the hermit & creative devotion

what are you devoted to? not what you wish you were devoted to, or you think you should be devoted to, or you're trying to devote yourself to — what are you actively, currently devoted to? what do you care about? what are you paying attention to, showing up for, finding irresistible?

i've been writing about devotion all month long, specifically as it pertains to the eight of pentacles — and these are the kinds of questions i keep turning over in my mind. what am i really devoted to? what do i consistently show up for, sometimes intentionally and sometimes because i return to it on instinct? which practices or disciplines feel so deeply ingrained in my world that i don't even have to consciously choose to engage with them? what has my muscle memory been oriented towards?

of course, the eight of pentacles isn't the only card in the tarot that speaks to devotion. and as i shared with paid subscribers, our card for the month intersects pretty beautifully with our card for the year, the hermit (2025 // 2+0+2+5 = 9 / hermit).

there's a really lovely intersection between the disciplined focus within the eight of pentacles and the unflinching capacity for change carried by the hermit. both cards are connected by these threads of devotion: to effort, to showing up, to being meaning-driven; but also to transitions, to courage, to recognizing when it's time to move from one chapter to the next.

the hermit is an archetype that can be our companion and guide through any number of shifts. this figure isn't afraid to move with purpose within their own wisdom, to trust in their experience, to honor what is emerging. even in discomfort, fear, or uncertainty, the hermit holds their lantern high, takes slow but certain steps, keeps their gaze fixed on their goal.

when we remain steadfast to what matters, when we are truly devoted to our values or foundational sense of purpose, we are able to move through expanding goals or changing tides without losing ourselves in the process. the hermit is devoted to their path, regardless of how it may wind or twist, and can be a necessary teacher for flexibility, detachment, and greeting new journeys with anticipation rather than dread.

that's not to say that new things can't be stressful, or transitions are never hard. i'm definitely not saying that you aren't allowed to be afraid, or frustrated, or grief-stricken when things change. even small shifts can feel violently disruptive, and we are not in a time of small change — we are living through empires collapsing, simultaneous genocides, with generational institutions crumbling beneath our feet. if you aren't angry, you probably aren't paying attention. yet the hermit isn't rushing us to bypass our feelings or ignore reality. instead the hermit wants us to look at the truth living in something, to find our path through it, and to forge ahead into the unknown with the courage of our previous experiences held within us.

devotion is not only about clinging hard and fast to something, holding on so tightly that it can't escape. devotion is also about loving something so deeply that we allow it space to grow and shift, to become another version of itself. it's about knowing the heartbeat of a thing, so that we can still recognize it even as it adapts or adjusts, through different timelines and lifetimes.

devotion is about paying attention to every flavor of the thing we love, every single messy version of it, rather than insisting it always stay the same.

people are imperfect. communities are imperfect. creative projects are imperfect. spiritual practices are imperfect. yet we are devoted to things not in spite of their imperfections, but because of them. we fall in love with unfinished things, flawed people, potential and possibility, with the knowledge that growth and change will continue even as we continue loving them. the hermit knows that loving something, being devoted to something, means knowing it intimately, and loving it through all of its various evolutions — and the hermit can help us more deeply understand what that eight of pentacles energy looks like, when it's fueled by something deep and lasting.

we are in a hermit year, in an impossibly heavy time, moving through the final steps of another cycle. and i can think of no better archetype to lead us through 2025, lighting our paths forward and reminding us of what truly matters, than this wise, patient, devoted figure of transition.

what are you learning this year? how are you clarifying and sharpening your own sense of devotion? what have you found yourself gravitating towards, craving, showing up for again and again? even when it's hard or weird or uncomfortable, even when you don't know what you're doing, what can't you help but love?

and to go even further: what might it look like to create space for yourself to deepen that sense of devotion, to embrace the energy of the eight of pentacles and the hermit simultaneously, to show up for something consistently while also allowing it to be its fully imperfect and wondrous self?

what might it look like to recognize how you yourself are changing as a result of your consistent, ongoing devotion to something that is worthy of it?

i'm devoted to many things, but my longest and most intimate relationship is with creativity. from falling in love with books as a child to wanting to write fictional stories as a kid to singing in high school to majoring in technical theatre in college, from teaching myself photography to working as a prop stylist to experimenting with recipes and perfume-making, to eventually becoming a published author who plays d&d at every possible opportunity, creative expression and exploration have been the most consistent thread of devotion in my life. i have always been fascinated by stories and music and creation — and i genuinely do not know who i would be, what i would do, without these things.

this isn't because i'm an expert at everything i try, or because i finish every project i start. it's simply because i love to play and experiment and discover, love to see what happens when i smush things together or try something new. i love to wander into a new world and imagine myself in it, love to test out different mediums and see how they twist ideas into new shapes, love to ask questions that turn into stories or tarot spreads or conversations with friends.

