What's Your Life Path Number? (and tarot card!)

 

Numerology is the ancient belief system and esoteric study that a mystical relationship exists between numbers and physical events, human character, or destiny.

In my early days reading tarot cards, I tried to do numerology readings.  But as I became wiser, I realized numerology and tarot cards go well together. 

Today, I am going to talk about the Life Path number in Numerology (the life path number you were born with, not your personal year number!) I will include interpretations as well as the corresponding tarot card/tarot card combinations that go with your life path card.

Without further ado, let's dive in!

A life path number is the most important number in numerology, representing your core purpose, natural talents, and life direction. It acts as an energetic blueprint for your journey based on your date of birth.

To figure out your life path number, you add up your birthday. For example, if you were born June 28, 1984 you would add up 6+28+1984. That comes to 2,018.  So you add up the numbers until they are reduced to a single number 1-9 or a master digit such as 11 or 22. So let's add up 2+0+1+8=which equals master number 11! But if your birthday is, for instance, 12+5+1977 you would get 1,994. Reduce 1,994 to 23 and add up 2+3 = 5.  You stop right there! 5 is your life path number!

Let's dive into the numbers and cards!

If your life path number is 1:
Having a number 1 life path makes you a natural-born leader, whether you like that placement or not! 🤣🤣You are independent, fiery, and are great at organizing groups. You are probably the mother-friend of your friend group. You have a mature demeanor and are always right on top of things ("I'm right on top of that, Rose!"). You strive to be the best of the best. You may be highly competitive and yearn to be acknowledged in your work and projects. When you were growing up, you preferred to be around the adults, instead of kids your own age. Matter of fact, I bet you still prefer to be in the company of the "adults" in the room, instead of hanging out with people your own age. Or you may even be a loner and are rarely ever lonely. You enjoy your own company.

On the negative side, the number 1 life path number can be very self-centered and can be the overachievers. You also may be drawn to relationships where you feel like you have to do everything, including creating the date night or making all the reservations.

Your tarot card is represented by The Magician. The Magician is confident. He utilizes all his tools that he already has access to. He believes in "mind over matter".  The Magician is also highly creative and loves to take initiative.

If your life path number is 2:
If you're a life path 2, you are kind, sensitive, caring, and extremely loving. You crave cooperation, balance, and harmony.  Especially in your romantic relationships. You do your best work with working in groups or having a partnership. You are known for your mediation skills. However, you do not tolerate negative energy and will immediately back out of the kitchen if  you cannot stand the heat! You are not overly aggressive and can probably come off as quiet or shy. Because 2 deals with relationships and heart matters, getting along with everyone is important to you. Your friendships and romantic relationships, as well as getting along with family, are extremely important to you. 

The low-vibe of a life path number 2 is you may attract the wrong people, especially in your romantic relationships! You could have a problem settling down or you just can't seem to meet "the right one". Another troubling part of being 2 is romance is important to you. You may have high expectations and will quickly discard romantic suitors if they do not match your expectations. While it is good to have expectations, sometimes you can shoot yourself in the foot and let a good one walk away. Another thing, when you are in a relationship, you tend to lose yourself and can neglect friends and family.  This is potential for toxic relationships or being in abusive situations.

Your tarot card is represented by The High Priestess! The High Priestess is known as "the secret keeper" card. She knows how to keep secrets to herself. And she is super intuitive. You are intuitive, and people are shocked by what you pick up on them!

If your life path number is 3:
If you have a life path number 3, you are a great communicator! Public speaking, writing, singing all may come easy to you. You also are creative and imaginative. You are also witty and have a great sense of humor. You may also be musically inclined and have a unique voice! You are also open-minded and have a love of learning new things. You love the student/teacher relationships and would excel in both roles. But you may prefer to be the student rather than the teacher. You are also cautious with your energy and time. 

The low-vibe of being a life path number 3 is you can get caught up in gossip.  And you probably have spread a rumor or two about an enemy or if someone rejected you. You can also be a blabber mouth and ruin surprises for people close to you!

