November 15th Full Moon Tarot Curated Insights: The Power of a Graceful Heart

The full moon is here, bringing new tarot insights for us to reflect upon. This moon cycle I used my Vintage Wisdom Oracle deck and my Star Seeker Tarot deck, and we pulled Grace (Vintage Wisdom deck), the Eight of Pentacles, and the Seven of Pentacles (Star Seeker deck).  

We have another repeat card this week and that’s the Seven of Pentacles. I love this card, particularly the one from the Star Seekers deck. The visual, to me, is very nurturing. I see it as a reminder to pour myself into the things that are important to me, because by doing so, I’m doing my part to make the world a better place.  Make sure you look at the cards to see what they awaken it you, let’s dive in.

Intention: Grace is an active force that can empower us to transform pain and anger into purpose. It gives us the capacity to bear witness to both our personal pain and the pain we see in the world.

Affirmation: I extend grace to myself so that I might extend it to all of humanity.

When I pulled the Grace card, I wasn’t quite sure what to write. My heart wasn’t in a very graceful place – I didn’t feel connected to the subject at all. Times are hard for people right now and I wasn’t seeing how grace could help.  But then my mind went to the phrase, “by the grace of God.” I don’t consider myself a Christian, but I have been raised in a culture that pushes lots of Christian values, so I began to think, what is “the grace of God?”

In religious contexts, particularly Christianity, grace is the favor and love God extends to humanity, despite our terrible flaws. It symbolizes divine aid and support, as well as forgiveness. It can also mean maintaining composure and showing kindness under pressure. There are other ways to view grace, but these are the two I’m focusing on.

I can certainly relate to wanting to believe in a divine, loving, and forgiving presence. That’s a concept that has helped me through hard times. From a theological perspective this is where we get the idea of forgiving sins or going to confession. It feels good to believe we can be forgiven for acts we are not proud of, but does forgiveness guarantee a change in behavior? No. In fact, it is likely that we will need to ask for forgiveness many times, for similar acts.

The idea of maintaining composure and acting from a place of kindness under pressure is also appealing to me. Even when I’m angry I’ve come to understand that my anger does not separate me from grace, in fact, it brings me to it. I can hold space for grace and anger at the same time, and I find this intersection very interesting.

Intellectually I understand the power of grace lies in its ability to transcend our limitations and connect us to forgiveness, even in the most challenging circumstances. That said, how in the world do we extend grace to those who’ve caused harm? How do we extend grace to ourselves? This brings me to the idea of practicing lovingkindness.

I was introduced to this practice many, many years ago, and to be honest - I find it difficult. A practice of lovingkindness asks us to extend love and compassion first to ourselves, then to someone we love, then to someone we feel neutral about, and lastly to a difficult person.

I do well with the first three steps but often find it hard to extend love to challenging or “bad” people. In these moments my anger rises. I sense it in my body, and I know it will not yield -that I shouldn’t ask it to. So, I wrap it in the soft blanket of lovingkindness, and I listen to what it has to say. Often, it’s something like, “This isn’t fair!” or “How could this be?”

When I’m holding space for my anger (and other unpleasant emotions) during meditation, I often wonder if I am also holding space for the unpleasantness I see in the “bad” person I’m trying to extend lovingkindness to. Is my anger the portal to holding space for someone I don’t like? Maybe so. If I can hold space for the difficult parts of who I am, then I can do it for the people that I don’t like. Maybe it isn’t that different.

Sending love to a difficult or "bad" person can be a powerful act. Despite their actions, difficult people are still human beings with their own struggles and pain. Sending them love can help us acknowledge their humanity and potentially open a door to understanding and compassion.

I want to say, loudly and clearly, that extending love doesn't mean condoning harmful behavior or putting yourself in danger. It's about cultivating a sense of compassion and understanding, even for those who may not deserve it. By doing so, we can heal ourselves and the world around us. We are essentially pouring more love into the world, when we might prefer to pour out hatred, disgust, disdain, or anger.

Here are a few reasons why it's important to consider extending grace or lovingkindness to people we don’t like. Holding onto anger and resentment can be a heavy burden. By extending grace, we can free ourselves from the pain of the past. By practicing forgiveness, we can become more compassionate and understanding in general.

Heads up friends, if you try a lovingkindness meditation, you’re probably going to be confronted with some difficult emotions. It’s tempting to bypass them. I’ve often wanted to skip the final step in this meditation because it’s hard, even uncomfortable. If you don’t have the energy for it, don’t do it. But don’t run away from your anger. Find some time to explore it. It is a wonderful teacher.

Interpreting the 8 of Pentacles and 7 of Pentacles in the Context of Grace

The Eight of Pentacles often symbolizes dedication, skill, and craftsmanship. It implies setting aside time for learning something new, or maintaining a useful practice, whatever that practice may be. In the context of cultivating grace or practicing lovingkindness this card encourages you to build a bridge between the material and spiritual realms. This could involve practices like meditation, yoga, or journaling to connect with your inner self, while also engaging in practical actions to address the world's suffering.

The Seven of Pentacles represents patience, perseverance, and the long-term view. It suggests that you should be patient and persistent in your efforts to bring about positive change. This card reminds you that true transformation takes time and effort. It's important to celebrate small victories and to maintain a sense of hope, even when faced with challenges.

Listen to the Blooming Wand Podcast

Want to delve deeper into the transformative power of grace? Join me for a guided loving-kindness meditation and a discussion on the cards that inspired this newsletter.

Available on all streaming platforms of click HERE.