Artist: Walter Wegmüller
this Queen took me in
(her arms) and said—
I am your
ALAKAZAM!
let’s go
EVERYTHING
together!
and we did and
we did thus
completely
she leading me and we
talking all the way like
women talk
because
I needed her to be there
and she
was
[Sometimes it seems really manipulative to ask a question. I wanted to see what this deck had to say without asking.]
Artist: Walter Wegmüller
Temperance is defined as moderation or self-restraint, especially in the realm of eating and drinking.
About this card: “This is the conscious aspect of every measure or dimension. Yardstick of all knowledge and all laws governing light and dark, inner and outer form, weights and distances, proportions. […] The balancing of opposites: man and woman, day and night, high and low, etc.”
Divinatory Meaning: “Organize your life and work differently. Define boundaries. Control and adjust dimensions. Justice. Determine the right amount of work you should be doing and the right [amount] of food and drugs you should be taking.”
This card reminds me I am having a hard time organizing and balancing my life right now. I am having an easy time staying in bed a large portion of the day, saying to myself: I am tired: rest is good. I am having a hard time motivating myself to exercise.
I am having an easy time procrastinating with household projects, instead spending time doing things such as browsing the internet for things I think I need or things I think I need to know or writing this silly blog— although this silly blog is just about the one activity I do with commitment.
I am having a hard time remembering to eat foods that are good for me (green! green! green!) and eat on a schedule and not to just eat everything in sight with the excuse that I am growing my baby— I am a bit old for this baby-having activity and would like to grow a healthy baby.
I am having a hard time finding balance. Will I ever feel balanced? Is life just one long, drawn-out balancing act? Is it ever easy?
[NOTE: Notes within brackets within quotes are my notes, not quotes.]
Artist: Walter Wegmüller
Interpretation: “Symbolic of a profitable training course or experiences. [Knowledge as wealth.]
“The Three of Pentacles also represent the three time references where money is concerned: savings (past), use (present), and investment (future). [These numbers may be negative or positive.]
“In yet another sense, it also stands for coined money [most often fiat money, without intrinsic value yet endorsed by the government], toy money [unendorsed, legal money: virtual money; Monopoly money; money from another country] and counterfeit money [unendorsed, illegal money: stuff that seems real but isn’t; something too good to be true].”
The oldest decks depicting little round discs with symbols on them used the term “coin” to denote the suit. “Pentacle” is a later term, associated with tarot after the deck took on occult meaning. Technically, a pentacle is an amulet used in magical evocation on which the symbol or spirit or energy being evoked is depicted. In tarot decks, a pentacle it is usually denoted as a coin with a pentagram inside.
I like how the author/ illustrator of the deck calls the suit “pentacles” without illustrating the usual pentagram. Instead, he fills his coins (and his cards) with magical images from around the globe. However, his use of the term “pentacle” conflicts with how strongly he relates all his pentacles to actual money instead of to more general, practical, earthy and material matters. Money is a societal convention. It is not the most important form of wealth at all. Our society is too focused on money money money.
I leave money out of the suit of pentacles— tho I do call it coins. The three of coins reminds us that one form of wealth is the skill necessary to accomplish a goal. Good planning and organization are necessary to succeed and to improve the quality of life. Learn well, work hard and stay on top of things. With a little luck thrown in the mix, you will succeed.
Now I need to tell that to myself and get a move on finishing this deck.
