Checks and Balances

From the Urban Tarot, the Ten of Pentacles; from the Principles to Live By, Simplicity:

An attitude to life which seeks fulfillment in the single-minded pursuit of wealth - in short, materialism - does not fit into this world, because it contains within itself no limiting principle, while the environment in which it is placed is strictly limited. 

—E. F. Schumacher

Scott has illustrated this card with clips from the New York Diamond Exchange. She writes, "With each of the four tens, we see what happens when one of the elements is allowed to completely dominate and blot out the other three." Nature has seasons to balance times of growth and abundance with times of rest and decay, but wealth unchecked can become blind greed that pushes for power. Simplicity, or living a life that is straightforward and uncomplicated, might seem an impossible partner with wealth. Yet billionaire Bill Gates - who decided with Melinda that living such wealth to their children would not be beneficial - explains: “I can understand wanting to have millions of dollars... But once you get much beyond that, I have to tell you, it's the same hamburger.” Instead, he now has a new focus: “There’s so much opportunity to do good in the world.”