Your tarot card is represented by The Empress. This is the card of creativity and abundance! Your manifestations come true when you speak it into existence. You may also be a natural beauty/very handsome, as this is the card of Venus. Venus represents natural beauty! The Empress is a very fertile card, so you also may have a very fertile mind, coming up with ideas in the middle of the night, or during the day while doing mundane tasks.

If your life path number is 4:
The Number 4 life pathers are dependable and trustworthy. You are nurturing and down-to-earth. You like to help others, but you need to be appreciated for it. You won't help just anyone. Family is important to you. You have a strong relationship with your mother or mother-figures. You are prone to work in the service industry because as Eek! The Cat says "It never hurts to help!". You also are on-time and punctual. You dislike being late for anything! And your word matters to you. So if you make a promise, you will keep it! You are also thoughtful and probably remember everyone's birthdays and anniversaries. 

On the negative side of having a 4 life path, is you have a need to fit in and "belong".  You can be a people-pleaser and forget to take care of yourself. It is utmost important that you remember to take care of you! Also, you have perfectionist tendencies. You might as well have been a housewife in the 1950s! 🤣🤣🤣

Your tarot card that represents you is The Emperor. The Emperor thrives with structure and stability. The Emperor can be rigid and set in his own ways. The Emperor makes a great manager or business owner. But he may refuse to take the risk and start a small business. He'd much rather climb the corporate ladder instead of being a risk taker.

If your life path number is 5:
Five Lifepathers are naturally creative and thrive in change and chaos. They are risk takers and know that change is the only constant in life (along with death and taxes). You are inclined to want to conquer the world and save the day! (Woah! Are you watching Powerpuff Girls or something? 🤣🌈⭐). When it comes to dating, you love to chase. You get bored when someone tries to chase you. You are likely to call your date and be like "Hey we're going out tonight! Wear your birthday suit!" haha. Five life path numbers are more likely to be polyamorous or be apart of a throuple. And their sex lives are adventurous! You are flirty, dirty, and thriving! 

On the negative side of the five life path, if things become too dull or boring, you are known to shake things up. You also can be a bit reckless with your life. Especially when it comes to money and gambling. You may become addicted to gambling, alcohol, or hard drugs. You may end up not taking life as serious as other people and think life is just one big sex orgy!

Your tarot card that represents you is The Hierophant. Now this is so silly to me. The Hierophant is a religious leader. It's his way or the highway! The Hierophant is book-smart. And he follows the rules instead of breaking them. He loves popularity contests and usually wins them. The Hierophant is the tarot card to most likely start a cult. 🤣🤣🤣

If your life path number is 6:
If you are a life path 6, you prefer a structured and disciplined life. You are a deep thinker and extremely intelligent. You probably have your whole life planned out! And you follow it to a tea! In work, you are honest and dependable and are appreciated by your co-workers and bosses. You would also make an excellent leader in the workplace, and are probably seen as a brownoser or the one who asks for extra homework or projects. You also enjoy the finer things in life and probably would drive a red corvette and eat at the fanciest restaraunt in your town/city. You also are attractive and charismatic.

For the negative side of the 6 life pather, you are inclined to have a big ego. You also can be shallow, to where appearances matter more than what is underneath the surface. This can lead you to choosing romantic partners who are physically attractive but are dumb as rocks. 

Your tarot card that represents you is The Lovers. The Lovers is about choice as well as sexual attraction and being physically attracted to someone. Adam and Eve are usually depicted on the card while they are in the Garden of Eden. You know what it is you want-in life and in romance.

If your life path number is 7:
This is MY life path number! 🤣You are compassionate and generous. You also have a great sense of humor and know exactly what to say to make everyone smile and feel comfortable. You tend to be very romantic and make a good romantic partner. You also have your own fair share of admirers. You are honest with your feelings, but do not like to fight or argue.  You are smart and may be at the top of your class or become a CEO in corporate culture, or even be your own boss for a small business you create! You also love to ask questions. You love to learn, as well as teach! You are also a fascinating person and people could listen to your stories all day. 

