T H E
M I NO R
ARCANA:
P E N TAC L E S
In its earlier form of Coins, Pentacles stood primarily for mate rialism in the narrow sense of money and work. We still see these important qualities in the Rider pack, and indeed Pentacles carry the problem of becoming so involved with these things that we for get anything else exists - the reverse, in a way, of Rabbi Akiba. The Rider pack, however, adds the greater dimension of nature to the fourth suit. We ground ourselves not just in our work but in a love for the world around us. As a magical sign, Pentacles symbolize the 'magic' of ordinary creation. Taken simply this means the beauty of nature, the joy of satisfying work. The symbolism, however, carries a deeper mean ing, hinted at in the story of Rabbi Akiba. The mystic or magician does not simply ground the self in a negative way, using the world as the opposite of spiritual experience. Rather, the natural world, because it carries a firmer reality than the other elements, because it does not lead so easily to confusion or misconception or ill use, opens the way to more mystic experience. The very mundaneness of day-to-day life ensures, by a kind of law of reciprocity, that such things possess a greater 'magic' than the more immediate attractions of the other elements. We cannot understand this paradox immediately. We need to ponder and expe rience it. Two facts about Pentacles/Earth will hint at its true value. First, in a study of religious leaders ancient and modern, the astrologer Ronnie Dreyer has found that Earth signs predominate throughout their charts. Second, Pentacles contains more Gate cards than any other suit.
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