Virgo in the Druidcraft: The Prince of Pentacles

Let’s have a break from the Minor Arcana, and look at Virgo in the court cards.

The sign of Virgo is one of the three Earth signs, and one of the four mutable signs.  So what court card does this represent?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards.  I work with a system that assigns mutability to the Knights so, in the earthy sign of Virgo, we have the Knight of Pentacles – or, in the Druidcraft, the Prince of Pentacles.

 

Prince of Pentacles (detail)
Druidcraft Tarot

That combination of earth and mutability suggests a mix of earthy practicality with quick, clear, analytical thinking: the ability to organize, design and plan in great detail. It’s about being methodical, not running roughshod all over the place, but doing things with great deliberation and discrimination. 

 

Like many decks, the Druidcraft’s image shows us a young man sitting on a horse that appears to be at a standstill. If he's moving at all, it's at a slow, considered pace, reflecting the methodical, deliberate movements you might associate with Virgo - spreading or disseminating something practical: mutable Earth.

In the ‘double element’ system the Knight of Pentacles represents Air of Earth.  Perhaps this reminds us to take time to breathe as we pursue our goals!  The effort is worth it, though, in terms of what can be reaped at the end – as it is when it’s done for our own individual growth. Remember that Virgo is the last sign of the personal, individual emphasis in the journey around the zodiac.

Remember too, that Virgo is ruled by Mercury.  When we apply this to the suit of Pentacles, we can see how attention to detail can be applied to the down-to-earth, practical affairs that we encounter on a daily basis – finances, health... our material well-being. Slow and steady, meticulous, deliberate, dedicated, reliable – that’s the way of the Knight/Prince of Pentacles!

Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections,2004