On New Beginnings

any minute now.

We moved earlier this week, so today’s letter comes to you from the midst of disorganized chaos. (Round two.) I am currently perched on the floor, surrounded by toppling book piles, unable to locate numerous essentials. But it’s a joyful chaos, and I’m grateful to be here.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this week’s essay is about home, and the many forms it takes — beyond four letters and four walls. However, I’ve been feeling under the weather the last few days and am not quiiiite ready to hit send.

So, today I’m sharing the weekly card, for all subscribers, and my beloved paid readers will receive the essay later this week. (And maybe a few sneak peeks from around the new place. :)

Thank you for reading. I hope you are safe and well, wherever you are. x

Gnocchi loves her new windows.

Card of the Week

Here is this week’s card for the collective, as well as some thoughts to carry into the days ahead. As most modern readers will tell you, the tarot is not about fortunetelling, nor is it about neat, definitive answers. The cards are simply one path to reflection, a way of better knowing ourselves and others through universal themes. If this reading resonates with you, great! And if not, no worries. Take whatever may be helpful and leave the rest.

The UV Tarot by Modest Mouse, with art by Violet Aveline

Aces symbolize beginnings — the start of new seasons, projects, relationships, patterns, and experiences. Pentacles symbolize the material world — anything we can see or touch, build or grow.

Given this, it’s only sensible to look at the Ace of Pentacles and think, “Ah! The beginning of some auspicious journey.” If you recently started a new job or project, are pursuing a new venture, or have a meeting on the books, perhaps this rings true for you. Or maybe you’re simply pondering making some moves, gathering knowledge and steam.

If that resonates, great. We can all use a reminder that everything starts somewhere — that all we can behold began with a seed, an idea, an intention.

Yet when it comes to the Ace of Pentacles, I think there is another, deeper message at play.

The iconic Smith-Waite deck, with art by Pamela Colman Smith

Traditionally, this card shows a hand emerging from the ether, holding a golden coin. Given that it’s literal currency, it’s easy to jump to the material side of things — to interpret it as a message concerning a windfall, an opportunity, an investment paying off. Surely this must be the hand of chance, luck, opportunity, fate. Surely this hand is a sign that the cold calls and blind dates and LinkedIn connections do eventually pay off. Any minute now, we think, the inordinately big hand will appear. Maybe my big break is just around the corner.

But what if the scene in question is actually — wait for it — your hand? What if, instead of some otherworldly being, the symbolism is pointing to you, because you have power and agency?

And what if it isn’t just talking about some literal, bottom-line coin, but about the larger — and arguably more important — question of value?

While pentacles symbolize value on the material plane, they also point to the more intangible things that are valuable about us. Our essence. Our effort. Our point-of-view. Our unique contributions to the world.

This week’s card reminds us that we get to define — and redefine — what value we seek and bring to the world. We do this through what we prioritize. What we celebrate. What we uphold. What we create.

And it tells us we can start anew, whenever we wish.

Maybe you grew up worshipping fashion magazines but now the sight of one makes you want to set it on fire. Maybe you spent the last decade struggling to set boundaries, but now “no” is your favorite word. Maybe you’ve come to question some of the beliefs, figures, or institutions you once admired. Maybe you once measured your worth via criteria gifted by the outside world, but now recognize what you bring to the table.

Whatever it may be, reassigning value is a sign of growth, a natural offshoot of learning, maturity, and progress. So go ahead, change your mind, and if it suits you, change direction. That is how we change the world.

So yes, the Ace of Pentacles sees us at the beginning of a journey. But is it internal or external? Will it lead to an elevator, or into a forest? No one choice is better than any other. But one may be best for you.

More than anything else, the Ace of Pentacles challenges us to ask, on a frequent basis, “What matters?” And then to ensure that our actions are in service to that. In the days ahead, this card asks us to notice where we place our energy and attention. Are we taking good care of our selves, our cares, our causes?

As you consider the world you’d like to create, be open. Be receptive. And above all, be brave.