Getting EVERYTHING Done with the II of Pentacles
The II of Pentacles is the quintessential tarot card for multitasking. Traditionally, the card depicts a man juggling two pentacles in the air while standing on one foot. Good for him! He looks like he has got his shit together even though things are a bit up in the air and topsy-turvy. There are some waves of turmoil in the background of the image, but a boat manages to maneuver over the waves safely. The act of balance is well achieved with the II of Pentacles. Decisions are carefully weighed and sensibly made. The motto of the figure in this image is: I accomplish my goals with ease and grace. But how can one be so agile and well-balanced?! I vacillate between two opposite states of mind on a fairly regular basis:
1. Give up! Let's face it- you're never going to get it all done. There are just too many awesome things that you want to do with your life and only so much time. You also are required to make time for things like eating, sleeping, and bathing. You have a million errands to do to facilitate those things, and you have to somehow earn money so you can pay for your eating, sleeping, and bathing as well. That leaves just enough time to complain that you didn't have enough time, and then it's time for bed. Wake up, repeat. (This is a more common attitude with II of Pentacles reversed.)
versus
2. Never give up! You are an amazingly capable, intelligent, resourceful human being. There have so many awesome things you want to do with your life and so much time! You love eating and make it an enjoyable time of your day. Sleeping is the best and you even get to snuggle at the same time. Bathing!? Bring on the sweet smells of clean skin! You run errands with a skip in your step and you are doing what you love for a living. Therefore your whole life is a journey of awesome and you have boundless energy to fit in learning, creative projects, hanging out with friends, and even reading pointless sci-fi books by the pool. Wake up, smile!
The II of Pentacles always gives me that extra spring in my step when it comes up for my daily tarot card draw. Today I felt a little overwhelmed by all the things I want to do at the Grand Canyon while we are here. The II of Pentacles says to me: "You have plenty of time today to get a backcountry camping permit and then cook a healthy breakfast. You can also get some internet time in for blogging, tour management, and keeping up with family and friends. This afternoon is a wonderful time for a short hike. Tonight, you need to pack,cook, and prepare for a backpacking trip. You can also make it to the post office, the grocery store, and watch a movie at the visitor center. Go, go gadget Deird!"
You know what is great about most of those things? I'm not actually multitasking. I'm doing one thing after another all day, but I'm not doing any two things at the same time. Multitasking really doesn't work that well for me. I get confused when I try to do too much at once. It's all about focus, completion and then knowing what to do next. The II of Pentacles represents earth energy, so practical concerns will be in high focus with this card. I need to feed myself, do work, make sure I have a place to sleep, and exercise my body- all earth oriented activities. The 2s are about balance and decision making, so I have to decide what comes first and what needs to get done before dark, and what can even wait until tomorrow if need be. And hopefully, my fairy helper spirits will assist in making it all happen just as I see them doing for the figure in the Shadowscapes tarot to the left. Wish me luck!