November 23, 2010 - The Ten of Pentacles

Given that I was up early with money worries, selecting this card seems a bit ironic.  In the Tarot, tens take the culmination of the nines and kick it up to the next level.  You will find in the Tarot that as numbers repeat (e.g. 1 - The Magician; 10 - The Wheel of Fortune, and 20 - Judgment), you get different vibrations of a similar theme.  The tens of the minor arcana echo The Wheel, with two of the tens (swords and wands) reflecting more negative fortunes while the other two (cups and pentacles), reflect more positive results.

Pentacles represent the element of earth.  The suit is often referred to as "coins" and so it has to do with material gain and success.  If you look at the card, you can see times are good.  The couple is well dressed.  The patriarch looks on in comfort, his red robes luxurious.  Money is in the air.  Just looking at the card suggests the ultimate in worldly and material success.  If you are asking about your latest enterprise, this is the card you want to see.

The Ten of Pentacles is about enjoying affluence, being free from money problems, feeling financially secure.  It suggests you might be in the midst of a run of good luck and your material ventures will flourish.  Because pentacles represent the element of earth, they also refer to building foundations and following conventions. The Ten of Pentacles is about traditions, seeking permanence and success within the establishment.  This is a status quo card.  The key with the Ten of Pentacles is the understanding that to everything there is a season, a time to flow with change and a time to build foundations that will last.  We need both to be successful in this life, foundation and flow, foundation and flow.

So what does it mean to pick this card on a day when I woke up too early with money worries?  I think it means to create a firm foundation, to trust but to work for my financial security, to create a plan and then stick to it.  Now maybe it means too I will be free of money problems, in a happy way.  That's great, but I need to do my part.  If God helps those that help themselves, then I better get cracking.  If I do, maybe I'll get some sleep : )