Editor’s note: This is the first installment of a semi-regular column in which Carrie Ann Mallino interprets tarot cards for Missoula.
Dear Missoula,
The Christmas of 1988 my parents gave me two of my most beloved possessions, a crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards. My collection of crystal balls has grown over the years, as have my tarot decks. But I like to return to the comfort of my original deck from time to time—it knows me best.
To be clear: I am not a seer, I am an observer. As a tarot reader my role is to interpret and illuminate. On occasion I like to pull a single card and ask: What do I need to be aware of, here and now? A Seven of Cups indicates the world is your oyster, but warns to make your choices carefully. The Seven of Swords suggests now is the time for diplomacy over aggression. But on this day I’m thinking about Missoula. This town has changed so much since I arrived in 1998, which doesn’t seem so very long ago. In that time it has gone from being the town in which you could afford to be poor to a town in which many of us cannot afford to stay. So I asked my deck: What does Missoula need to know as a new year begins?
The card I pulled? The Ace of Pentacles. It’s an almost too-obvious card for the beginning of a new year. While all of the aces in tarot are a gift from the universe, boiled down to its basics the Ace of Pentacles represents the potential to manifest wealth—something a lot of Missoulians are feeling a distinct lack of at the moment. Our property taxes are on the rise, if we’re lucky enough to own a home. And if we aren’t so lucky, housing security is a constant worry and wages can’t seem to bridge the gap. But wealth is more than just coin. While the Cups reside in the world of dreams, fantasies, the subconscious, emotions, and wishes, the Pentacles deal in aspects of work, home, family, health, finances, and community. Wealth can mean a happy family. A job you enjoy. A clean bill of health. In the case of Missoula, a connected and vibrant community.
It is tradition to set resolutions for the coming year, but most resolutions are only a plan to take action. As Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try.” If you have been looking for a sign to take action, the Ace of Pentacles is here to tell you now is the time. As our first cold snap of 2024 hits our valley, now is the time to drop off those old coats you’ve been meaning to donate. Drop off extra canned goods, cereal and powdered milk to the Missoula Food Bank. Small tangible actions can have a huge impact in our community and bring us closer together creating a safety net. Not only for those currently in need, but for our future selves, our children, and our local institutions.
I am a firm believer in the power of three, that which you put into the world returns to you threefold. If you really want to manifest wealth in your life right now, start by sharing a bit what you have. The immediate payoff is a warm glow of having accomplished something as simple as a clean closet, followed by the warmer glow of knowing your action helped a fellow Missoulian. We all know small acts of kindness makes us all richer in spirit. The Ace of Pentacles suggests it may also help keep a bit more coin in our pockets as well. Happy New Year Missoula. 2024 is going to be a doozy, let’s resolve to see each other through!
