In the cards this week: challenge, connection, and a bonus card
Finding meaning and moving forward
This week's Minoan Tarot cards, with a bonus one that leapt out of the deck while I was shuffling.
Four of Rhytons: If life feels meaningless and dull, it may be because you need new challenges. We need to be engaged with life, to put in effort to make it feel worthwhile. Don't crawl into a corner with your phone and a drink or a smoke. Instead, put yourself to work at a new challenge. That's where you'll find meaning.
The World: Feel your connection with the cosmos. You are literally starstuff, but you are also a beautifully interwoven facet of existence. Allow yourself to become aware of the vast consciousness that is the universe, and feel your own life as a beautiful, integral part of that cosmic tapestry.
Bonus card: Five of Rhytons: Life involves loss; there's no getting around that, and of course we grieve. But there's a time to finish that process and take stock of the good things that still remain, then move forward.
This deck is my creation, my art. Deck details and more card pix here.
Thanks to everyone for your feedback last week in the comments and via email and private messages, letting me know that you’d prefer these Tarot posts to go out on Sunday instead of Monday. So I’m starting the new schedule today.
This week, we have a bonus card! Every now and then, a card jumps out of the deck while I’m shuffling. When this happens, I pay attention. I always include these “leapers” in the reading. This week, the bonus card reflects the emotional nature of the card from the top of the deck. Many of us are dealing with strong emotions right now, figuring out how to make our way through these interesting times. So let’s see what the cards have to offer us this week.
Our first card, from the top of the deck, offers some straightforward advice about dealing with the doldrums. This happens to everyone every now and then: a feeling of dissatisfaction, a combination of boredom and restlessness that isn’t alleviated by any of our usual activities. This is a longer-term condition that feels very similar to something that those of us with ADHD and/or CPTSD experience regularly in our daily lives.
Are you being challenged enough by your work, your spiritual life, your relationships? If you’re just drifting through life from one day to another, it’s going to start feeling meaningless pretty quickly.
The thing is, since we’re adults, we’ve got to provide our own enrichment. No zookeeper is going to toss us a meat-filled pumpkin or an empty cardboard box. 😉
That means putting in some effort and making some changes. It doesn’t necessarily mean ditching everything that’s already in process. Maybe you just need to put in some work on your relationships or find a new project to focus on.
As counterintuitive as it is, the solution to this problem is to buckle down and get to work. Because life without challenge is really blah.
This week’s second card, the one from the bottom of the deck that’s the “secret treasure” to help us find joy in these crazy times, is The World. And the world - all of it, in its glorious beauty and complexity - is what we’re part of. Not just the Earth, but the whole cosmos.
We are starstuff.
If you can, take some time out this week to feel your connection with the rest of existence. This will take different forms for different people.
What makes you feel connected, woven into the fabric of the cosmos?
Maybe it’s looking down into the sparkling water of a nearby lake. Or hugging someone you love (this includes pets). Or peering up into the night sky.
Maybe it takes the form of meaningful activities, like volunteering at a soup kitchen (there’s such a painful need for them these days) or picking up litter at a local park. Or maybe you feel that heart connection when you’re sitting quietly among the trees, listening to the birds.
Whatever helps you feel the infinite, beautiful web that you’re a living, breathing part of, take the time to pay attention to that this week and see how it changes the rest of your week.
Our bonus card this week that jumped out as I was shuffling is the Five of Rhytons. This one is so very pertinent and poignant for our times. Have a look at the image on the card: There are five rhytons (Minoan ritual pitchers) total in the picture, but two of them are broken, shattered into pieces that are scattered in the foreground, taking up most of the image and most of our attention.
Far in the background are three rhytons that are still perfectly good. They’re probably filled with wine or some other delicious beverage. But it’s hard to keep your attention on them, since the broken ones are so present in the foreground.
To me, this image sums up the world as it stands today. There’s a lot of bad stuff filling our screens and our thoughts. Some days, it feels like that’s all there is.
But it’s not.
This card is a reminder to look for the good stuff, because it’s still there. It’s just not making as much noise as the other stuff.
Where is the good stuff in your life? Can you find it in your circle of family and friends, in your local neighborhood, in your online communities? How about in the natural world around you, whether that’s your back yard or a local park or a state or national park?
Maybe that good stuff is in the connection you feel with the rest of existence, like the World card reminds us.
Wherever you find the good things, treasure them. Hang on to them. They’re what will get us through these interesting times.
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You can find the Minoan Tarot here, my books here, and my art here and here. I do apologize, but due to unpleasant activity from trolls, I’ve had to limit comments to subscribers only. I hope you understand.
About Laura Perry
I'm the founder and Temple Mom of Ariadne's Tribe, a worldwide inclusive Minoan spiritual tradition. I'm also an author, artist, and creator who works magic with words, paint, ink, music, textiles, and herbs. My spiritual practice includes spirit work and herbalism through the lens of lifelong animism. I write pagan / polytheist / magical non-fiction and fiction across several different subjects and genres. My book of modern Minoan myths is now available in paperback, keepsake hardcover edition, and ebook. My Minoan title in the Moon Books Pantheons series is available for pre-order and will be released on 26 August 2025. I’m also an avid herb and vegetable gardener and living history demonstrator (just in case you thought all I ever did was write books and make art).
I think when we can remember we're part of the Macro - the Cosmos, the stardust, it helps put all the negative in perspective. It helps shove out the negative trying to break us down and infiltrate our brains. I like to use the analogy of we're each a thread of the sacred tapestry. When we step back and look at the whole, we see the beauty that's there. It's always amazing how insightful the cards are. Thanks Laura.
All of this rings true, especially in these interesting times! I've struggled with a loss of meaning due to bereavement, but also the fact that a chronic health condition makes it impossible to do many of the things that would bring meaning. My contribution to the world is largely on a spiritual level, and in my endeavour to be a good friend to the lovely souls in my life. Sometimes we need to change our expectations of ourselves in a move away from constant doing to a greater emphasis on being.