Through the Samaritan and Knight of Pentacles, this week we’re being called to look at our patterns of offering assistance. Can we come to see that all are equally deserving of help? Welcome everyone! For an overview of what I’m doing here, please check out
I recieved some insight around how resourced I'm feeling as I reflected on this - thinking about being The Good Samaritan brought up some fear and anxiety that I might not have time for *my things* as I help others. We're at the end of the school year at a really volunteer-heavy and poorly-organized school and so there are a lot of "this needs to be done tomorrow who can do it????" communications coming my way. That Knight of Pentacles looks like someone who is moving slow enough to assess what is meaningful, what is worthy of his investment.
As I type this the insight is coming through - that Knight looks like he is doing a whole lot of discerning up on that horse. He's not rushing trying to meet everyone's needs simultaneously. He spends all of his spoons/pentacles if he does that! By exercising that same discernment I can understand where the real needs are, versus trying to meet the surface-level wants (that frankly don't ever seem to end, by trying to meet them I stay up at the surface level and miss out on the chance to really dig in).
Beautiful group offering! I just attended my first retreat that included "offerings". It's so special, definitely an area of communion that I'd like to experience more.
Ooooh, Jenna, I LOVE this! This sentence made me stop in my tracks: "That Knight of Pentacles looks like someone who is moving slow enough to assess what is meaningful, what is worthy of his investment." Yes! This feels so clear to me. With the Samaritan there is great discernment about what is most needed and how to best meet those needs. The fact that you equated spoons with pentacles just shifted everything for me. I'm always afraid of running out of spoons. The suit of pentacles--of resources, of the material/physical world--really is the suit of spoons. I feel like I just got a whole, deeper level of clarity on the entire suit. Thank you!!! And I'm sending you big huge hugs and waves of support for getting through the end of the school year with a drawer full of spoons. ❤️❤️❤️
Jenna, it looks like you had a wondrous retreat! I look forward to hearing more about it!
This is an interesting pairing. At first these two didn’t seem to energetically connect. As I dug deeper into this though, I looked to the KofP. He is the slowest of the knights. He feels more like a guardian to me, one who watches and protects. His movements are intentional, thought through. He is like the turtle to the hare. Slow and steady. Paying close attention to the details. In this way the Samarian and the KofP are actually more alike than I thought. Both are in service to something greater, wanting to protect the sanctity of life. The KofP is the one who saves the Jewish traveler as they are being attacked or before it even happens. The Samaritan is the one who rescues him because of an attack. Both are offering support, just from different angles.
Hi Julie! 🤗 It was a wonderful retreat AND I'm still trying to get caught up enough to be out of town again next week. Ah, life! I hope you had a great trip too and I look forward to hearing all about it. I really like the idea of the knight of pentacles as guardian, as a sentry. And it made me hear the phrase "the action of presence". I'm not quite sure what it means, but I'll be contemplating it all day!
I received a reading last week whilst in Glastonbury and the Knight of Pentacles came up for me. The reader interpreted the Pentacle in the Knights hand as a gift. In this sense, I like the idea of gifting a part of ourselves to others when we help them. In a way, we might be sacrificing something in order to help or serve someone else and then it’s down to us to determine the energy behind that; do we feel depleted and resentful by giving beyond our means, or does it fill and uplift us?
At the moment, I’m definitely feeling this energy steering towards myself. I am in a season of trying to help and support myself… but maybe there’s more to it and I’m being called to widen my view.
This is amazing, thank you, Kerry! Do we feel depleted or uplifted by our gift? And I love the word 'sacrifice'. It's one I actually think about a lot. It means 'to make sacred'. So by giving of ourselves, we are making that part of ourselves sacred. Thank you for that insight! And I agree, this can definitely mean giving the gift of ourselves TO ourselves. 💖
If you cannot help another then do no harm. By always seeking the low entropy solution to every given situation, both the short and long term effects of helping others will have the most beneficial effects and outcomes for both the receiver and the giver. When the greater good is in harmony with the best outcome for self, there is harmony in the exchange. Karma speaks to the effects of what we do in the world. When the karma attached to an act of kindness is good, the act itself is beneficent. Acting out of selfish ego and limiting belief reaps unsatisfactory rewards, that doesn't enrich oneself or the other, for it is always the intention behind any act of giving that gives the gift of giving selflessly, that truly enriches the receiver. There is an energetic exchange that takes place that is much deeper and more meaningful than the physical act itself.
