The Archetype and The Tarot: The Visionary and Queen of Pentacles
Through the Visionary and Queen of Pentacles, this week we’re being called towards clarity and manifestation. Can we channel our visions into tangible action?
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The Visionary Archetype
The Visionary archetype is all about the power of sight. Not necessarily physical sight, but the ability to see with the inner eye, to see everything with clarity and wisdom. With this ability, the Visionary can often see what others can’t. They are intimately knowledgeable about the realm of possibility. Driven by the spirit of potential, the Visionary not only sees the world as it is, but also as it could be.
On the light side, the Visionary is a beacon of hope and creativity. They possess the unique ability to see possibilities where others might see limitations or obstacles. This archetype is not constrained by the boundaries of the current reality. They dream big and think outside the box, while also understanding their vision as guiding principle, not an ultimate truth. Their optimism and forward-thinking can ignite passion in those around them. Visionaries in the light are often the pioneers of change, inspiring others to believe in and work towards new paradigms and innovations. Their ideas and insights can lead to groundbreaking advancements and societal shifts. They stand as reminders that we are not confined by current circumstances, and that possibility is only a vision away.
The shadow Visionary, on the other hand, might tend to be impractical or overly idealistic, leading to frustration and disillusionment. Their focus on the future can make it difficult for them to appreciate the present, leading to an unhealthy detachment from what is. The Visionary in the shadows may also struggle to bring their visions to fruition. In their pursuit of the ideal, they might overlook important details or misunderstand necessary practical steps. They might struggle with patience, wanting their vision to be manifested right now without putting in the necessary effort to create it. Most commonly, the shadow Visionary—whether through a disbelief in their own abilities or fears of limiting possibility by making a choice—might block themselves from seeing the vision at all.
When the Visionary comes up in a reading, I believe we’re being called to have the courage to hope. Because the Visionary is all about seeing clearly, this is not the kind of hope that’s equated with toxic positivity. But hope that is rooted in understanding—in seeing clearly the present moment, just as it is.
Some questions to consider this week:
- What long-term visions or dreams have you been nurturing?
- Are there practical steps you can take now to move closer to your vision?
- How do you balance your aspirations with your current reality?
- In what ways can you inspire and motivate others with your vision?
Queen of Pentacles
In this card from the Mary-El tarot deck, we see a close-up of this queen’s face. Their hair, made of what looks to be carved wood, coils all around while crystal stones fall like tears down their cheek. In the background is a lush scene of greenery and roses lining a cobblestone path.
To me, the queens of the tarot are like the spiritual directors of the court. They meet one-on-one with their subjects, tending to their needs by dispensing the deep meaning of their suit. Queens bring their subjects (one-at-a-time) into their homes—into the interior of the castle, or the environment of the suit. They speak in tender, private conversations, tailoring the message to each individual.
The queen of Pentacles is kind and nurturing, dispensing wisdom through coziness and comfort. They invite us into their castle and offer a cup of herbal tea to drink while wrapping us in a chenille blanket on the overstuffed sofa. They are all about the embodiment of care.
This queen is made of root and stone, the foundations of all things physical. Because they are so intimately connected with life in the physical realm, they understand pain and grief. They know that life can come with suffering and they offer a unique sort of support in that.
In this environment of groundedness, the Queen of Pentacles offers their wisdom about how to make the most of life as a physical being. They speak of practicalities as much as they speak of sensuality. They guide us about the luxurious side of life as well as the ways we can work hard. They teach us the steps we need to take to make things grow.
When this card appears, I believe it’s a reminder to turn towards the practical, resourceful, and nurturing ways we, too, can become the embodiment of care (for ourselves and others).
How Does This Pair Work Together?
Here I see the Visionary wandering around the castle grounds in an erratic state, bombarded by too many visions, unable to focus on just one, much less bring it into reality. Swept up in this state of chaos, they have lost the ability to know what to do next.
But then the Queen of Pentacles takes the Visionary gently by the hand and guides them into the inner castle, offering them a cup of grounding tea (probably some cookies too). Maybe they do some gentle movement together to get the Visionary’s energy back into their body.
