FURTHER EXPLORATION OF THE SEVEN OF PENTACLES

In the time since my earlier post(s) here about the Seven of Pentacles (7P) I've collected more thoughts about and meanings for it. But first I want to share some more unusual versions of the 7P.

First is the 7P in The Karma Tarot, a rather trippy deck all told, and this card may be one of its more surreal ones:

The Karma Tarot's little white book (LWB) does not say this about the 7P but I see its image as cautioning or maybe just asking "What is growing in your life out of your thoughts?"

This second 7P version below is from The Tarot of the Trance:

What's growing here must be more important than the thinker/planter who's nowhere to be seen. Though that tree has a vaguely human aspect to it. Hm...

And third below is the 7P from the 1987 deck The New York Tarot (link is to a review on Tarot Passages, with publisher info):

I'm originally from New York City, where all of its photos were taken, so this deck always puts me in a nostalgic mood. Way back in the day I knew some of the Pagan community folk pictured in it (and others not photographed), though not the lady on the above card.

And for COMPARISON, here's The Seven of Pentacles in the well-known Rider/Waite/Smith deck:

THE SEVEN OF PENTACLES: The 7P is a card I get in readings for myself fairly often. (BTW, I only read for myself these days, by choice.) Although I know from long (going on 40 years) experience with its wide variety of meanings I still have a sort of atavistic "uh oh" feeling when it shows up. For the 7P can carry a meaning of failure. And usually when I come to the Tarot for a reading something in my life is in, at the least, a delicate or unclear state that's causing me concern. This makes reading this card rather a challenge at times. I often look right away to surrounding cards (or if I've drawn it as a one card reading, I'll pull an additional card) to point me toward what it's saying. Of course, when I use decks as different in design as the above Karma Tarot 7P, this is usually not necessary. The unique art work on those sorts of decks give me that clarification without the aid of other cards. And not to end this paragraph on that confusing point, I'll simply note that I see the character (as on the RWS 7P version above) as having done a lot of the work that leads to the lush, successful garden of the lady with her hawk on the RWS Nine of Pentacles. And this hard working 7P character is now taking a well-deserved rest. Hm, that could be a mini-reading for me at this point in my year. I've done a tremendous variety of work -- and am still doing much of it -- over the past two years. And what I have begun interpreting as a possible failure starting in one area may more correctly be understood as an earned vacation.

MEANINGS/INSIGHTS/READINGS FOR THE SEVEN OF PENTACLES, SOME LESS COMMON OR EVEN QUIRKY -- Please note: The below is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of this card; a quick Google will produce a wider variety of takes should you not be familiar with it. (Given my heavy reliance on projection of my feelings and experiences onto the cards, I recognize that I may very well reveal more about myself here than I do about any particular card. However, this is exactly my point: I use the cards as a path to self-discovery and healing. I hope what I post here that comes out of that process will be useful in some way to other seekers.):

-- What's going on under the surface needs to be recognized and responded to or this harvest may go bust.

-- A casual perusal of this situation will not necessarily reveal a need for intense caution, but you do need check it all out very carefully. Especially any intuitive ("underground") reactions to it before making any commitment, much less taking any action or making any changes. There's a hidden negative aspect or cost to it all.

-- Watch the tendency to put the cart before the horse.

-- Just as it's pleasant and even heart-warming to believe in this project, like believing in unicorns it's not practical or ultimately workable. So weigh a time of enjoyable belief against this probable failure of outcome. Sometimes a period of lively fantasy can be worth the rude wake up, but sometimes not.

-- Slow down and be sure of not only when to move, but just what move to make.

-- What can be seen is deceptive. The real responses are buried. Be patient and open. What you (or someone else) are actually feeling/thinking will surface soon enough.

-- Attractive, yes, even lush and inviting. But all you see is not all there is. There's a lot going on underground. Wait until you have a better feel for the full parameters of this situation before jumping in.

-- Watch the tendency to understand this situation in opposites: black or white, right or wrong, good or bad, succeeding or failing, etc. Not only can both be active at different times and with respect to different aspects, but other options may come into play.

-- You've been too inactive for too long. Time to get in motion (both literally and metaphorically speaking). There are new fields to plow, new seeds to plant.

--What is your thinking planting in your life? What grows from how you habitually understand things?

-- Reaping what one has sown.

-- When seeking to understand yourself better, look at the physical "fruits of your labor." They are a mirror, for good or for ill.

-- You most probably won't get from this what you would hope. But it won't be as bad as you already imagine it could be.

-- Your focus on the possibility of failure leads to failure. Get back to work and take a chance on success.

-- Something you have forgotten about can be of use now. Have faith that it's there and that its influence will lead you. If not obviously, then in an intuitive flash or sudden memory.

-- "Appearances are deceiving." This may only look like a failure. Wait, something rather unexpected may yet bloom from this effort.

-- Time to "harvest" your work. I.e., get it out in the world, share it with others.

-- It's not possible to totally fail. Each moment is new, with new possibilities.

And I'll close with some lyrics from a beautiful song "Bring on the Wonder" by Susan Enan (on her album "Plainsong):

"I don't have the time for a drink from the cup
Let's rest for a while 'til our souls catch us up

Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long"

(If you'd like to read other posts on this card, click on the "Seven of Pentacles" Label at the bottom of this post. Then scroll past a repeat of this new post to get to the older.)

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N.B. A small thing, but just in case: some of the extra reference links offered at the very end of my oldest (years old) posts no longer work. As there are so many posts here to go through I am choosing not to find and change all of those links that are "dead." (Though I immediately delete any I now find that lead to questionable sites.) If you are interested, you can try Googling for the name of the site or article referenced. I'm finding that some are still around in new locations or incarnations, some not.

'til next time, keep enjoying The Tarot, in whatever ways it comes to you in your life,





[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under "View my complete profile")**** SEE ALSO: United Haiku and Tanka Society (UHTS) (charter member); Roswila's Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry; Roswila's Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); Trying to Hold A Box of Light for digital photos only.