Collective Tarot Reading: Where Are You Giving Too Much of Yourself?

This week’s cards were Six of Pentacles, Queen of Wands, and The Devil.

One thought came to me pretty quickly when I saw these three together: Where in your life are you currently giving more than you actually want to give?

And by giving, I don’t necessarily mean anything concrete. It can look like always being the one who understands a little more, adjusts, helps, listens, explains, waits, keeps the connection going, or tries to hold a situation together.

And of course, there’s nothing wrong with any of those things. But I think the interesting question is: at what point does it become so automatic that you don’t even notice you’re doing it anymore?

Six of Pentacles and What You Give Without Receiving Back

The Six of Pentacles is connected to giving and receiving. But I don’t see this card as saying that everything in life should always be perfectly 50/50. Relationships don’t work like that. Sometimes one person needs more. Sometimes you need more. And I think that’s completely normal.

But maybe there should still be some sense of reciprocity. That sometimes you get to be the person someone is curious about. Your needs get asked about too. You don’t always have to be the one carrying things.

And if you notice that you’re constantly the one giving more, maybe it’s worth asking:

Do I actually want to give this much, or have I just become used to it?

Because there’s quite a big difference between the two.

Sometimes a pattern can be so old that it starts to feel like part of our personality. “This is just who I am.” But maybe we don’t have to keep doing everything we’ve learned to do forever.

The Queen of Wands Brings the Attention Back to You

I really love the Queen of Wands in this reading. There’s something completely different about her energy. She has her own life, her own interests, her own fire. She doesn’t need to spend all of her energy trying to make something outside of herself work.

And maybe this is one of the most interesting questions in this reading:

What would happen if you took even some of the energy you’re giving to other people and gave it back to yourself?

What would you do with it? Where would you put your time? What would excite you? What would you start building? Or would you simply have a little more space to just be?

To me, the Queen of Wands is also a reminder that choosing yourself doesn’t mean becoming cold or no longer caring about other people. You can be a warm, loving and supportive person without constantly giving more of yourself than you actually want to or have the energy for.

And Then Comes The Devil

This might be the most interesting card in the reading for me. Because often, at some point, we do realize that a certain pattern isn’t good for us. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to stop.

Sometimes something familiar feels safe simply because it’s familiar. Maybe you’ve always been the one who helps. Maybe you’ve learned that being easy, useful or understanding helps you feel connected to other people. Maybe doing nothing feels uncomfortable when someone else pulls away. Maybe your mind automatically starts wondering what you could do to fix the situation.

And that’s where I think The Devil asks a very simple but difficult question:

What is actually keeping you attached to this?

Not because you need to immediately let it go, but because it’s pretty difficult to change something before you even recognize it.

And I think this is one of the most interesting parts of understanding ourselves in general. Sometimes we focus so much on how we should change something. How do I let go? How do I set boundaries? How do I stop doing this?

When maybe the first thing we need to understand is: Why am I doing this in the first place?

What do I get from it? What am I afraid might happen if I stop? Sometimes that’s where the much more interesting answer is.

I Think These Three Cards Tell a Pretty Clear Story

First, the Six of Pentacles brings our attention to giving and receiving. Then the Queen of Wands brings the focus back to you and what happens when all of your energy isn’t constantly flowing outward. And The Devil shows the part where an old, familiar pattern might pull you back in.

So for me, this week’s message isn’t “Stop giving to other people.” Not at all.

Maybe it’s more: Notice when giving feels like your own choice and when it has become an automatic role.

Because maybe you don’t have to fix everything. You don’t have to keep every relationship alive by yourself. You don’t have to make everyone else feel better. And you don’t have to carry everything just because you know how.

Maybe instead of always asking “How can I make this work?”, you could try asking something completely different:

Do I even want to keep using my energy on this?

I think there’s a pretty big difference.

A Small Question for This Week

If something in this reading stayed with you, maybe take a moment to think about:

Where in my life am I currently giving more than I actually want to?

And then maybe an even more interesting question:

What would I do with all that energy if I gave even some of it back to myself?

For me, this reading is ultimately about allowing some of your attention to return to you. Not angrily, and not by shutting everyone else out. But maybe simply by remembering that your energy belongs to you, too.