The low-vibe of a 7 life pather include being a bit on the dreaming side. You may sit there and do nothing about what you really want. You let life pass you by. You also can be a harsh critic to yourself or others. You may have very little patience or tolerance for stupid people. You also may laugh at the most inappropriate times! 

Your tarot card that represents you is The Chariot! You are strong willed and prefer being in the driver's seat of your life. You do not like it when people try to control or tame you. When you do not put off until tomorrow, you are able to complete goals and tasks on time and within budget. 

If your life path number is 8:
Lucky lucky you! Money comes easily to you if your life path is an 8 - the number of abundance! You are hard worker who is prone to getting raises and promotions at work. You also could have been born with a silver spoon in your mouth🤣 If you weren't born with a silver spoon, you are very much a beloved person in your community and at home. You prefer having your own money and dislike having to rely on others to support you. You probably find yourself doing everything on your own and taking care of business. You also have workaholic tendencies. You are likely to punch in on a Saturday or Sunday because you know you need your bread and butter. You also have a lot of money-making ideas and tend to implement them, whether it is a side hustle reading tarot cards or doing Instacart or Door Dash.

On the negative side of a 8 life pather, you may be too materialistic! You also are prone to being a diva if things do not measure up to your high standards. You also may find yourself buying gifts to buy other people's affections. You also have to learn the lesson that money can't buy you love or happiness.

Your tarot card that represents you is Strength. You are resilient and strong. You can withstand anything negative that comes your way. You are physically and mentally fit. You also ooze sensuality and sex appeal! You can get any man or woman to fall for you. Just don't be cocky about it ;-)

If your life path number is 9:
The 9 life path combines all traits from numbers 1-9. You are full of life and vitality. You are not one to plan and plot, you just do what needs to be done! You are strong-willed and do not bend easily. You can be restless and a bit impulsive, which aren't always a negative thing. You have an active mind and can be a philanthropist or humanitarian. You are also cheerful and optimistic, no matter what. Maybe a little too cheerful in the morning? ;-) Academia is not your strong point, but you were able to succeed. Probably by letting a 7 do your homework 🤣🤣🤣🤓 You also enjoy travelling and going on adventures in foreign lands!

The low-vibe 9 life pather can be a bit too optimistic and cheerful, getting on everyone's nerves in the morning. You also may be quick to anger and have a temper. If you marry younger than 25 years old, your relationship may wind up in divorce court. Or your serious relationship may end up going to small claims court. You also can be accused of being a spoiled brat.

Your tarot card that represents you is The Hermit. The Hermit has an inner knowing. He seeks wisdom from within. He also trust himself to get out of the darkness. The Hermit is light. He does not seek the light on the outside. He is the light and brings light to wherever he goes.

If your life path number is 11:
You don't further reduce this number! 11 is a master number in numerology. Your life path 11 means you are here to do something majorly important in this lifetime. You may be a universal peacemaker. You want harmony and peace in this lifetime. Or you just know how to build a house and enjoy volunteering and taking care of your neighbor. You also are very psychic. You could be a seer/clairvoyant/clairsentient/or clairaudient. You also are either very positive or very negative. The glass is either half full or half empty. You do not do things in grays. You are here to do great things and change the world by just being your self. You are also very loyal, especially in romantic relationships. Once you find your person, you never let them go.

On the negative side of life path 11, you can be extremely moody and no one likes to be around you when you are in a mood. You also can overextend yourself, thus causing you to burn out. It is utmost important that you rest often, especially your beautiful mind. 

Your tarot card that represents you is Justice. Like Justice, you want people to be treated fairly and do not like bullies. You have a sense of a social justice warrior. You also seek the truth. You are likely able to get out of traffic tickets or have a lot of court rulings in your favor.

