Friday Tarot Prompt

Six of Pentacles

Note: I am not a professional tarot reader, and these posts are for inspiration and self-reflection, not divination.

Today’s prompt was pulled from Deborah Blake’s Everyday Witch deck (artwork by Elisabeth Alba).

The first card I drew today was the Queen of Wands, but we already did a prompt with that card in February. (Read it here) So I did a second shuffle to get today’s card, which is:

Six of Pentacles

Theme words: Sharing resources, patronage, gifts, mentorship, giving/receiving.

The six of pentacles is what I think of as a “responsibility of privilege” card. The woman is clearly doing well, and she is helping a student and an old woman by giving money and food. Especially in times like these, with so many needing help, it’s time to ask yourself how can you make things easier for others by sharing your blessings. Remember, life is cyclical—you might have plenty today, but you never know when fate will turn and you’re the one who needs help.

On the other hand, it’s also, to me anyway, the“don’t be too proud to ask for help” card. If you’re more like the student or the older woman, here, ask for help. Giving and receiving is a karmic cycle. Ask for help so that you can later be in a position to help others.

In the image above, the benefactor is a woman in her prime, and she’s helping a younger person as well as an older one. The young guy needs help to be able to reach his prime, and the older woman probably helped many people but now needs assistance. It’s a cycle of life, and we’re all connected.

For your stories:

In terms of storytelling, this could be a mentor card. Or the card of someone in need of a mentor. Take some time before you write today to think about the role of mentors in your story.

Prompts:

-Write a story told from the perspective of the mentor who used to be the farmboy.

-Make your protagonist ask their enemy for help.

-Write a story where a wealthy (but lonely) woman pays a young student and an old woman to be her friends.

For your creative journey:

How are you supporting your creative community right now? Wealth isn’t always about hard currency. Sometimes it’s having the ability to offer wise counsel or sharing your expertise in an area, or just sharing kindness with someone who needs it. You can also support the writing community by making choices in where you purchase books and/or giving donations to relief groups that specifically benefit writers or independent bookstores.

On the other hand, do you need to ask your community for support? Sometimes we’re too afraid to admit we’re struggling because it flares up the old imposter syndrome. So we put on a front of “we’ve got this” when we actually feel like we’re tap-dancing on an oil slick. It’s okay to admit you need some support. You might be the one needing help today, but once you’re on the upswing you can pay the kindness back to others.

Heck, do you even have a creative community? If not, start taking steps to reach out to people with similar interests. Yesterday, I had a Zoom Happy Hour with some writers I’ve known for more than a decade. One of them, Mark Henry, was my partner for my first ever book signing eleven years ago today. I met Mark by following his blog and commenting, and then, when I sold my first contract, he reached out to offer advice. My point is, you have to put yourself out there and build a network of support for yourself, full of colleagues, allies, and mentors. Take classes, become a part of other people’s online communities, be generous and friendly, and you’ll find your own tribe of people who will virtually drink wine with you while you all try to cope with the world.

Question for you:

How is this helping cycle showing up in your writing world lately?

Remember to subscribe so you never miss a Wells Writing Workshop post!