78 Weeks of Tarot: Ace of Pentacles

[Trogon]

For information on what these threads refer to, see this thread;

 

78 Weeks of Tarot - Informational Thread

 

The above linked thread gives suggested dates for the cards as well as links to the individual topics.

 

Some of us may be working through the study in a different order and using different decks. If you have general questions or comments regarding the 78 Weeks of Tarot study group, please post in the topic in the above link.

 

Have fun.

[Bookworm]

Deck: Fairytale Tarot

 

Card name: Ace of Coins

 

First impressions:

 

A Chinese woman in a blue robe kneels on grass before a small open chest holding gold coins. Near her side, a friendly looking mouse peeks up. Behind them is a stone wall with a fairly large hole at the base. It seems like a bright day. There is a bamboo plant behind the woman, and other green things growing.

 

It looks like the woman is having an Ace of Coins experience in the form of discovering the chest. Or she has found something that she once hid.

 

From the book:

 

Keywords and phrases: Opportunities in practical or business matters; tremendous creativity in some manual or hands-on field; a promise of prosperity and contentment; finding huge joy and creative fulfillment from a craft or skill.

 

The Ace of Coins refers to beginnings and opportunities in the areas of work, the material world or business. In this story the woman is offered the gift of NOT having to work, which is the opposite of what some people are looking for. In her previous life, she has been mistreated and taken advantage of because of her trust, but it is her trust and ability to keep going in hard circumstances that bring her the mouse’s reward.

 

This card is not always about waiting for opportunities to knock, it’s much more about making this possible—and knowing how to build on the possibilities when they are presented.

 

The original story:

 

The Superior Pet, a Chinese tale

 

Traditional meanings (from TarotElements.com):

 

Represents the beginning stages of something tangible; prosperity; growth; material abundance; new enterprise; improving finances or wealth; a solid fruitful foundation; a promotion; a pay rise; good luck; unexpected money. In its negative aspect, an offer of financial help withdrawn; money falling through your hands; missed opportunities.

 

From 78 Degrees of Wisdom, by Rachel Pollack:

 

The gift of the Earth: nature, wealth, security, a joyful life. Spiritual work leads us to recognize the magic in normal things, in both nature and civilization, and then to go beyond them to the deeper truth.

 

My impressions of the card/story combination:

 

The chest of gold coins is the traditional element in the card itself. Karen’s point about the story – how hard work and building on possibilities have a lot to do with the gift of the Ace of Coins – is interesting. I like the idea that, while this Ace, like all the other Aces, represents beginnings, opportunities, courage and optimism, here there is the added element of hard work and the ability to keep going when the going gets rough that comes before the bounty of the Ace of Coins. Even so, this ace, like the others, has its magical aspect. The mouse is the magical creature that gives the gift, so I’m happy he is included in the image.

 

I also like Karen’s idea that this ace can represent “tremendous creativity in some manual or hands-on field” or “finding huge joy and creative fulfillment from a craft or skill” because I haven’t before thought of this ace as being particularly creative, but of course creations are made in the material world, often of material things. The story does not really illustrate this aspect of the Ace, though.

 

My take (what I make of it/what I might see in a reading where I drew it):

 

I think would be more likely than previously to see it as a reward for unacknowledged work, or as an opportunity to use one’s creative powers to make something – probably not a work of art, but something beautiful nonetheless. I might also see it as an inducement to trust in a friend to provide a “magical” gift.