Tarot Archieven - Tarot and Wine

The Goat and Queen of Pentacles

Many Tarot cards depict animals. Animals have always had a special symbolism for humans and it is fun to explore how it is that a certain animal is associated with certain traits and in which other stories these animals play a role (e.g. mythology).

The Queen of Pentacles from the Waite-Smith Tarotdeck

In this blog post I want to tell you something about the Goat; Where her male counterpart has a Taurus (and a ram) on his throne, the Queen of Pentacles has a Goat depicted on her throne. Why does the Goat fits the Queen of Pentacles? What are the characteristics of Goats?

I really enjoyed reading everything about goats and it really helps to be able to interpret the card in a more creative manner. Do we recognize traits in the Queen of Pentacles that are the same as the Goat’s? Let’s make a list and see where we end up

Caring and Nurturing

All Queens nurture and care for their element. For thousands of years, the Goat has been seen as the symbol of Caring, Fertility and Abundance. In Greek Mythology, the goat plays an important role; For example, the supreme god Zeus – who as a baby escaped the voracity of his father Cronos – was secretly left by his mother with a Goat who took care of Zeus and fed him with her milk. Later, this Goat was depicted as Nymph Amalthea.

Statue by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from about 1615 of Amalthea, Jupiter (Roman equivalent of Zeus) and a faun (a type of forest creature)

2. Sustainability & Frugality

The Queen of Pentacles is known for being good with money. She doesn’t throw money down the drain, she is aware of the value of what is available and what is given to us by the earth. She likes good quality and beautiful things, but she prefers to buy them on sale. The Queen of Pentacles is therefore not a minimalist but more of an essentialist: something of good quality that always stays beautiful and lasts a long time is more important than chasing bargains. But she will still be able to keep the balance and want to make the best deal possible.

The Goat is also associated with ‘frugality’; Goats are less likely to overeat and ‘save’ food for later (they ruminate).

3. Ingenuity, relying on one’s own strength

Goats are curious, resourceful, and self-reliant. That is why they are seen as ‘spiritual guides’ in many cultures. Goats love to climb and do not shy away from challenges in this area. They trust their own balance and intuition. She ‘shows’ the way, but she doesn’t expect you to follow her path exactly. On the contrary, she encourages you to look deep within yourself for your own ‘treasures’ and hidden talents. Just as the Queen encourages you to look at what you have to offer. An inward (Yin) way of ‘opening up’ yourself, you could say. Use your own talent and be empowered!

4. Calm, Collected, and Peaceful

No matter how precarious the goat’s position, they always remain calm and “hold themselves together.” They are rarely aggressive (although they can bleat loudly when they get frustrated). Goats are very flexible and adapt very quickly. Many a Goat has managed to escape death – at first glance ‘easily’ – by a bizarre jump or move that they seem to perform calmly and ‘coolly’.

The Queen of Pentacles always knows a way or cleverness to arrange something. Because she is close to the earth, it not only makes use of everything that is available, but it is also very practical. It’s not just a creative idea, it also ‘works’. Whenever you’re in trouble in any way, the Queen of Pentacles always knows a way out!

Various photo's of mountaingoats climbing rocks and escaping from Predators

5. Selfcare

It is true that the goat has caring as a quality. The goat has a lot to give (milk, wool). But the goat also symbolizes taking good care of yourself. She withdraws, alone and somewhat hidden and just does what she feels she has to do. And what you need to do to recharge and regain energy is different for everyone. That’s why the Queen of Pentacles is also THE self-care card!

Alternative Queen of Pentacles reading books on the beach as a form of 'self-care' — Alternative Queen of Pentacles reading books on the beach as a form of ‘self-care’

The Boundaries of Tarotcard Two of Swords

When you search Google for the meaning of Two of Swords, you will see that there are generally limited interpretations that predominate; The most commonly mentioned meanings are ‘Blocking out emotions’ and ‘conflicts or doubt’. The ‘most peculiar’ I found: “Someone who adapts to the precepts of those in power”…

I do not agree with these simple interpretations; In addition to being particularly colored, they are also one-sided and detract from the value of this card; That’s why I’d like to show another side here, where the Marseille Tarot will come to the rescue later.