Once the Visionary is fully embodied again, the Queen tells them which vision is most important at this time and then hands over the tools and instructions for manifesting it.
This week, I believe we are being asked to ground our aspirations in practical reality. What actual steps can we take to move closer to our dreams? How can we nurture ourselves and others in the process? This is a time to blend inspiration with practicality, to dream big but also to take tangible steps towards those dreams.
Wow. Okay, I’m starting to take this personally. This is the THIRD week in a row with a similar message. Two weeks ago, the message was basically: commit to a path. Last week’s was all about doing the work of consistent practice on that path. And now we’re being asked to take the practical steps to manifest our vision.
I’d like to formally apologize if I’m the one holding up the show and making it so each week’s message is like an underscore of the previous week. (The Universe knows that I thought about doing consistent practice last week more than I actually did the consistent practice.) I think I finally got the message this time. Who’s with me? Let’s get excited about practical action! ❤️
P.S. In case you missed the big announcement on Thursday, my new offering is open for registration. I’m really excited about this one! Please check it out at www.EmbodiedElementalSoul.com.
"Here I see the Visionary wandering around the castle grounds in an erratic state, bombarded by too many visions, unable to focus on just one, much less bring it into reality. Swept up in this state of chaos, they have lost the ability to know what to do next.
But then the Queen of Pentacles takes the Visionary gently by the hand and guides them into the inner castle, offering them a cup of grounding tea (probably some cookies too). Maybe they do some gentle movement together to get the Visionary’s energy back into their body.
Once the Visionary is fully embodied again, the Queen tells them which vision is most important at this time and then hands over the tools and instructions for manifesting it."
This is a wonderful mirror of the work I did with somatic intuitive healer Jessica Garay this week.
My Inner Work right now is focused on breaking the attachment I'm carrying to getting all the things done. All at once would be best, according to my ego :). I'm frequently irritable and stressed at home, I struggle to relax and be present, I struggle to parse what to do next and when. It's a black hole of productivity - there is never enough giving on my part within this paradigm. Living this way is unsustainable for my body; I'm stuck in the boom-bust cycle that thespooniementor illustrates so well here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C66uYBoPO13/?img_index=3. I'm doing a year-long training in somatic intuitive healing with Jessica and I can see that I'm not going to be able to hold presence and offer healing to others in the way I feel called if I remain caught in this web.
In my session with Jessica on Thursday I started with a description of the ways I am wrapped up in my attachment to productivity. How I struggle to parse which to-do list items to do each day, how I go and go and go without any breaks for self-care, how I'm crashing almost every day by the time I'm making dinner. I see a lot of the Visionary archetype in my persona, but right now I'm living much of my life in the Visionary shadow.
After we'd talked this through a bit I was starting to feel a buzzing anxiety, I was really in my head about it, and we started to move into the somatics. She didn't take my hand and give me cookies, but Jessica did move me back into my body. She allowed me to move up up up into that buzzy frenetic headspace, and then she supported me in moving down down down into my body.
And I got to see for myself that the up up up (Visionary weighted down in the shadow) is tight, rigid, narrow, full of must and should and have to. And the down down down embodied (Visionary beaming with light) is relaxed, expansive, and full of trust.
I was able to understand that when I'm Visionary in the light, I know and feel that I have choices. When I don't feel or think that I have choices, I'm in the shadow. That's what the Queen of Pentacles taught me this week about how to live out my fullest potential as the Visionary.
Move/act/do from a place of choice. If the choice isn't there initially, slow down and find it first. That's how I'm going to try to detach my neural pathways from this attachment to productivity that has been consuming my life of late.
There is no way this is a coincidence... this exact card - I pulled on the exact day you posted - in the most internal fire/body shaking/alarming in my senses/life altercation reading - I experienced EVER.
This rings particularly true : "This queen is made of root and stone, the foundations of all things physical. Because they are so intimately connected with life in the physical realm, they understand pain and grief. They know that life can come with suffering and they offer a unique sort of support in that."
This is my life focus... my Being in Being... my natural-genius knowing that breaches my form daily in and daily out by nights wrought in desires for the waking hours action....