If your life path number is 22:
You don't further reduce this number, either! Life pather 22ers are unique individuals. Like 11, 22 has the qualities of all the numbers, including master number 11! You are intelligent, sensitive, energetic, ethical, hard-working, ambitious, charismatic, and are deeply intuitive. You also are gifted with strong determination, courage, and idealism. 

Low-vibe wise, 22ers if they are not evolved, they can be dreamers and schemers. You can be prone to being a workaholic, and be arrogant. Lesser evolved 22s may be prone to feel purposeless. When in reality, it is the complete opposite!

Your tarot card that represents you is The Fool. The Fool is card zero. And represents unlimited potential. You are here to take risks and change the world by being your unique and special self! 

 

Welcome to New York (or the 9th floor of the county building)

 

My life feels like a Taylor Swift song right now. Or rather, two specific Taylor Swift albums. 1989 with a touch of Red. 

People say you're supposed to outgrow this stuff. But you see, me and Taylor Swift have been living in parallel lives. We have both felt heartbreak, been in love with people on the football team, felt like "pick me" girls, and of course, have been complete badasses on our own terms.

I recently quit my tarot business. For good. I just don't have the passion for reading tarot for others anymore as I did before. So I am pivoting, probably for the nine billionth time in my life. I recently applied for a public sector job. I have the interview this Thursday, the 18th. 

"Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift from the 1989 album, is the song that sums up life right now. I'm healing. I'm changing gears from solo work to structured environments. I honestly thought that my day being in a structured environment was over. While I loved the freedom of being my own boss, nothing beats financial independence. After all, I am an old-school feminist. I am grateful to those who fought for me to even have a job in the first place. I'm grateful for my right to vote. I'm grateful for being able to wear pants!

I have a lot of goals and dreams for myself. I want to get my license (yes, I've decided to try to get my license). I want to take over my parents' house when they are gone and call this house my cozy cottage, with my two cats. And maybe a dog. I want to plant wildflowers in my front yard. And in the backyard, I want to have a vegetable garden. Now, I've never gardened in my life. But it does interest me. I've always loved flowers. Receiving them from a special guy makes me happy. But now that I am single (fully single) and will probably be single for the foreseeable future (although my astrologer says otherwise), I want to buy myself flowers. And I will plant them! 

Because I love myself. I am beautiful. You should see this spicy selfie I took of myself the other day. I loved my hair, my eyes, my smile. I looked so happy. While I may not have the perfect body, I truly am a goddess in my eyes. I know few people will agree with me, but I see it. I finally see it. And it only took 20 years.

Saucy craboo.

And I know I can be confident in my career. What happened in my career in my 20s and 30s does not own me anymore. And yes, I am autistic. Yes, I have a learning disability in math. Yes, I am bipolar. Yes, I am more emotional than logical. But that doesn't stop me anymore. I will not let people yelling at me scare me anymore. I'm going to learn how to tame my Aries moon. I get confrontational easily, but I'm biting my tongue now unless I need to.

We only get one life, and Taylor Swift is always getting shit talked about her. And all she is doing is being herself. And she's not apologizing for it anymore. I am going to be fearless. And maybe one day, my person will come and let me shine and appreciate me. Or maybe not. Maybe I just do my thing. Be my own girl boss 🤣.

Yes, I've had pivots in life. And there were times I was hard on myself. I didn't love myself or value myself, and sought it out in other people. No more.

And funny thing. I re-read my poetry book, GROWTH: A Healing Journey of Poetry and Prose. And when I read that book from front to back, I remembered who the hell I was. 

It's difficult to get here. And I'm thankful for the person who saw me first, before I even noticed them. And I'm thankful that I finally saw it in myself.

Oh, and also, me and Taylor Swift and I do have the same initials...ST TS. I joke that I am her and she is me in a parallel universe. The only difference is her middle name is Alison and my middle name is Jean.

And because I'm not going to just talk about physical looks, I love how my mind works. I can see both sides of a coin. I'm smart as heck about some stuff that goes over people's minds. I can write!

