9 of Pentacles

I've been thinking about my garden lately. Our house has lots of potential in the garden area, but most of that potential is waiting to be discovered. I feel lost when facing a blank canvas, be it an actual canvas, a piece of paper, or an expanse of soil. The 9 of pentacles reminds me that a wonderful vibrant restful garden is the result of hard work, planning and time. And before I can get to the end, I have to start the process.

But look at the rewards!

Pairs Exercise 8 of Pentacles and Death

The dance of Death and the 8 of Pentacles is one of creation and destruction.

This month I begin participating on the Comparative Tarot e-list's Pairs exercises. In the Pairs exercise you are assigned a card to compare with the card of the month. The card of the month is the 8 of Pentacles, Death is my assigned pair card. What an interesting combination. I laid out this pair from a number of different decks and was struck by the way they relate to each other depending on the way the characters on the cards face.

In the Ator tarot (as in the RWS) Death and the craftsperson on the 8 of Pentacles face the same direction. When the Death card comes before the 8 of Pentacles it suggests that Death/change can come upon us unexpectedly. When the 8 of Pentacles comes before Death it suggests that even in the face of Death and endings, creation carries on.

In the Sheridan Douglas Tarot (sorry I don't have scans of these cards) Death and the 8 of Pentacles face different directions. When they face each other you see the tension between the two. The craftsman looks Death in the face and defiantly carries on. When they are back to back it seems that Death has passed by and the craftsman has been spared. Perhaps he has been too busy at his task to take note of Death's passing.

The Aquarian Tarot shows close ups of the faces of Death and the Craftsman. I am struck by the differences in their expressions. Death is dispassionate, looking straight ahead, while the craftsman on the 8 of pentacles is passionately engaged in the process of creation. So engaged that he does not realize who is creeping up behind him.

4 of Wands

Transitions, celebrations, passages. This is the 4 of wands. The image speaks of this and more. In the International icon we see two flower bearing celebrants in the background, coming from a walled castle to a flowered canopy held aloft by 4 wands. This is the gateway, how will you change as you pass through? What are you celebrating? What is your rite of passage?

This appears to be a joyous image, but passages and transitions can take all forms. You could be celebrating a wedding, as the Spiral Tarot image suggests. Or you could be acknowledging a death.

I often see this card as a seasonal turning point, the World Spirit version shows this best, with their reference to a May Day celebration.