A balancing act

When you’re juggling too many balls

Nov 21, 2024

Issue # 14

Welcome to another issue of Wildflora Tarot!

What you’ll find in the newsletter this week:

Tarot Reflection: 2 of Pentacles
A tarot spread: The Pentacle
Plant Profile: Conks

A very warm welcome to all my dear new subscribers! As a thank you for this influx of interest in my humble newsletter, here is a PDF version of my tarot zine I normally sell at cost at festivals. Please enjoy!

Two of Pentacles

Balance - Cycling Energy - Multi-tasking - Precarious - Coping - Flexibility - Prioritization

On this card we see a young person wearing a tall kooky hat juggle two pentacles held together by an infinity loop while balancing on one foot. The waves behind them are large and exaggerated as two ships attempt to navigate in the tumultuous waters.

When this card comes up for you in a reading, you’ve got a lot going on in your life, and depending on the other cards that show up in your spread, you may or may not be struggling with balancing these commitments. The Two of Pentacles challenges you to weigh your options and know your limits. Only juggle what you know you will not drop. Yes, you can juggle many things at once, but at what cost? On the surface, it appears as if you are doing it all with stunning aplomb, but only you know that you are barely keeping your head above water.

I constantly feel as if I am this silly little guy in this silly little hat, juggling many commitments all while standing on one foot. Sometimes I make life harder than it needs to be because I cannot say “no.” I overwork and over-commit. My hands are always full and the raging sea of turmoil within me never seems to settle. This card reminds me that even if I am successful in doing it all, it is not healthy for me to keep going at this pace. There is a time for work and a time for rest. As winter approaches, we are entering into a season of rest and hibernation, so perhaps it is time for me to put some balls down and put my feet up.

Honor the rhythm of life instead of struggling against it. Flexibility and adaptability to the challenges life throws at you are key to staying afloat.

From now until December 23, I am booking Year Ahead Readings.

30-Minute Year Ahead Readings - delves into the twelve calendar months, seasonal themes, and your personal card of the year for 2025. This reading comes with a write-up of the cards chosen and meanings interpreted that will be emailed to you within one week of the reading. $77

The Pentacle

Origin - Where you’re coming from.
Destination - Where you’re going.
Challenge - The difficulty you must overcome
Clarity - What will make sense to you
Goal - Your ultimate purpose

CONKS

Conks are fun to say and easy to find and identify in any forest at any time of the year. Conks are tough perennial mushrooms that grow like shelves or hooves mainly on dead wood. Conks are one of the main decayers of the forest, as they help break down deadwood, turning it into hummus and giving nutrients back to the soil. Conks are much too tough and woody to be edible but are often used medicinally. Only harvest conks with a white underside, when they are their freshest.

Here are a few different conks you may find next time you venture into the woods:

Red-belted Conk

Fomitopsis pinicola

Also known as a Red-belted polypore. The upper surface of the shelf is brown or black at the base, with a reddish-black “belt” and yellow-ochre or white at the edge. The bottom surface of the shelf is white or pale yellow and does not turn brown when scratched.

You can dry this mushroom and blend it into a powder to be used as a powerful tool in your first aid kit. It can be applied to cuts to stop bleeding and prevent infection.

Varnished Conk

Ganoderma lucidum

Also known as reishi, this beautiful conk is a famous medicinal mushroom. The upper surface of the shelf has a yellow belt in the middle with white edges and a beautiful varnished shine. The underside of the shelf is white and a bit soft and corky when fresh and turns brown when scratched.

While it is not edible, it can be dried and crushed to be taken medicinally. The Chinese call it ling chih or “mushroom of immortality” for its anticarcinogenic properties. It is often taken as a tea or tincture to help reduce stress and boost the immune system.

Artist Conk

Ganoderma applanatum

Also known as Artist’s Palette or Artist’s Fungus. The upper surface of the shelf is brown to gray, matte, and ridged. Sometimes there is a brown or red-brown powder on the caps. The underside is white when fresh but brown when old or scratched. Artist’s conks grow at the base of living trees, as well as deadwood.

Like the other conks, they are too woody to eat, but they are often used as a canvas for artists, as pictures or messages can be etched on the underside of the fungus. You can also dry them and grind them into a powder and mix that with cocoa powder to get a tasty mushroom hot chocolate!

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