What the Second Decan in Taurus Taught Me...

 

I am the beggar.

I am the receiver.

I am the giver.

The second decan of Taurus has come and gone, and we are now in the final decan of Taurus when this blog post goes live. The second decan of Taurus was a quiet, but thunderous time. It was like a storm that happened suddenly, on my end.

Before I dive in, let's dive into the cards of the second decan of Taurus season!

Minor arcana card: The Six of Pentacles
Court card: King of Pentacles / Knight of Pentacles (according to Susan T. Chang)
Planet: Moon in Taurus
Planet corresponding card: The High Priestess
Major Arcana archetype: The Hierophant

The Six of Pentacles shows a young Hierophant (according to Corinne Kenner of Tarot & Astrology) giving coins to someone on the left side of him, while holding scales (which represent Libra/Justice and equilibrium). Meanwhile, a beggar on the right asks the Hierophant to give him some coins, but the Hierophant clearly pays attention to the person on the right side of him. 

Meanwhile, the Moon in Taurus is exalted here (meaning it's at its optimal energy). The High Priestess represents the moon. And since we're not out of Taurus season, we have the Hierophant as our major arcana archetype for the season. 

To be honest, the second decan of Taurus season felt quiet to me. I noticed imbalances in energy exchange in my life (which the Six of Pentacles is about giving and receiving and balance). In a way, it was more of a Six of Pentacles reversed than a Six of Pentacles upright (which can show imbalance when reversed). 

I had a blood test done for my psychiatric nurse practitioner on May 6th. May 7th, I received the results. My blood sugar was out of balance again (a 7.7 A1C and a 200 glucose level). I also had Vitamin D insufficiency (what should be above 30, I was at 28). I also drew the Taurus court card, King of Pentacles reversed, the day before my blood test, and it confirmed what I already knew. I haven't been focusing on my physical health as much as I should be. The King of Pentacles reversed told me I had been neglecting myself and neglecting my health wasn't cool. 

Meanwhile, I have been showing up with my writing. I posted a couple of excerpts on Instagram and Pinterest of things I wrote from my first draft that I am proud of in The Breaking Strain. And it resulted in crickets. No one commented on my work. Not even a "This sucks. Try again," comment from the peanut gallery. It was silent. And that silence is deafening to me. I feel like my writing hasn't landed well with people. And it hurts. I don't even have a one-star review on any of my books. I'm lucky that the reviews I've gotten on my books were 5-stars, but there aren't a lot of reviews. I would be happy if I got a 1-star review because it means my work landed, it meant someone didn't enjoy my work. And that's okay because my work isn't for everyone. 

I also got rejected from a mental health anthology (no reason, just a "sorry we're passing this time"). And I also wasn't long-listed in the Novel Beginnings contest from ProWritingAid. That was heartbreaking. I moped for half the day (which is record-breaking for me because I usually mope for a couple of days). I just felt like I was putting out, putting out, but not receiving anything.

Also on May 7th, my blog turned one years old. The day was utterly crappy as I had just found out I wasn't long-listed in the Novel Beginnings contest. And then I had issues at home with my parents. I was just all-around feeling like crap. But then I received my first comment in a long while. It was a comment encouraging me to keep writing and to keep dreaming. That comment absolutely turned my day around. I felt like I was actually being seen. I no longer felt like the beggar, begging for the Hierophant's attention. Instead, I was the receiver. 

I have also concluded that I am also the Hierophant and the High Priestess wants discernment. She wants me to be discerning about who I give my energy, time, and resources to. So, in my humble opinion, I feel like the Moon in Taurus is all about discernment and being mindful of where you spend your energy, who you give your time and resources to, and what you consume. 

The Six of Pentacles asks us to balance giving and taking. And with the scales representing the Justice card, it is also about reaping what you sow. Meanwhile, the Moon in Taurus asks us to feel slowly. Be discerning about what we consume and what we put out into the world. 

