I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Monday, December 15, 2014

Some Things Money Can't Buy

From the Llewellyn Tarot, the Nine of Pentacles; from the Beasts of Albion, the "Horse:"
          A woman is seen standing in her fields of grain while her assistant tallies the sheaves. I'm sure her hawk companion will help protect the harvest from mice and other animals. I've always thought of the woman in this card as independent and self-sufficient, but the companion book adds another descriptor - prudent. My initial reaction to this word was to think of someone who was an old-fashioned fusspot, not a well-rounded, worldly woman. I ran across a definition by Bill Wilson that described it a bit differently: "Prudence is rational concern without worry." In other words, this lady is watchful, diligent and careful. But even within those boundaries, she still knows how to enjoy herself.
          For hundreds of years, the horse has been used for power and transportation. In more modern times, it has also been seen as a companion. Gray suggests this animal represents the strength of friendship and the willingness to help carry another person's burden. The Nine of Pentacles woman seems to have it all, but what about companionship? I bet she'd trade half of that field for a faithful, trustworthy friend. As the MasterCard commercial states, there are some things money can't buy.

8 comments:

  1. To me it feels like she is about to jump on that horse and run away from everything.(for instance Christmas dinners :D)
    It bothers me her well earned rest and solitude is disturbed by her clerk. In other versions of this card she is often on her own. That is why this card is one of my favorites
    Over all I enjoy the water colored pictures of this deck very much.
    Hugs

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    1. I think her hawk would tweak the ear of anyone who bothered her too much. :D
      I too love pen and water-color decks!

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    2. What beautiful illustrations! It's interesting how definitions of words can change for us over time. I had a similar experience about the meaning of obedience, in that my definition was a negative one and not really accurate. That's really interesting about Bill W.'s definition, which I am sure is accurate. I like it!
      The Oxford dictionary defines it this way: careful to avoid undesired consequences; circumspect, discreet.

      I always relate prudence to common sense, or even discernment.
      The Nine of Pentacles symbolic of wisdom and knowledge, but no relationship. Doesn't mean she has to be lonely. If that horse is hers, I even her! I'd much rather have a horse than a man! LOL

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    3. Nowadays I go for the horse too :D

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    4. That quote comes from "As Bill Sees It." :) You are right about how definitions change over time! I think part of the Nine of Pents card is learning how to be okay without a partner/spouse. Companions can be found in a myriad of places and bodies. :D

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    5. An interesting discussion, and apologies for coming to it late. For me, I aspire to the independence and sense of self-fulfilment of this lady. Still, I don't see that excluding a partner. Rather, it is about shining our own light, about being whole unto ourselves, instead of "half" of a couple, if that makes sense? :)

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    6. Looking back on these two cards now, I think perhaps the woman can find a true partner now that she has found fulfillment on her own; too often I see a single person longing for a companion to fulfill them - what a responsibility that would be! But if we can find our own sense of self first, then I think we can find a relationship that is fulfilling also.

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