The Six of Coins
Generosity. Contribution. Giving and Receiving.
Is it really better to give than to receive?
In the Rider Waite Smith version of the Tarot’s Six of Coins, a man is dispensing charity to two kneeling beggars. This card asks us first which character we play in the card—the giver or the receiver? And then it asks us to explore that character’s positive and negative qualities and how they might apply to our life.
If you believe the receiver on the Tarot card represents you, the Six of Coins asks you to dig into your attitude toward receiving. Are you open to freely receiving? Are you experiencing gratitude? Do you feel receiving has put you in the “beggar’s” position? If the latter, how can you turn that around?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with receiving. I adore getting presents. (FYI, my birthday’s coming up. Hint. Hint.)
But giving, contributing, being generous, is one of the best things we can do for our souls. You know it’s true, because you know how good it feels. And this leads us to the giver on the Six of Pentacles. If the giver is speaking to you, the card asks how you can expand this giving quality in your life.
There are many ways to give. I’m not just talking about donating money or charitable giving. We can give time. We can give attention. We can give our skills and knowledge. There’s a whole host of contributions we can make.
But where to start? The world’s problems can feel overwhelming. It’s why I’ve been avoiding social media like the bubonic plague. Twitter in particularly is a constant drumbeat of awful. And the crazy thing is, the more we stress and rage about the awful things other people are doing, well, have you noticed? The less we actually do good or are good for the people closest to us. Anger and outrage are a contagion.
Remember that saying, “think globally, act locally?” It’s not a bad one. Because here’s the secret—you can change the world. But only if you start with yourself. Illuminate your little corner of the planet. Each flame in the darkness inspires others. The small things add up. The smiles. The kindnesses. They’re contagious too.
What small action can you take to light up your soul today?