The Hierophant doesn't just decide what or who is worthy of his attention. He knows where his attention goes and needs to be. He feels it is his duty to give back what he has cultivated and consumed. 

So, in a nutshell, the Six of Pentacles / second decan in Taurus taught me:

• To be discerning of where, who, and what I give my energy, time, and resources to, as well as be discerning of what I consume.
• That I am all three people in the Six of Pentacles card: the giver, the receiver, and the beggar. And we all are the giver, the receiver, and the beggar everyday. And bring discernment into each of these roles.
• That I reap what I sow.
• And that it's a duty to give back with what you receive in abundance.

I hope you are enjoying these Decan walk posts! And maybe you're learning something, too, I hope. Next week, I will share some poems I have written lately (in case you're just here for poetry).

My Decan Walk (+ Writing Progress in April)

 

I started a decan walk in my tarot practice. I am new to learning the astrology correspondents in tarot. When I first heard about a decan walk through a random YouTuber, I thought this would be a great way to learn the decans of each tarot card and the planets and archetypes associated with it. I have been interested in learning the planets, archetypes, and decans of each tarot card for about a year now. 

What is a decan walk?

A decan walk is a year-long, 36-stage journey where a tarot reader aligns with the Sun's movement through the 36 decans, which are 10-degree subdivisions of each zodiac sign. You match the minor arcana (2-10) with a Major arcana archetype for the zodiac and planets associated with that decan. 

For example, I started this decan walk during Taurus season. The first decan of Taurus in 2026 started on April 19th and lasted until April 29th. The minor arcana card is the Five of Pentacles. The Five of Pentacles represents the first decan of Taurus. It also represents Mercury in Taurus. Taurus' archetype is the Hierophant. The card that rules Mercury is the Magician. The Golden Dawn society gave these meanings. A decan walk provides a hands-on, 10-day cycle to study astrological timing, planetary influences, and tarot imagery. You also learn the Tree of Life from Qaballah studies. However, I have chosen not to study the Tree of Life yet. 

There are also court cards that align with each zodiac sign. You use the Knights - Kings. You do not use the Pages. For the decan walk in Taurus, the Knight of Pentacles represents him by some tarot readers and the King of Pentacles by others. I associate Taurus with the King of Pentacles. And I know I am probably going to get a lot of backlash for that. But I have heard that both interpretations are right.

Resources I'm Using:

I am using Tarot & Astrology by Corrine Kenner as well as Tarot Deciphered by T. Susan Chang. I'm also listening to The Tarot Podcast by T. Susan Chang and Fortune's Wheelhouse podcast, also by T. Susan Chang. Like I said, I am not doing the Tree of Life (and that's okay!). I'm also using a spreadsheet T. Susan Chang created of the timing of the decans for 2026 that she included in The Tarot Podcast. Normally, the decan for the first 10 degrees of Taurus is from April 20th-April 30th. However, some years it starts April 19th-April 29th. 

What I'm Learning:

I have heavily connected with the Five of Pentacles energy out of the three cards. I have always felt like an outsider looking in. But one thing I learned about the Five of Pentacles is that I choose to keep moving, whether the Hierophant invites me in. I also learned that Mercury does not feel good here. He is slow-moving, and it is like moving through a bunch of sludge. This is, however, a good time for thought processing and working through worry, rejection, and even resilience. I have learned to sit with my thoughts rather than acting upon them. I have learned that even if I am rejected by communities (either self-inflicted or intentional); I keep moving forward despite. 

The Five of Pentacles is the Lord of Material Trouble, or in T. Susan Chang's book Tarot Deciphered, Lord of Worry. It represents fixed earth. This can be a stubborn transit to go through. But once you realize the only way out is through, you're able to keep moving. And that's the thing...you gotta not let rejections, fears, and the negative keep you down. You just gotta keep pushing yourself forward. Don't quit. Rest. And then keep moving. 