Beautiful, Elliot, thank you! "By always seeking the low entropy solution..." that is such clear, simple, and brilliant guidance. I'm going to make this my mantra today. ASTLES, always seek the low entropy solution. 💕
Jenna, first off, thanks so much for sharing those beautiful photos and for connecting me with the work of Shannon Willis! I just subscribed to her Substack and I look forward to learning more about her work.
Also, I love the questions you ask in this post about the Samaritan and the Knight of Pentacles. Especially this question, and I'm offering my own answer, and hoping that other readers will offer their answers too, as I'd love to read more responses to this:
"What is the difference between being a good Samaritan and being a people pleaser?"
=> For me, the difference lies in being aware of a need in another, like the person who had been left for dead on the side of the road, versus simply doing something for someone else with an unconscious desire within me, for them to like me.
Thank you so much, Camilla! 💕 That was the question that really hit home for me too. And I LOVE your answer! I think you nailed it. For me, when I fall into people pleasing, there's an underlying motive (even if unconscious) that's all about me. Whereas the good Samaritan is truly acting for the benefit of the other.
And, yay! I'm so glad you connected with Shannon's work! 🤗
Also, just so you're aware, if the ancestor work speaks to you, I'll be offering it as a very gentle, slow paced, year long course for subscribers beginning in October (when the year of downloadable packs is over). It's the work that's near and dear to my heart for sure!
I recieved some insight around how resourced I'm feeling as I reflected on this - thinking about being The Good Samaritan brought up some fear and anxiety that I might not have time for *my things* as I help others. We're at the end of the school year at a really volunteer-heavy and poorly-organized school and so there are a lot of "this needs to be done tomorrow who can do it????" communications coming my way. That Knight of Pentacles looks like someone who is moving slow enough to assess what is meaningful, what is worthy of his investment.
As I type this the insight is coming through - that Knight looks like he is doing a whole lot of discerning up on that horse. He's not rushing trying to meet everyone's needs simultaneously. He spends all of his spoons/pentacles if he does that! By exercising that same discernment I can understand where the real needs are, versus trying to meet the surface-level wants (that frankly don't ever seem to end, by trying to meet them I stay up at the surface level and miss out on the chance to really dig in).
Beautiful group offering! I just attended my first retreat that included "offerings". It's so special, definitely an area of communion that I'd like to experience more.
Ooooh, Jenna, I LOVE this! This sentence made me stop in my tracks: "That Knight of Pentacles looks like someone who is moving slow enough to assess what is meaningful, what is worthy of his investment." Yes! This feels so clear to me. With the Samaritan there is great discernment about what is most needed and how to best meet those needs. The fact that you equated spoons with pentacles just shifted everything for me. I'm always afraid of running out of spoons. The suit of pentacles--of resources, of the material/physical world--really is the suit of spoons. I feel like I just got a whole, deeper level of clarity on the entire suit. Thank you!!! And I'm sending you big huge hugs and waves of support for getting through the end of the school year with a drawer full of spoons. ❤️❤️❤️
Jenna, it looks like you had a wondrous retreat! I look forward to hearing more about it!
This is an interesting pairing. At first these two didn’t seem to energetically connect. As I dug deeper into this though, I looked to the KofP. He is the slowest of the knights. He feels more like a guardian to me, one who watches and protects. His movements are intentional, thought through. He is like the turtle to the hare. Slow and steady. Paying close attention to the details. In this way the Samarian and the KofP are actually more alike than I thought. Both are in service to something greater, wanting to protect the sanctity of life. The KofP is the one who saves the Jewish traveler as they are being attacked or before it even happens. The Samaritan is the one who rescues him because of an attack. Both are offering support, just from different angles.