Tarotcard Pentacles 9 and being your own Village

“Sometimes we need to be our own village by utilizing all of our skills and learning more”
(from Daily OM website)

I read this quote on a spiritual blog (OM) and immediately thought of Tarot card ‘Pentacles 9’! The card is often explained as obtaining success and wealth, with the ‘warning’that you should be careful not to isolate yourself too much in your own (lush) castle garden…

When you look at it differently – not necessarily in the sense of wealth and success, but more in the sense of autonomy and independence – then the comparison with ‘being your own village’ is very apt!

Everyone is ‘born’ with numerous skills and talents. If you just want to ‘survive’, you can fall back on these skills. However, chasing dreams requires much more than this; Most people rely on the support of a village or city to manage their affairs; This can mean anything from asking for help from friends and acquaintances, leaning on loved ones in times of grief, to hiring a
professional craftsman/woman to do jobs. But every person can also be his
or her own village!

We fulfill many roles throughout our lives, all of which are representative of our capacity for autonomy and independence. At various times in our lives, we are our own counselor, custodian, caretaker, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our enthusiasm and energy to fulfill these roles gives us the power to maintain control over the direction of our own lives.

In the past, people learned all the skills needed to survive. Today, most people specialize in a single discipline, which they sharpen throughout their lives. That’s why we sometimes feel uncomfortable being at the helm of our own existence. We question our ability to make decisions about our own health, happiness, and well-being, and we often feel dependent on others who we believe to be “capable.”

This is most evident with so-called ‘thinking’ professions. For example, you can be a judge or a lawyer, but what if anarchy breaks out and all laws fall away (or change), what can you do to earn a living? When someone asks me what I’m good at, and I say: ‘booking TV commercials’, I always immediately think that I can’t really do anything that is of use to anyone 🙂 That’s pretty scary and it sometimes makes you insecure.

But basically, it’s just a matter of believing that we have the necessary skills and intelligence to deal with any circumstance that the universe throws at us.

By proving that we can each be our own village (by taking action and taking the bull by the horns), we can accept that we are strong enough to live an autonomous existence. And an autonomous existence does not necessarily have to mean that you live ‘off the grid’; It’s all in the little things: Being conscious of your money, cooking for yourself, making small repairs to the house, living a healthier life, following a specific study or training. This kind of thing means that you can take care of your own affairs and are happy and satisfied with it.

Being your own village doesn’t mean embracing isolation – On the contrary, being your own village is more about celebrating your own miraculous inner strength and ingenuity and your (innate) ability to make your own life ‘a success’.

I really enjoyed reading the article and being able to connect it to this tarotcard. The 9 of pentacles became alive in front of me! You can read more of these inspiring articles on the website of Daily OM.

5 of Pentacles and the Lesson of Dependence

Half a year ago I wrote a blog post about pentacles 5 and the choice to sometimes place yourself ‘outside the group’ and go your own way, even if it means that it is often difficult and lonely. Just recently, I’ve read an article on a New Age website that was about experiencing gratitude and the ability to accept help from others. Immediately, Tarot card Pentacles 5 popped into my mind and I thought about how I could add this to the interpretation of this card. And when I was figuring this out, the tarot cards Justice and the Hermit also came along 😉

Tarotcard 4 of cups: Spoiled or Neglected?

Tarotcard Four of Cups is a card that I always thought was a bit “out of place”. I never really thought about why I had that feeling. The meaning of the card was clear to me. However, something was always gnawing at me somewhere inside, but I never had the time or patience to investigate this. Cups aren’t really my suit anyway ;-). But the other day something happened that reminded me of this card. So I dived in and tried to look at the four of cups with a pair of ‘fresh eyes’.

