The Eight of Pentacles is about perfecting a skill that you’re good at and enjoy, whether it’s part of your professional life, a hobby, or a favorite pastime. So let’s explore Making Time to Become the Skilled Expert below.
Finding what you love to do and connecting that to your life—either through work or as a hobby—is illustrated here by the man being seated, meaning he’s patient, stable, relaxed, and there for the long haul to get the job done.
You may be a hobbyist who wants to investigate taking a cooking or art class, and this card indicates it’s time to learn more about something fun! Or, you may need to turn your back on the things that you don’t like and concentrate on doing what makes you happiest.
Brett’s Story
My friend’s son, Brett, attends a top-ranked law school. After working super hard his first year, he made it into the top ten percent of his class last May.
This September, at the start of his second year, Brett volunteered for the Law Review, the school’s scholarly journal that publishes lengthy, comprehensive articles written by law professors, judges, and legal practitioners.
Law Review membership traditionally bestows honor and prestige to the student and can significantly impact their career. A perfect example is former President Barack Obama, the Harvard Law Review editor at that time—and look where he ended up. 🙂
Soon after gaining membership, Brett discovered his work for the Law Review cut into his study time and limited his ability to work on legal projects he was honored to be asked to assist with by some of his professors.
He grappled with whether to quit the law journal. Brett realized that he could continue to split his time between it, his studies, and side work for professors, but at the risk of losing his prestigious class ranking because there weren’t enough hours in the day.
Plus, he’d already secured a 2023 summer job with one of the biggest law firms in the country, and these positions often turn into full-time employment offers.
Ultimately, Brett decided that dropping the Law Review wouldn’t seriously harm his prospects but would reduce his stress. At the same time, it’d allow him to focus more deeply on his significant areas of interest which, in turn, could increase his chance of graduating in the top ten percent of his class.
You Can Do It!
Whether you decide to refine and strengthen a particular area of your expertise by expanding your knowledge and adding to your repertoire, or you need to release other things on your plate that distract you from your focus, the Eight of Pentacles reminds you it’s doable!
So keep learning, sharpening your skills, and growing and maturing into the expert everyone will respect, and let the Eight of Pentacles be your guide.
Thank you for reading Making Time to Become the Skilled Expert in this series. See you next month when we explore the messengers of the tarot.
Every upward,
