Dear Oracle, my partner and I have owned our business for 15 years. While we have been able to be incredibly successful, one issue that we’ve always had has been with staff. We’ve had several employees who were just crazy, could not take feedback, or were lazy and had serious attitude problems. We pride ourselves on taking a “worker’s first” position, like offering $15 an hour before most people did and higher commission rates than most stores, but still, it seems like we’re only drawing in negativity and insanity. Do the cards suggest a way to draw in positivity and light?—Business Babes
Cards: The Seeker (reversed), Eight of Swords, Five of Pentacles (reversed), The Empress (reversed)
Dear BB, you know, when we find our relationships with different people to have the same kinds of problems over time, it might serve us to look inward and see how we fit into the pattern.
I’ve probably written about work more than any other subject in this column, and you are the first boss plagued with a sea of toxic employees over the years. While it may be true that you have had a string of bad luck, it does seem suspect to have “several” employees described as “crazy” or “lazy” or with “bad attitudes” who “cannot take feedback.”
I do believe you are honestly looking into this problem and don’t understand what’s happening. With the Major Arcana of The Seeker and The Empress reversed, I think you are genuine in your soul searching and view yourself as the just and fair Empress. I believe you hold the ideas of “worker’s first” sacrosanct. What I am unsure about, either through your letter or the cards, is how (or if) those ideas translate.
You and your partner are suffering. With the Eight of Swords, you feel trapped and hopeless; with the wintery Five of Pentacles, there is a sense of scarcity and hunger. But both these cards can be illusions. The Eight of Swords is often a cage of our own making, while the Five of Pentacles can make us feel like things will never get better, and we lash out, desperate.
(With that Five reversed, I also wonder how the money is doing. You say it’s been “incredibly successful,” but I wonder if you’ve felt squeezed for some time and are lashing out.)
Both the Eight of Swords and Five of Pentacles suggest an inward focus, as does The Seeker, so I would start there. What do all of these negative relationships have in common? How have you handled yourself throughout them? Was there any common turning point? Any similar fights or issues? Try to be honest with yourself. Perhaps you’ll discover behaviors that invite the atmosphere you’re looking for.
Dear Oracle, I’ve been making music for more than two decades and while I’ve recorded some things and played a few shows, I want to take it more seriously. What advice do the cards have for me?—Makin’ Time for Music
Cards: The Emperor, The Magician (reversed), The Hermit, The Sun
Dear Makin’ Time, I’ve said this before, but I will say it again: if you have the need to create art inside of you, you must nurture it because if you don’t, it’ll rot and turn you into a real asshole.
You should be taking your music much more seriously because—and I cannot stress this enough—there’s no way this could be a more positive reading. If I had faked this, I wouldn’t have made it this good.
Let’s get to it: Making music, for you, is what you’re supposed to be doing. The Emperor is determined and can handle obstacles because he knows his true path. This is your true path. You have the determination to make this happen, which is important. Plenty of artists are talented, but for one reason or another (rejection, burnout, life changes), they give up. You have the power to see this through.
You probably also have the talent. The Magician is a channeler—he can move things from the unknown and bring them into the physical present. That’s what creating art is: channeling the interior into the exterior. The Magician is the master at this, which suggests you know what you’re doing and you’ve known for a long time.
With the light of The Hermit, you also know that creating art is a profoundly fulfilling pursuit for you. It might be your spiritual path in the sense that it enriches your spirit. The Hermit is up on his mountain, following his dreams and connecting to the universe. He is doing exactly what he is meant to do.
And then we have The Sun. Joyous, successful, light of the world Sun. You should be making music. It’s what you’ve been put on this earth to do; you have the grit to stick through the hard shit, you’re good at it, and it makes you happy. So pursue this, seriously.
Does this mean you should quit your day job tomorrow? Fuck no. Artists need health insurance. But it does mean that you should reprioritize your time and energy. You might need to go into “hermit mode” and go to a cabin and write an album in two weeks. You might need to go to a professional recording studio or plan out an old fashion tour or hire some marketing kid to get your shit into the TikTok algorithm. (I don’t really know how getting discovered works for musicians, but there are people who do. Talk to them.)
Even if you don’t make it to rock star level, even if you’re just producing to small acclaim, you need to be doing this. If you know what can make you happy and spiritually fulfilled, then fuck it, man, go out and do it.
