Love Life

In the tarot pack there is a card called the Page of Pentacles. The literal meaning of this card is news or a change in a situation around your money or security. I have always viewed this card as ‘money dancing’. I see this card as a new way of viewing money, or information coming in that makes money more fluid. The tarot is a great tool to allow us to view our world in an energetic way; we can look at what blocks or challenges us and what tools and strengths we have to move through or around those blocks. Our finances play a large part in our lives now we have moved away from the barter system!

In my own life I have extensively used the money dance. I started my career in finance and lost the value of money watching people paying in and taking out thousands of pounds over the bank counter each day. I always had to remind myself of what a ten pound or even a five pound note meant to me!

When I moved into the world of accounting I again saw money in thousands or millions, preparing annual reports and budgets. I also learned how easy it was to calculate money in different ways to gain different outcomes; how easy it was to use the same values and see them from multiple perspectives. We talk about ‘glass half full or half empty’ which again is the same amount viewed in two very different ways.

So how does my financial career relate to real life?

When I entered the world of self employment the idea of the monthly pay cheque was gone forever. This immediately sent me into a spiral of panic and fear. The outcome of this was a flurry of bills that landed on the doormat! Gradually, month after month those bills magically got paid…as a deadline approached I would be asked to do a piece of work that would cover the bill, sometimes to the exact amount. When I needed a therapy couch costing £180 I was asked to work at a corporate dinner. I worked from 10pm to 2am and gave taster readings to nearly 100 people. The payment: £180. When holidays approached I always seemed to get a random opportunity that meant some extra money coming in. Gradually I learned to see money as flowing, alive and breathing rather than something to wallow over. Something else I learned was trust; to trust in the universe and the flow of life to bring opportunity.

Now don’t get me wrong – it was never a lottery win that got me out of trouble. There was no mysterious benefactor with a golden cheque book. Whenever I needed money it was an opportunity to earn it that came along. In times of stress and struggle I would always think long and hard of ways to earn money, of new places to advertise or a way of packaging my services. People often think that tarot readers, mediums and holistic therapists should give their services for free, being a ‘spiritual gift’. This was something I tussled with until an answer came through conversations with like minded friends and soul searching. Does a carpenter use his or her gifted hands to craft wood and then give it away? An artist pours hours of his or her soul into producing a beautiful painting – do they then give it away? If I am channelling wisdom from my guides it takes time – can I at the same time be working in accounts earning money? If I don’t earn money and my partner has to work twice as hard does that make me ‘spiritual’?

I never sat at home and moaned about money…well not for long anyway! I worked with a business coach to make sure I was doing all the right things. I worked long hours and always said yes to an opportunity, even if it meant travelling or going somewhere new. I am no navigator but always went to new places and new opportunities. The other thing I did was reduced my outgoings, looking at everything that went out. In my tarot pack the six of pentacles represents unexpected money, but on the card are two hands ready to take…money can come in and go just as fast!
So when life is hard and the bank statements don’t tell you what you want to hear don’t fret. I don’t mean hide the truth; it’s our responsibility to be honest with ourselves. Try to work out what it is that needs to change and view money as energy, i.e. something that can be changed. Tell the universe what it is you want, whether that’s more money coming in, less money going out or the inspiration to work it out for yourself. Write a positive statement or mantra that states how abundant your life is; remind yourself of everything you have in your life, of the gifts money can’t buy like love or health. Be alert for opportunities to help you. Listen to conversations around you when others talk about how they address money. Scan adverts for opportunities; I don’t mean ‘get rich quick’ schemes, but genuine ways to earn money. Ask yourself if you are in the right job for you, living the right way and doing the right things.

Being honest doesn’t mean living in fear – as soon as we are fearful our energy rushes into ‘fight or flight’ mode and we become panicked. This can stop us sleeping or eating and make us less open to opportunity. Be honest but stay positive; picture yourself smiling and happy after a solution has been found. Whatever your age remind yourself that you have yet to starve to death as you are still hear – harsh but indeed true. Read something inspiring like ‘The Secret’ or ‘The Law of Attraction’ and remember that life and money is dancing around you, so join in the dance and learn to let life flow.

© Nicky Marshall 2010
www.holisticinsights.co.uk