wanted to be tight with money in fear of not being able to live the life you wanted someday. SOMEDAY.
You can actually enjoy life and give yourself room to spend money for stuff out of pure happiness and enjoyment AND also be able to save up, be financially responsible and work towards big longterm goals. You just have to allow yourself to believe that without shame.
Five of Pentacles
If you are struggling, there is no shame in asking for help, nor is there shame in going through a struggle period or having to do things out of necessity. You are not your failures, you are simply someone that is doing their best under difficult circumstances. Sometimes we go through financial hardships and feel the weight of the world closing in on us, while others are succeeding and have the dream career title and are taking lavish trips while you have to decide if you can even afford to eat for the night. Turn to your support system, your community, whoever you can- but do not suffer in silence and take on the additional pain of wondering why it is just you. This is the situation you're in, not your permanent life.
Six of Pentacles
As much as you receive from life, you should be willing to give back. Remember when I said having money can be a good thing? This is where it really comes into play. Invest in the people you love. Invest in the people that inspire you. Invest in the community that raised you. Invest in the projects that give hope to a better world. Someone once invested in you- and if you think otherwise, the universe invested a lot into your journey from the very beginning of your life. Learn to give back by circulating money into causes and people that matter to you. When you give with good intention, that money will definitely come back, one way or another.
This is also a message of knowing who to invest in /when to invest; some of us are too giving and some of us don't give enough. Take time to really think this through, not just for finances but also, who or what is getting your precious time and energy? That is also really expensive and valuable currency.
Seven of Pentacles
Good things do come to those who wait! When you've done the work towards certain goals (saving up a certain amount, applying to jobs, not eating out for the month), there comes a time where the end results will be a little out of your control but just within reach. That's when the universe has to come through on its part of the deal. Like the four of pentacles, we cannot control everything because that will block the natural flow of things- and with seven of pentacles, we're being told that being patient during the process will make things very worth it in the end once harvest time arrives. You can't rush what's meant for you- and honestly, you shouldn't want to either.
Eight of Pentacles
Seven of Pentacles tells us it is worth it to wait and continue doing our hard work, Eight of Pentacles reveals to us that our investment may be longterm but it is worth it! Eight of Pentacles reveals that continuous hard work really does pay off because it will get you much farther than a shortcut will. It's also a sign that applying what you learn to what you do is always a great way to set yourself apart when it comes to your career- so it is once again proof that investing in yourself is always the best bet. Usually, this card indicates that someone would really benefit from extra educational courses, certificates or trying something new and different in their field. Basically, you should never really stop learning and investing in yourself; you are your best tool.
Nine of Pentacles
Another message about patience and perseverance, but most importantly, being willing to do the work and see your goals through even if you have to do it alone. Sometimes we will have financial goals in mind that will push us to be out of the mix a little more than usual and to sacrifice certain social obligations- or perhaps invest in ourselves more than how we would normally invest in others. Maybe it means that our end goals aren't aligned with that of our partners. We will all have to go through 'selfish' eras in our lives; just make sure it's not a permanent state of thinking or being and you'll see that sometimes, it is good to withdraw a bit and put yourself first.
Ten of Pentacles
What does success and abundance look like for you? Ten of Pentacles is complete abundance in all forms, and for everyone, that looks differently. That's why it is important to really look at what success and fulfillment means to you because getting rich is one thing, but actually enjoying your life once you can afford to live comfortably is another thing. And your life should also be enjoyable during the process of living in abundance- you shouldn't have to put yourself through complete suffering at the moment to justify being happy in a potential future.
Knight of Pentacles
Another message here about investments; a lot of times, it will take awhile to see results. And it will not be super straightforward either; we may have to switch plans around more than once to see the outcome we want. But at the end of the day, the work put into our financial goals should be consistent efforts.
Queen of Pentacles
Being on the grind is nice, but it shouldn't be your focus 24/7 either. You also have a life to live and to enjoy in the process. Queen of Pentacles is a reminder that money shouldn't rule everything we do, and that it is ok to indulge in the things that make us happy, comfortable or just add on to the quality in our life. It also pinpoints that the focus should be on matters having to do with home life and happiness within, so maybe it's not about money specifically, but how you feel about wealth in general. Are you wealth in mind, body and soul? In connections with others? In connection with yourself?
King of Pentacles
Stability. Comfort. Reassurance. Confidence. Strong foundations. A strong sense of self. King of Pentacles is all of these things and more; this is a powerful force and a person worthy of all the respect. This is someone that has made a throne for themselves out of knowing how to work with what they got, and the confidence that they never needed anything or anyone else to get it done. This is your sign that no matter the obstacles, you must have the unbreakable faith that you are worthy of the abundance you seek; this will help you go after what you want and deserve without any reservations.
With all this in mind, I think it is also important to note that not worrying about money and choosing to enjoy your process of financial freedom or abundance is a privilege that a lot of people cannot afford. And that is why, should you have the privilege to get ahead and live comfortably, you should be willing to put your hand back in the barrel and help someone else out. Money can be a gift; it can give us peace of mind just as easily as it can rob us of it, so make it your job to develop a healthy relationship with it and in turn, help others out as much as you were able to help yourself while in search of abundance.