it's easy for people who commoditize everything to dismiss art and beauty and creativity and spirituality as frivolous, superficial, indulgent, or selfish — especially in our current world, when there are so many fights worth fighting. that's one of many reasons that i keep trying to remind you that these things are not foolish or silly or a waste of time. yes, we all need to keep speaking up, fighting back, taking care, and continuing to be brave in letting our voices be heard. but in-between those fights and actions and phone calls and protests and acts of service and disruptions, it's essentially, critically important that you don't forget your humanity.

creativity and spirituality are two things that make us human. they give us anchors into ourselves, empower us connect with other beings, remind us that we are living breathing things, and encourage us to make and feel and do. they are our life blood, our heartbeat, our connections to ourselves and others and Other.

creativity doesn't have to look perfect or elegant, doesn't have to be about one dedicated project that gets finished, and doesn't need to always be about reaching a finish line or milestone. creativity is instead about building a practice of ongoing devotion, of learning to meet your creativity on a consistent basis, on building a relationship with your creativity that is authentic and layered and empowering.

creative archetypes like the empress or the hermit or the star are not about something being finished. they're instead about the messy, beautiful, strange, constant process of exploration and change and building hope. they're about having faith in what we're doing, not because of where we will end up but because of who we are as we go. your tarot journey probably doesn't have some kind of end point or finish line, and your relationship with creativity doesn't have to either — it's simply a part of you, something that changes and also changes you.

this is devotion: the desire to keep showing up, simply because we love something so dearly. the willingness to stick with it, and to transform alongside it, and to recognize that this is a sacred, lifelong journey.

there are so many ways to cultivate, deepen, and even transform our sense of devotion. devotion is not built in a day or a week or even a month — instead it is in the ways that we live and breathe a thing, continue to reach for it even when we're tired or grumpy or scared or irritable, those eight of pentacles actions that we repeat again and again. this is long-term work, lifetime work, yet it can be started or deepened at any time.

in giving ourselves the gift of devotion to something that truly matters to us, we stay engaged with the parts of us that are beautifully human, continuing to grow. we honor our own place in the journey, our own turnings of the page, rather than judging ourselves for the finish lines we have not yet crossed. we love ourselves more deeply by deeply loving something else.

i want you to have something that feels precious to you, that you can't resist, that you are committed to. i want you to have spaces that facilitates discovery and devotion, growth and transformation, honesty and truth. i want you to stay in touch with your imperfect humanity and your perfect curiosity, your sense of awe and your sense of triumph. i want you to remember who you are, and not lose sight of what matters even in the darkest of moments.

for you, this could be deeply solitary work, and i hear that. the hermit frequently gets associated with isolation or a stepping back from others, with privacy or separation, and this particular translation might be really important for you. but i tend to also think about the hermit as a sage and elder, someone with wisdom and experience, who holds space for the many and shares what they've learned with other people. my hermit isn't strictly a recluse or a misanthrope — they're a teacher, a mentor, a facilitator, someone who pays it forward.

if this second flavor of hermit is more your style, if devotion alongside others appeals, if you're craving a return to self through creative exploration and spiritual engagement, i would love to invite you to the grove, which begins on august 29th. we'll meet several times a month for six months to learn and grow and share together, and you'll also get asynchronous resources, ongoing support, and a 24/7 digital community to deepen your connections with other seekers and creatives.

this container isn't about finishing a specific project, or tying our understanding of our own creativity to certain kind of commercial successes or business connections or some perfectly optimized creative routine. it's instead about deepening your relationship with your own spirit of creativity, about using spiritual tools like tarot and astrology to more fully fall in love with your own creative energy and expressions. this isn't about goal-oriented devotion — it's about meaning-oriented devotion.

the grove is one of the most satisfying, transformative things i have ever hosted, and it's an honor to be offering it again alongside my wife, jeanna kadlec. we would love for you to join us, and many of the members of the first cohort, for six months of creative devotion.

whether or not you're able to join the grove this time around, i sincerely encourage you to think about devotion, and discipline, and practice, and process. honestly assess how your values show up in your daily life, your relationships, your work, your play, and your rest. pay attention to the things you're paying attention to. allow yourself to consider how those things have changed or grown over time, and how loving those things has changed you too.

what are you growing with? what is your next chapter? how is your devotion serving as a tether, a compass, a guiding light for your personal transformations and discoveries?

how are you allowing your devotion to change you? how are you and your devotion changing together, forging new paths, transforming yourself and the world around you one day at a time?

let's find out together.

if solitary work is more your style, or you're interested in deepening your devotional relationship to the tarot itself, don't forget that i'm now accepting applications for private mentorships. learn more and inquire here — i'd love to work with you.