The Wendigo is iconically depicted as a horrendously frightening creature. Originally, it was a creature from legends of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Lakes area and subarctic regions of the northern United States and Canada. In some traditions, he is the result of a person who has violated the mores of humanity and is cursed to wander the earth with an insatiable appetite and no home to call his own, forever unwelcome and feared by those he encounters.
The Five of Pentacles traditionally depicts a man hobbling through the snow outside of a church. He is downcast and forlorn, sick or injured, and on the outside looking in. This card depicts a person who feels like an outsider from their community; he is one of the “have-nots.” Like many of the traditional tarot cards, this one is not meant to be a literal representation of the man, but of his mental state.
He is wandering and wandering like the Wendigo: famished, cold, lonely, and desperate for connection. He will never get the nourishment he needs unless he joins his community. His self-isolation is the perpetuating curse that binds him to loneliness like the Wendigo. So, if you are feeling left out or unsatisfied, you must pick yourself up out of your scarcity mentality and step into the warmth. There is always enough for everyone, and looking to your community for assistance will break the cycle of isolation that keeps you hungry.
Are you actually alone, or are you simply isolating yourself? With whom can you share your burden?
