Cards & Conversation: The 10 of Pentacles (Reversed)
Unravelling self-worth from net worth when "success" starts to feel like it is keeping you trapped.
Welcome to our first edition of Cards & Conversation, a space for personal reflection and community conversation on the intuitive side of leadership—the “gut check” we all need to stay aligned to our values.
In the Bosscraft Podcast, I talk a lot about building careers that last—whether that is through freelancing or a 9-5. Sustainability can mean lots of things for different people, but for most it includes a certain amount of financial success. But what happens when the definition of success you’ve built starts to feel like a cage? Today, in our first edition of this new series, we’re taking a real look at the golden handcuffs.
The Card: Understanding the 10 of Pentacles
For those who may be newer to tarot, understanding the cards can feel like a major uphill battle. I encourage people to focus on the visual in the card as a starting place. What comes to mind? What elements of the image jump out to you? What feelings does the card give you? Try your hand using this weeks card: the 10 of Pentacles.
Before you ask: I use the Vindur Tarot deck, developed by Leah Pantéa, which is now out of print, but I strongly recommend learning a deck that strongly reflects the commonly used Rider-Waite imagery.
Whatever stood out to you first is inherently important to a personal reading, as this practice helps you tune in to your intuition. To understand a card further, it is helpful to look at the “anatomy” of the card:
The Suit (Pentacles): In tarot, Pentacles represent earth or, more directly, the “stuff” of life. They govern the material world: your finances, your physical health, your home, and any “work” you physically produce.
The Number (Tens): Tens represent the end of a cycle. They are the point of completion, legacy, and “perfection.”
The Position (Reversed): Some people, myself included, read cards which are dealt upside down a little differently than their upright companions. These reversals can represent internal struggles, delays, or just a more nuanced interpretation of the meaning.
In the upright position, the 10 of Pentacles represents a point of completion and accomplishment in a financial or professional endeavor (the goal of many a boss). When reversed, it suggests that while the “wealth” (the jobs, the revenue, the status) might be there, the foundation is shaky. This reversal is a prompt to ask: Is this actually what YOU want, or is it just what is expected of you?
For mission-driven folks, the 10 of Pentacles reversed shows up when you’ve built a career that looks successful on paper (that’s the ten) but isn’t sitting right or giving you the boss vibes you hoped it would (there’s your reversal). You might be:
Staying in a high-paying role (or less-than-aligned assignment) solely for the security, even though you don’t love the work.
Achieving something you have worked for for a long time, only to realize that the title or pay bump or letters next to your name don’t fulfill you like you hoped.
Aiming for a professional goal that you’ve outgrown or are ready to set aside.
Tying your personal identity to you work so closely that any shake up in your professional life causes a crisis of identity. (oof, that one feels personal)
Realizing that the standard of living you’ve worked for now requires so much maintenance it’s draining your peace.
The Bosscraft Take: A reversal isn’t a failure. It’s an audit. This card calls you to reassess what it is you are working for and whether you actually still want the goals you once set out. It’s time to unravel your self-worth from your professional (or financial) achievements and see if your ambitions are actually built on a pattern of burnout or disappointment.
The Conversation
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This week’s prompt: The 10 of Pentacles reversed asks us to look at where our “success” feels hollow. Is there a part of your consulting practice or career that looks great on paper but feels heavy or misaligned in practice? What would it look like to pivot your energy to invest in something that is more aligned to the values you hold today? What is one baby step you can take to move yourself toward that more aligned life?
I’ll be in the comments sharing my own "reversal" moment, which is a serious work in progress.