8 of Pentacles

I am doing the work I was born to do

The Eight of Pentacles sets out a crystalline landscape of minerals with many facets in which a character is seen standing on a golden elegant structure, fashioning and refining the elements of some exquisite space time sculpture. Robotic, made of intricate parts and connections, but still in human form it is clearly absorbed and attentive to the task at hand. If this was a human being, perhaps an artist, we might assume he was in a state of “flow,” completely absorbed, honing and perfecting his skills, creating a meticulously detailed piece of work which expressed something essential about his existence.

We may be able to delegate tasks to artificial intelligence or robotic forms with robust efficiency but to be conscious of process of creation may well remain a uniquely human phenomena. To take on something intrinsically valuable and use our range of intelligences keeps something crucially alive in us. Education socializes us for the world of work. It has traditionally focused on external rewards and merits rather than internal, intrinsic motivation. This will have to transform if we are to encourage people with flexible skill sets and knowledge to work across different disciplines and collaborate virtually.

The Eight of Pentacles invites you to look deeply into your world of work and review those projects and moments where you felt most alive, inspired, capable, absorbed and joyful. Look at where you need to apply yourself fully and feel the joy in the doing of it – of doing it well and to your fullest competency. In the card the character has many characteristics of a robot, and yet it still maintains a human form and is clearly absorbed in the task.

I’m playing with the possibility that no matter how much we may become “enhanced” beings, the sense of our own corporeal existence will be seen as a treasure. Our consciousness is a mind/body consciousness, unique and precious. If you have neglected your physical form, then this card is calling you to use it and fully experience it. If you have neglected to stretch your mind now is the time to indulge in the amazing fact you can extend yourself, touch the lives of others by creating solutions. When you are willing to put in the real work to bring something about, it “enhances” your innate sense of being, you become absorbed in life.