The keywords and meanings that are generally assigned to this card are (among others):

Not wanting to see what you’re offered
Wanting something that isn’t available
Being dissatisfied
Acting Spoiled, ‘adolescent’ behaviour

Waite also mentions “Aversion” and “disgust.” Literally, he writes in ‘Pictorial Key’:

“A Young man is seated under a tree and contemplates three cups set on the grass before him; An arm issuing from a loud offers him another up. His expression notwithstanding is one discontent with his envronment. Divinatory meanings: Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations, as if the wine of this world had caused satiety only; another wine, as if a fairy gift, is now offered the wastrel, but he sees no consolation therein. This is also a card of blended pleasure. Reversed: Novelty, presage, new instruction, new relations”
A.E. Waite – The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911)

What does Waite mean by “blended” pleasure? Does he mean that you have too much of something that makes you ‘fed up’? The inverted meaning – which I never see as ‘reversed’ but more as the other end of the spectrum – doesn’t seem to make any sense to me.

Tarotcard The Star and Jung’s Personae

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the Stars”
Oscar Wilde

The Star is the Tarot card that has number 17 in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. It is preceded by The Tower and followed by The Moon. The ‘mainstream’ meanings assigned to this card are generally:

Hope
Daring to be vulnerable
Showing yourself as you really are, taking off your mask
You are good just the way you are (and so is the other person)
”To be naked” (to have nothing left), to start over
Afraid to show your true self, pretending to be something other than you are

The phrase “taking off your mask” and being “naked” almost always recurs in the descriptions. In this blog article I want to eloborate on these meanings; Apparently, we don’t think it’s good to wear a mask. We also like it when other people show themselves without a mask. But is that really a good thing? Of course, there is much more to it.

When you look at this tarotcard in a Jungian way and draw a comparison with the concept of Jung’s ‘Persona’, you will see that there are some nuances to be made. These nuances can make a big difference when The Star shows up in your readings.

Tarot card The Hermit and the ‘Aleister Crowley’ of the Philosophers

Tarot card ‘The Hermit’ used to be my ‘favorite’ tarotcard when I was young and started learning the Tarot. I imagined that – when I was old – I would live in a super cute little house in the woods/on the moors/on a mountain and that everyone would see me as a lovely old and wise woman. I would help all people and provide them with (good) advice.

Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, I’ve turned more into a Swamp Witch than into a sage and I don’t have a cute little house in the mountains either. But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about Tarot card The Hermit and the comparison with the Greek Philosopher Diogenes. It is Antoine Court de Gebéllin who makes this comparison in his description of this Tarot card (see his essay on the Tarot that appeared in volume 8 of his book ‘Le Monde Primitif’). And it’s super interesting!

About New Wine and Old Farts in the Tarot

Credo quia Absurdum (I believe because it is absurd / impossible / irrational)
The company name of Ana Fragateiro en Tiago Pimentel

I follow a lot of Tarot blogs because I’m always curious about the insights of other tarotists. One of those blogs is written by a man who is very passionate about the Tarot. He has been working with the Tarot for almost 50 years and he is a well known Tarot tutor and mentor in the US. He sometimes posts 2 blogs a day, all very extensive and also very educational. His specialty is the Crowley Tarot and I always enjoy reading his articles.

However, in a recent post, he went on a kind of rant against “all those young people who just think they can do something with the Tarot.” Whether it was creating a new deck, writing blogs or giving courses and consultations. “Those young people didn’t know anything because they hadn’t studied anything and they didn’t stick to ‘the original symbolism’. But in the meantime they try to earn money by using the Tarot and/or put themselves in the spotlights by writing articles or workshops…“

I was a little disappointed. But also annoyed. For the following reasons:

Tarot card Pentacles 5 and the Friars Minor

Sometimes a tarot card is clear to you and ‘easy’ to interpret. Those are the cards that I don’t have to think so hard about and so I spend less time delving into the origins of the symbolism and meanings. For me, one of those cards is 5 of Pentacles. I’ve assigned my own meanings and theories to this tarotcard ages ago and I’m always secure when it pops up in readings.

But recently I was – as it always happens: by coincedence – triggered again to take a look at the basic meanings of this card. And that led to a fascinating historical deepdive and some old new insights that I would like to share.

To Yod or Not?

On a number of Tarot cards in the RWS deck you can see drop-like things. On the Tower and on three of the aces (Cups, Swords, Wands) they are very visible. With the Cups they look like drops of water, with the Wands they look like leaves. But what are they about the in the Swords suit? What do these drops symbolize and why was the Ace of Pentacles skipped?