Hi Julie! 🤗 It was a wonderful retreat AND I'm still trying to get caught up enough to be out of town again next week. Ah, life! I hope you had a great trip too and I look forward to hearing all about it. I really like the idea of the knight of pentacles as guardian, as a sentry. And it made me hear the phrase "the action of presence". I'm not quite sure what it means, but I'll be contemplating it all day!
I received a reading last week whilst in Glastonbury and the Knight of Pentacles came up for me. The reader interpreted the Pentacle in the Knights hand as a gift. In this sense, I like the idea of gifting a part of ourselves to others when we help them. In a way, we might be sacrificing something in order to help or serve someone else and then it’s down to us to determine the energy behind that; do we feel depleted and resentful by giving beyond our means, or does it fill and uplift us?
At the moment, I’m definitely feeling this energy steering towards myself. I am in a season of trying to help and support myself… but maybe there’s more to it and I’m being called to widen my view.
So insightful as always Jenna 🤍
This is amazing, thank you, Kerry! Do we feel depleted or uplifted by our gift? And I love the word 'sacrifice'. It's one I actually think about a lot. It means 'to make sacred'. So by giving of ourselves, we are making that part of ourselves sacred. Thank you for that insight! And I agree, this can definitely mean giving the gift of ourselves TO ourselves. 💖
If you cannot help another then do no harm. By always seeking the low entropy solution to every given situation, both the short and long term effects of helping others will have the most beneficial effects and outcomes for both the receiver and the giver. When the greater good is in harmony with the best outcome for self, there is harmony in the exchange. Karma speaks to the effects of what we do in the world. When the karma attached to an act of kindness is good, the act itself is beneficent. Acting out of selfish ego and limiting belief reaps unsatisfactory rewards, that doesn't enrich oneself or the other, for it is always the intention behind any act of giving that gives the gift of giving selflessly, that truly enriches the receiver. There is an energetic exchange that takes place that is much deeper and more meaningful than the physical act itself.
Beautiful, Elliot, thank you! "By always seeking the low entropy solution..." that is such clear, simple, and brilliant guidance. I'm going to make this my mantra today. ASTLES, always seek the low entropy solution. 💕
Thank you, Jenna 🙏
An interesting question is why were Jews and Samaritans enemies. There is an interesting book, The Samaritan Jesus, you might enjoy that dives into the context. I tried to write something on one Samaritan Christ, Simon Magus, here https://fairytalesfromecotopia.substack.com/p/a-union-of-opposites-the-myth-of?r=2frou4and here https://fairytalesfromecotopia.substack.com/p/a-union-of-opposites-the-myth-of-945?r=2frou4 if you’re interested. The binary good/evil, Christ/magus, miracle/sorcery is an interesting topic to delve into...how to move beyond the categories that define in-group/out-group and redefine what it means to be a good neighbor. Thanks for this!
Thank you so much for sharing these! I can't wait to dive in and read them!
Jenna, first off, thanks so much for sharing those beautiful photos and for connecting me with the work of Shannon Willis! I just subscribed to her Substack and I look forward to learning more about her work.
Also, I love the questions you ask in this post about the Samaritan and the Knight of Pentacles. Especially this question, and I'm offering my own answer, and hoping that other readers will offer their answers too, as I'd love to read more responses to this:
"What is the difference between being a good Samaritan and being a people pleaser?"
=> For me, the difference lies in being aware of a need in another, like the person who had been left for dead on the side of the road, versus simply doing something for someone else with an unconscious desire within me, for them to like me.
Thank you so much, Camilla! 💕 That was the question that really hit home for me too. And I LOVE your answer! I think you nailed it. For me, when I fall into people pleasing, there's an underlying motive (even if unconscious) that's all about me. Whereas the good Samaritan is truly acting for the benefit of the other.
And, yay! I'm so glad you connected with Shannon's work! 🤗
Also, just so you're aware, if the ancestor work speaks to you, I'll be offering it as a very gentle, slow paced, year long course for subscribers beginning in October (when the year of downloadable packs is over). It's the work that's near and dear to my heart for sure!