Speed Reading: A three-card decision before coffee

I woke up this morning expecting to call in sick, but now that it’s actually morning, I want to go to work. My throat is a little scratchy and I’m slightly stuffed up, but I’m functional.

Because it’s almost time to hop in the shower, I didn’t have time for a long tarot reading. Instead, I asked three quick questions and pulled one card for each.

Option 1. Go to work: Nine of Coins

The Nine of Coins shows a woman in a secure, walled garden surrounded by wealth. That’s me at the bank: contained, safe, and earning the paycheck that’s slowly rebuilding my sense of financial stability.

There are familiar roles, coworkers to interact with, and the satisfying challenge of learning to do something well. But the Nine of Coins can also be isolating. Going in today means continuing to push aside the personal matters that I really do need to consider, pretending everything is fine while growing just a touch more cynical. And practically speaking, I may feel run down by the end of the day.

Option 2. Reflect on my social life and do some tarot readings about it: Knight of Cups

I usually see him as a dreamy figure with a cup of daydreams, but he’s a knight with a divination cup, someone who actively seeks emotional clarity, meaning, and connection.

This makes him a perfect card for reflecting on synagogue, friendship, relationships, and the trajectory of my social life. There’s an optimistic, romantic quality to this card: it’s a good time to explore hope and direction.

But the Knight of Cups can chase ideals instead of grounding them. I could spend the whole day wandering through feelings... or, more realistically, I could get pulled into binge-watching that show I’m currently obsessed with.

Option 3. Work on my large white book: Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands is a woman of focused fire, and she shows exactly what would happen if I spent the day on my LWB: I’d get real work done. Even one fully fleshed-out section would feel amazing. It would strengthen my confidence, my voice, and my sense of identity in this project.

The downside is obvious: no paycheck today, and no attention to the personal issues I keep postponing. And if I start to feel sick later, I’m unlikely to rest; I’ll just push through, riding the Queen of Wands’ momentum instead of going to bed.

(Realistic ETA for completing the book: 78 cards × one week for a draft × one week for revisions = about three and a half years.)

I've chosen option one, for no particular reason, and now I'm running late!