Burning Desire
Dear Maribeth,
I’m working in one field and I’m working very hard to get into another field. My dream is to become a firefighter, which is very difficult to get into. When do I give up? I’m starting to feel like the poster child for Diligent Futility.
Desperate for Change
Dear Desperate & Diligent,
I’m looking at your cards: the 4 of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles and 9 of Wands. The nine of wands shows you are absolutely getting tired of this struggle. The look on his face is full of anger, resentment and apprehension. By your question, it sounds like this is how you are starting to feel. Let’s see how you got to this point and how you can change your course to one you’re more content with.
The first thing that jumps out at me about these three cards is that two of three of them are what are considered “stage cards” or “separation cards”. Notice in the 4 of Pentacles and the 9 of Wands the double-line separating the white foreground from the scene in the background. Fifteen of the seventy-eight tarot cards are like this. There are several theories for what they mean.
For your question, my interpretation is that there are things going on behind the scenes. You are trying to become a member of an esteemed organization. You are doing the right things, but there is a whole ‘nother world with a lot going on that you are not privy to, unless you are inside. When you are on the Inside, you know what is going on, when you are on the Outside, you can’t see in. Remember the secret clubs you were in as a boy? Some things don’t change. Everyone wants to know who the members are in their club.
The four of pentacles shows you holding on to what you’ve got. It is natural and understandable to want to retain your security rather than take risks and end up with nothing. Four is an extremely supportive number, representing stability. There are four sides to a square, four legs on most tables, four seasons, four suits in cards. This is your foundation, without this, you could easily fly out of control and so you stay anchored to your security. This doesn’t mean that you can’t dream big or achieve great things. But don’t get stuck in a rut that limits you in honor of your comfort zone.
The 10 of Pentacles in the center shows success is available to you. If this is something you really want to do, you have to get really serious about it. Live your passion. Dedicate yourself to fulfilling this accomplishment. Right now you are sitting on the bench, waiting for your chance to play. The coach isn’t going to call you in to help the team if you are looking worn out and feeling defeated. You need to always be ready so that when he is looking for someone, your positive energy and passion for participation attracts him to you. He won’t put you in because you’ve been trying hard unless you look ready to go. Get stoked!