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Cards: The Seeker (reversed), Eight of Swords, Five of Pentacles (reversed), The Empress (reversed)
Dear BB, you know, when we find our relationships with different people to have the same kinds of problems over time, it might serve us to look inward and see how we fit into the pattern.
I’ve probably written about work more than any other subject in this column, and you are the first boss plagued with a sea of toxic employees over the years. While it may be true that you have had a string of bad luck, it does seem suspect to have “several” employees described as “crazy” or “lazy” or with “bad attitudes” who “cannot take feedback.”
Send your questions for the Oracle to [email protected] or DM @theyboracle on Instagram.
Find more of her and book services via carolinedebruhl.com
Are some employees lazy, crazy, or bad at their job? Sure. People are people. But personally, I’ve had more bosses slander employees than I’ve had crazy coworkers.Find more of her and book services via carolinedebruhl.com
I do believe you are honestly looking into this problem and don’t understand what’s happening. With the Major Arcana of The Seeker and The Empress reversed, I think you are genuine in your soul searching and view yourself as the just and fair Empress. I believe you hold the ideas of “worker’s first” sacrosanct. What I am unsure about, either through your letter or the cards, is how (or if) those ideas translate.
You and your partner are suffering. With the Eight of Swords, you feel trapped and hopeless; with the wintery Five of Pentacles, there is a sense of scarcity and hunger. But both these cards can be illusions. The Eight of Swords is often a cage of our own making, while the Five of Pentacles can make us feel like things will never get better, and we lash out, desperate.
(With that Five reversed, I also wonder how the money is doing. You say it’s been “incredibly successful,” but I wonder if you’ve felt squeezed for some time and are lashing out.)
Both the Eight of Swords and Five of Pentacles suggest an inward focus, as does The Seeker, so I would start there. What do all of these negative relationships have in common? How have you handled yourself throughout them? Was there any common turning point? Any similar fights or issues? Try to be honest with yourself. Perhaps you’ll discover behaviors that invite the atmosphere you’re looking for.
Dear Oracle, I’ve been making music for more than two decades and while I’ve recorded some things and played a few shows, I want to take it more seriously. What advice do the cards have for me?—Makin’ Time for Music
Cards: The Emperor, The Magician (reversed), The Hermit, The Sun
Dear Makin’ Time, I’ve said this before, but I will say it again: if you have the need to create art inside of you, you must nurture it because if you don’t, it’ll rot and turn you into a real asshole.
You should be taking your music much more seriously because—and I cannot stress this enough—there’s no way this could be a more positive reading. If I had faked this, I wouldn’t have made it this good.
Let’s get to it: Making music, for you, is what you’re supposed to be doing. The Emperor is determined and can handle obstacles because he knows his true path. This is your true path. You have the determination to make this happen, which is important. Plenty of artists are talented, but for one reason or another (rejection, burnout, life changes), they give up. You have the power to see this through.
You probably also have the talent. The Magician is a channeler—he can move things from the unknown and bring them into the physical present. That’s what creating art is: channeling the interior into the exterior. The Magician is the master at this, which suggests you know what you’re doing and you’ve known for a long time.
With the light of The Hermit, you also know that creating art is a profoundly fulfilling pursuit for you. It might be your spiritual path in the sense that it enriches your spirit. The Hermit is up on his mountain, following his dreams and connecting to the universe. He is doing exactly what he is meant to do.
And then we have The Sun. Joyous, successful, light of the world Sun. You should be making music. It’s what you’ve been put on this earth to do; you have the grit to stick through the hard shit, you’re good at it, and it makes you happy. So pursue this, seriously.
Does this mean you should quit your day job tomorrow? Fuck no. Artists need health insurance. But it does mean that you should reprioritize your time and energy. You might need to go into “hermit mode” and go to a cabin and write an album in two weeks. You might need to go to a professional recording studio or plan out an old fashion tour or hire some marketing kid to get your shit into the TikTok algorithm. (I don’t really know how getting discovered works for musicians, but there are people who do. Talk to them.)
Even if you don’t make it to rock star level, even if you’re just producing to small acclaim, you need to be doing this. If you know what can make you happy and spiritually fulfilled, then fuck it, man, go out and do it.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
