Know that it is good to work. Work with love, and think of liking it when you do it. It is easy and interesting. It is a privilege. There is nothing hard about it but your anxious vanity and fear of failure.
Brenda Ueland
This week that, counterintuitively, beckons to many of us who are packing for vacations and break times, we receive a reminder from the Eight of Pentacles that what we do for a living matters.
And so does the work of others.
Pentacles are, of course, the Earth suit, dealing with living in the physical, material world. The Eights of the Tarot are often about getting organized, setting priorities, and moving forward (or not). So in the Pentacles suit, this is about focusing on our career, success, and resources.
Here we see an artisan, who is busily hammering out his creations. Although he is completely intent on his task, we see the city in the far distance. Perhaps this is a reminder that there is a larger world to which his products must have relevance, lest his labor be an act of vanity or waste of time.
In addition, as one of Pixie Smith’s “stage cards,” all of which contain a double-horizontal line that hints we are observing an actor on a stage, this may indicate that he is, in some way, playing to an audience.
There is no indication whether the artisan depicted is self-employed, or working under the authority of a larger business. But in this moment, unsupervised, he works with good cheer, concentration, and a steady, consistent level of productivity.
Thank You to the Heroes
Last week, New York City threw a ticker-tape parade for the essential workers who gave so dearly during the worst days of the raging pandemic. We well remember the lights flashing each evening, and banners hung to thank the health care workers and first responders who were working themselves into danger and even, sometimes, to death.
But I love that the other, usually unsung heroes were also recognized: the grocery clerks, the child care workers, delivery drivers, sanitation workers, the teachers, the transportation, food and utility workers – all those who faithfully played a desperately important supporting role in one of the darkest chapters in living memory.
If only we would permanently re-calibrate our understanding of “heroic.” I would challenge that we turn down the volume on marveling at comic book fantasies, entertainers and professional athletes, not to mention spoiled billionaires shooting themselves off into outer space.
Instead, what if we gave our admiration and lavish rewards to the people with real-life courage who, day after day, give unselfishly of themselves, even sometimes risking their lives for us.
But that would entail reassessing our core values, asking tough questions like, “What livelihoods really matter the most?” and “What does our culture care about most and why?”
Work That Nurtures Us
Having worked in Human Resources and Development in one of my prior lifetimes in Corporate, I find it extremely interesting that, in the wake of the pandemic, 1 in 4 workers is considering quitting their job. The sudden shedding of 20.5 million American jobs last year shook, not only the economy, but people’s feelings about work in general, and the deeper meaning of their jobs, in particular.
It also shone a glaring light on the widening gap between the “haves” who were able to work flexible hours and in relative safety from home, vs. the “have-nots” who had no choice but to risk themselves and their loved ones by turning up for work day in and day out. Work that, all too often, is low-wage, low-benefit, and low status.
One industry source observes:
People are shifting their values and motivations. Protection is their top priority, whether that’s regarding their family, employees, customers or communities. These shifts in values could create permanent behavioural change.
Firms should prepare for a workforce that will be looking for more empathy, authenticity and transparency from their leaders, a skill set that leaders need to be able to execute virtually.
Mental well-being will also become mainstream, and will be built into productivity initiatives. It will influence expectations of duty of care.
Let us hope that whoever you report to is paying attention to this, and has already begun setting permanent systems into place that better accommodate everyone’s physical safety and mental well-being.
Made With Pride
Regardless of where or how you make your living, who signs your paycheck, or even if you are officially employed, you are always the most important manager of how and what you produce with your time, labor, and skill.
It doesn’t matter who is up the chain of command – the Chief Executive Officer that you ultimately report to is the Creator, and you can know how you’re doing by the memos you receive in your spirit. In fact, we are always the ones overseeing the quality and meaningfulness of our activities.
When we remember that our creativity and endeavors are our gifts to one another, and to the Beloved, we do not complain, cut corners, or pretend that mediocre results can slide by.
The Eight of Pentacles invites us to seek mastery in the physical world, to cultivate and hone our skills, and enjoy the confidence and pleasure that come from labors well-done. Work performed with a grateful spirit becomes a privilege and a pleasure.
Your Inner Performance Appraisal
Are you considering a move at your job, or a promotion to a new, more challenging level? Perhaps, like me, you are ready to change your career completely.
What new skills might enable you to be more productive and find joy in your occupation?
This week, you are given an opportunity to assess how you offer your time and talent to others. If your job is satisfying and rewarding, be thankful, and continue to grow and learn. If not, who can you ask for honest feedback regarding your abilities and possible limitations? What new tools or practice can improve your results?
Remember that our vocation is sacred, because it springs from the non-renewable resource of our precious time. This week’s guidance is profoundly simple: Do good work. Work with love.
This post first appeared on Beth Owl’s Daughter — Inspiring Enchantment & Illumination With Tarot & Intuitive Guidance, please read the originial post: here