The Hierophant was the card I connected with the least. The Taurus archetype. In a way, I feel like the Hierophant looks down on me. I feel like he doesn't like me doing my own thing and ignoring tradition. But aren't traditions meant to be broken? And what good is community if you can't be your authentic self? 

I lack community. A part of it is self-inflicted because I don't enjoy belonging to hierarchies or leaving the house. Another part of it is that when I try to fit into a community, I don't fit in. I have always found it difficult to fit into neat boxes. Fitting in and community have always been a struggle for me, despite my 11th house Sun in Virgo in my Placidus chart. I relate to my 12th house Sun in Virgo in Whole Sign chart than I do my 11th house Sun in Virgo in Placidus. The 11th house Sun shows popularity and people loving you. I find the complete opposite. I only have 24 friends on Facebook, 211 followers on my author_samanthajeantate Instagram, 27 followers on my private Instagram, and 34 followers on my author Facebook page 🤣 I also blame myself because I do not want to be seen fully.

I have recently made the observation that I am half-seen. I don't fully put myself out there. And the Hierophant taught me that I must fully put myself out there to be seen. Not half-assing it. But a reflection that came up in my journal, I asked myself, was, do I really want to be seen? And what does being seen actually mean?

It's interesting what this decan walk has brought up for me in just this first week alone. I even had a very intense dream where I woke up screaming and then fell back to sleep. I don't remember the dream, but I'm assuming that I was moving through that Five of Pentacles / Hierophant energy and Mercury expressed itself through screaming in my sleep. 

Another thought I had during this first week of Taurus season working through the Magician card that represents Mercury is, I have to will myself. Those "I Am" affirmations are a big part of getting out of that Five of Pentacles lack mentality. And it is also about using all the resources you have to help you get out of the Five of Pentacles upright and turn it into Five of Pentacles reversed. 

Once I realized I had tools at my disposal to get out of worry, I took advantage of them. I journaled. I talked with friends. I connected with my tarot decks. I acknowledged what I have. I traded scarcity for sufficiency. 

As the first decan of Taurus comes to a close and we move onto the second decan of Taurus, the Six of Pentacles, I have learned that I am resilient, despite getting knocked down by other people, myself, or circumstances. And I also learned that this resilience is in my blood. 

I connected the Five of Pentacles to my dad, whose birthday is April 30th and lines up with the traditional April 20th-April 30th dates. My dad has lived a rough life. His school expelled him for skipping English class in high school. He ended up going into the Army, not wanting to live with his mom or dad, on his 17th birthday. He then volunteered to go to Vietnam. While he was in Vietnam, they sprayed his camp with Agent Orange. He has tried to get disability from the VA since 1979. He also took a job at GM in Buick City here in Flint, Michigan. He would always get laid off. 

But the thing is...he didn't give up. He kept going. He kept fighting the VA until the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) helped him get his Agent Orange disability in 2021/2022. My dad worked odd jobs and even went to school for computer programming while GM laid him off. 

He worked at GM on the assembly line and later for the robotics in Plant 36 for 30 years. He retired. He owns his own home now. It just goes to show you that perseverance is the key to reversing the Five of Pentacles. My dad could have kept going to school for computer programming. He could have worked anywhere else. But GM was the only job that had significant benefits at that time. Not even a computer programmer had the benefits that GM had in the 80s and 90s. He never gave up. He didn't lie down and decide that he was worthless or not good enough. He fought. 

He fought for everything we had. And with Mercury in Taurus, you fight through the sludge. You notice the people in the RWS deck keep walking, despite being cold. Despite the church being warm and comforting and inviting. They kept their heads up. And who's to say that they entered the church but got rejected by the Hierophant? 

Sometimes, life requires us to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and embracing self-pity. 

And that is my decan walk for the first week of Taurus. Today is the last day of the first decan of Taurus. Tomorrow, I will change my cards and focus on the Six of Pentacles, The Hierophant, and The High Priestess. 

