Beltane: The Eight of Pentacles, Strength, and the Three of Wands

I am using the three-card Beltine spread from lioneltarot.com. You pull the first card and place it in the middle. It's the Fire card; it serves as an intense anchor for the spread. The second card is to the left, it's the Winter card, which serves as a reminder of what you are letting go of and the hard lessons you have learned. The final card to the right is the summer card, and a direction for growth.

Fire card. The Reversed Eight of Pentacles (Rayne Klar). The work, the mundane, repetitive work that helps you build skill and learn. You can’t just focus on the result; you have to do the work. The reversal means a scattering of energy and a lack of focus—even an overburdening of life.

Winter Card. Strength (from the Lubanko Tarot). Conquering your animal self through compassion. A reminder that we are human and all of those feelings we have, anxiety, self-doubt, and fear, can be met with compassion. To know that we can meet these feelings with compassion, and they are not the killers we imagine them to be.

Spring Card. Three of Wands (By Ambisun). Reversed. Now is not the time to dash off on a quest: You’re just not ready to take on something else. There is power in the knowledge. There is no shame in taking time to compassionately focus on the tasks at hand, and a reminder that there are other journeys out there once you are ready. 

Bringing it all together: It can be frustrating to feel overwhelmed by life’s demands. However, the daily work is the important work you need to grow. Social media allows us to view the world through a lens that often minimizes the work required for success. You only see the victory and not the work that got people there. For example, I learned tarot by reviewing a card every couple of days and typing up over 90 pages of notes. This is all unseen on the back end; every hour spent typing, every book I referenced is something you’ll never see or experience. But that is the work that matters.

When taking on life’s daily work, remember to show compassion for yourself; these things take time, and growth is ultimately uneven.

Now is the time for daily reps, not a grand adventure.