The Courage to Become: A Monthly Tarot Reading

<p>In this episode of <a href="https://www.thetarotdiagnosis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer"><strong>The Tarot Diagnosis</strong></a>, I’m back with another collective monthly tarot reading, and for September, I’m exploring <strong>The Courage to Become</strong>, which is a four card tarot spread I originally created around identity, existentialism, and the often uncomfortable process of growth and change.</p><p><br></p><p>Spoiler: Apparently, September is the month of Pentacles - I’ve been pulling them personally and three of them show up in the reading!</p><p><br></p><p>Pulling the <strong>Knight of Pentacles</strong>,<strong> Six of Cups</strong>,<strong> Page of Pentacles</strong>, and <strong>Six of Pentacles</strong>, I explore who we may be becoming collectively, what frightens us about that transformation, what makes it exciting, and what remaining exactly as we are might ultimately deny us.</p><p><br></p><p>The <strong>Knight of Pentacles</strong> kicks us off and I end up spending quite a bit of time with this knight, so if you struggle with this card, I hope this is a helpful episode for you. I also explore how in a culture that rewards urgency, immediacy, productivity, and reactivity, this Knight asks us to slow down and be intentional about where we focus our attention. I touch on the importance of <strong>responding </strong>vs<strong> reacting</strong>, and why being strategic and willing to tolerate uncertainty may be our own form of resistance.</p><p><br></p><p>I also infuse the existential psychology of <strong>Rollo May </strong>and<strong> Erich Fromm</strong>, particularly their ideas around courage, freedom, responsibility, identity, and the anxiety that accompanies getting to choose who we want to become. Fromm says that freedom sounds wonderful until we realize it also means that we have to accept responsibility for our choices and I think the <strong>Knight of Pentacles</strong> is well aware of that.</p><p><br></p><p>Next, the <strong>Six of Cups</strong> brings us directly into our relationship with nostalgia and the safety of familiarity - a cute nod to our 200th episode about nostalgia previously. This card asks us, if we’re becoming something new, how do we make sure we aren’t also just recreating a new version of the past? I explore why familiarity can feel safer than freedom, how nostalgia can pull us toward old identities and systems, and the distinction between being shaped by our history vs repeating it.</p