Spirituality Isn't an Aesthetic (hint: it's a way of living)

 

I have been doing a lot of thinking about spirituality and religion lately. Society thinks spirituality is some sort of pleasing aesthetic on Instagram. Whether it is Ash Wednesday marked photographs on Facebook or perfectly curated witchy altars on Instagram, I don't think people are as spiritual as their social media presents them to be.

There seems to be a "fakeness" in spirituality nowadays. If you don't have that perfect tarot card layout, then you're not really a tarot reader or a spiritual person. Or if you don't have pictures of you doing yoga poses or meditating on the beach or somewhere out in public, then you're not really spiritual. Or if you don't have a post with the hashtag "blessed" thanking God for everything and everyone, and even for the "man with the white beard" killing your dog, then you're not seen as spiritual.

To me, spirituality is not an aesthetic, and it should never be a fad. It should just be a natural part of humanness. You don't have to show off your spiritual practice just to be considered a legitimate spiritual practitioner. Performative spirituality on social media isn't a requirement to be taken seriously in the spiritual community. 

Spirituality is a way of living. It's how you treat the people around you. It's being kind in the face of dark times. It's trying to do good in the world (whatever "good" is, we seem to redefine what good is in the world every century or so).

Albert Einstein once famously said (and I love this quote!)

"True religion is real living; living with all one's soul, with all one's goodness and righteousness." This perspective implies that true spiritual living is being fully present and authentic in daily life. 

My author Instagram and Facebook is not going to be your typical spiritual influencer accounts. Even though I post pictures of tarot and oracle cards, they will not be influencer-type posts like my old tarot accounts were. No. I am merging my tarot and writing into one Instagram. One that is authentically me. 

Spirituality is also about realignment, "backtracking", and figuring things out as you go. You don't have to have all the answers. No one has all the answers. You set sail, then adjust according to the wind gusts. But it doesn't give you a free pass from owning responsibility for your mistakes.

A spiritual person will take ownership for being wrong, for being misguided, for misleading, for manipulating, whatever. And then they realign. 

I haven't been as transparent as I should have been as a professional tarot reader in the past. I take my share of responsibility in how the world is right now, as I voted for that sick, sicko Trump for the first time in my life in 2024. He had me even fooled. And I was very misguided in my research. But now I am realigning with my Democrat party roots, which I have always voted Democrat except in 2012, where I voted for Mitt Romney as I had my issues with Obama's presidency (notably the economy and how I was laid off in 2009  after working two years in a full-time data entry clerk position that had great benefits). I still have grievances about the economy, but it's worse now than it was in 2009!

I have always been a moderate/centrist. I am more left-leaning than I am right - leaning . I care about social causes. But I also care about my livelihood, being a mentally ill and autistic cis white woman.

You vote for who you think will get the job done. Not party. That has always been my stance. I am not a Democrat, and I am definitely not a Republican! I am politically homeless! I feel the two-party system does not fully represent the complexity of humans. But the side I'm going to pick, probably a majority of the time? The Democrats. Because they align with what I value. I want universal healthcare for all. I want my taxes to fund schools, fire departments, police officers, and the community I live in. I want all women (including trans women) to have equal rights as white cis men. I want marriage for everyone. I want women to have abortions for reasons that are none of my business. But I also want less red tape for small businesses, the Second Amendment to be kept but with common-sense gun laws. I want protection from criminals who do not live here legally as well as protection from the criminals who DO live here legally! I don't want billionaires and trillionaires running this country! I don't want generative AI to take over writing and art! I don't want one religion or one language! I don't want one religion controlling our government! 

Spirituality is about your values. Your values shape your political beliefs. 

Also, I am an idiot. Don't listen to me for my views on the world. And that is my spirituality in a nutshell. And that is why I say spirituality isn't an aesthetic. Spirituality is how you live. Because from what I just revealed, I am messy and flawed. And spirituality is messy and flawed as well. It is not whole. It is not perfect. It is messy, complex, complicated, and contradictory. And that my friends, is life on Earth!