Dear Yboracle, for the first time in my career, I am faced with a very impactful decision. My choice will be to select one of two paths, each with promise for my future, but in different ways; one route leads to a life full of high-powered business, travel, and personal growth as I expand my skill set into another, advanced realm, along with a massive pay bump. The other route is more familiar and mindful, including bike rides to work in a building I’ve worked in previously and will nurture a thriving creative life with time for myself and my family. The first job pulls me in mostly because of the financial aspect, remote work setting, and the respect it commands, but it will certainly pull me further into the corporate world, which feels negative based on experiences I’ve already had in that environment. The second job is extremely flexible in an academic setting. It will still summon respect because a lot of the work is in a mentorship role for students across the university. It, however, is a slight dip in pay and does feel familiar. I’m afraid that by sticking to what is familiar, I’m failing to grow and evolve, although my gut tells me that this job will allow for my life to still be mine and not owned by an overbearing corporate entity. I am excited to walk down this new path, but at the moment, I am frozen in perplexity. Which is best?—Which Way To Go?
Current situation: Three of Swords
Job one: Queen of Cups, The Empress, Nine of Wands reversed, Ten of Pentacles, Justice, Ace of Swords
Job two: Eight of Swords, Three of Cups, The Star, Ten of Cups, Temperance, The Hermit
Dear WWTG, before a reading, I tell my clients that tarot rarely tells us something we didn’t already know. We know we hate our jobs or that this relationship isn’t great for us, and the cards just lay out the options in frightening honesty. We usually know what answer we want to hear, what we should do, and the difference between the two.
However, for you, there’s no “right choice” here. Fortunately/unfortunately, both of these jobs are incredible and overwhelmingly positive in different ways. (Which seems like a cop-out answer, I know. I’m sorry.)
The good news is either job is going to be better than your current one. For your current situation, we have the Three of Swords, a card of heartsickness and grief. Your current job situation is depressing you and robbing you of joy. Both job one and job two are going to be massive improvements on that.
So let’s dive in.
For this first job, you’ll definitely make more money. Ten of Pentacles tells us that, plus, there’s always going to be more in the private sector than academia. But that’s not the only benefit.
With The Empress, Justice, and the Ace of Swords, you will be in a leadership position that you will dominate. You are going to be able to tap into skills you didn’t even know you had, think in ways you never considered before, and you’re going to be great at it. The Justice card also suggests you’ll be able to lead in a way that reflects your values. There’s no “selling-out” here.
Now, it’s going to be a grind. Nine of Wands reversed means a lot of effort but with that comes great personal growth—like you said. And you’ll love it. The Queen of Cups has a heart bursting with love and diplomacy, and in this job, you’ll get to feel that loving power.
Unfortunately, job two also would also be incredible for you.
The biggest drawback with job two is that you’re not going to have much freedom. Eight of Swords is restrictive and can feel confining, which makes sense in terms of academia. Whether financial or bureaucratic, there’ll be more limits on the scope of your work, but that’s the only downside.
With both The Star and Temperance, there is a profound sense of harmony with this job. It’s going to give back to you energetically, and with Ten of Cups, it’s going to allow you to strike a true work-life balance. The Three of Cups is also a card for friendship, which might mean that your co-workers at this job would also “get you,” and that leads to even more harmony.
You mention a mentorship aspect in job two, and with The Hermit, you’re going to find that deeply spiritually fulfilling. You’ll learn more about yourself through it and really take to guiding those under you.
When it comes to choosing, I want to reiterate that both options will be an improvement on your current job. And, frankly, I don’t think this is a Sliding Door situation where one decision leads to a happy life and the other leads to a depressing one.
Both jobs are incredible, and I think it comes down to what you need right now in your life. If you’re earlier in your career, maybe you do want a job that allows you to step into a leadership position and really stretches your mind, and pays you well. If you’re later in your career, maybe you want a job that is nothing but harmony, that allows you to have balance and guide those just starting out.
Or, if you’re burned out, choose harmony. Or, if you’re sick of always working for others, choose leadership.
Both of these jobs will be fulfilling for you in different ways, and there’s no morally superior option. You’re not selling out if you choose job one, just as you’re not boxing yourself in if you choose job two.
Either choice is going to be a wonderful choice for you.
I’m sorry if the cards didn’t provide much direction, but I hope whatever job you choose, you’ll love it. And remember, if you hate it, you can always quit—though I don’t think you’ll need to.
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