Tarot Blog Hop Mabon 2019: What is my harvest, and how do I find it?

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Welcome to Alison’s Alembic! You may have arrived here as a stop on the Tarot Blog Hop from either Tarot and Stars' or Tarot of Change's blog. Or you may have found this through TABI’s Facebook page, or though one of the many wonderful tarot bloggers in the ether... It doesn’t matter – what does matter is that you’re here!

In the northern hemisphere, we're approaching the Autumn Equinox, also known as Alban Elfed, as well as the time for paying tribute to Mabon. It's the time of year when we’re poised between light and dark, with the hours of daylight and darkness being equal in length. It’s also the culmination of the harvest that was begun at Lughnasadh. At this time we celebrate the beginning of harvesting grapes, making wine, bringing in the sheaves for the canning, preserving, and other ways of gathering the fruits of months, sometimes years, of effort and care.

With all this in mind, our wrangler for this particular Blog Hop, Aisling, has given us the title

What Is My Harvest, and How Do I Find It?

She’s asked us to focus on the collecting of our personal harvest – what we’ve learned, what we’ve decided is important, what we’ve have decided to get rid of. How are we planning to make productive use of the autumn and winter months? How have we changed, what are we beginning, and what have we completed, and – most importantly, how have we begun to further and more deeply understand our ‘self’?

Aisling’s suggested using the concept of the Three Realms – Land, Sea, and Sky – to represent Body, Mind, and Spirit, and to draw three cards for each of the Realms, nine cards altogether. In each case, the cards will answer three questions, one set for Body, one for Mind, and one for Spirit.
These are the questions:

1. What do I need to know about the current condition of my body/mind/spirit right now?

2. What is the most important thing on which I need to focus in the realm of my body/mind/spirit as I move into the winter months?

3. What is the main content and context of this harvest of better health/new ideas/deeper spiritual resonance that I am going to receive if I focus on these things?


So, here goes! I’m using Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s lovely Shadowscapes deck.  This is what it looks like, overall – bottom row: Land, middle row: Sea, top row: Sky...

All cards © Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

Starting with the first column (left-hand-side), Body –

Card 1, at the bottom (Land), represents what I need to know about the current condition of my body, my health, right now. The Page of Wands tells me that I’m in the early stages of a new phase, and that it’s good news. That’s encouraging! With this being Wands and the suit of action and adventure, I see this as a pointer to do as much travelling and exploring as I can while I still have good health and the ability to do so.

Card 2, in the middle (Sea), represents the thing that’s most important for me to focus on as we move towards winter in terms of my health, or body. The Ace of Cups suggests more beginnings, but on an emotional front. That’s good too – emotional happiness has an effort on the body, and vice versa.

Card 3, at the top (Sky), represents what it is I will harvest in terms of improved health. The Ten of Pentacles indicates continued good health – not just in the body but in all material areas.


Moving over to the middle column, Mind –

Card 4, at the bottom (Land), represents what I need to know about the current condition of my mind right now. The World reminds me that I’ve achieved a lot this year, even if I haven’t always been aware of it. Despite difficulties there’s also been joy. New ideas for the coming months are about to seed themselves…

Card 5, in the middle (Sea), represents the thing that’s most important for me to focus on as we move towards winter in terms of my mind, my thoughts and beliefs. The Two of Swords indicates the need to stop procrastinating, something I’ve been doing a lot of recently. Find workable solutions – not necessarily perfect ones!

Card 6, at the top (Sky), represents what it is I will harvest in terms of new ideas. Another Two, the Two of Cups suggests a coming together of ideas. Moving from the edginess of the Swords to the softer Cups, from procrastination to creativity – bring it on!

And finally, the third (right-hand-side) column, Spirit –

Card 7, at the bottom (Land), represents what I need to know about the current condition of my spirit right now. The Ace of Wands tells me that a new spark is ready to be ignited, that within me there’s a way forward just raring to go! My spirit is lifted by the thought of travel and adventure of all kinds, and by the creativity that is born through such wanderings.

Card 8, in the middle (Sea), represents the thing that’s most important for me to focus on as we move towards winter in terms of my spiritual growth. The Fool tells me to take a leap of faith. Instead of wondering if I’m following the ‘right’ path, just pick one (shades of the Two of Swords sitting to the left) and see where it takes me.

Card 9, at the top (Sky), represents what it is I will harvest in terms of deeper spiritual resonance. The King of Pentacles is the court card that’s associated with the decan in which I was born, so this has particular resonance for me – I feel a sense of ‘coming home’ with its appearance here. A greater wealth in terms of spirit, some of which may come from voluntary work that I’m involved in, as well as my personal spiritual work.

Even though they cross realms, I’m really struck by the appearance of the first and final Majors in the spread. Those, and the two Aces and two Twos, really give me the sense of new beginnings, which will be very welcome. I’m also drawn to the richness of the greens and golds in the ‘Land’ row; it gives me a sense of being very grounded and supported (which I am). The blue-mauves of the ‘Sea’ row suggest flow, movement (Water and Air) – a good thing on which to focus. And the blue-green of the top row (Sky) suggests emotional, creative and intellectual fulfilment to come…

Thanks so much, Aisling, for this inspiring idea!

And thank you, readers, for stopping off here on your journey through this Mabon Tarot Blog Hop!  Please do come back and read some of my other posts – and if you’re a Facebook user, you can find me at Alison’s Alembic.  

The next stops on the Tarot Blog Hop are - depending on whether you’re moving backwards or forwards through the list – Tarot and Stars or Tarot of Change. The Master List can be found here.

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Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Capricorn in the court cards

Now let’s look at Capricorn in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  For instance, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn chose to assign cardinal attributes (initiating things) to the Queens, fixed (maintaining order) to the Kings, and mutable (being able to adapt and transform) to the Knights.  Each court card is also linked to the elements, with Pages with Earth, Knights being associated with Fire, Queens with Water, and Kings with Air. 

Queen of Pentacles (trimmed):

© Universal Waite Tarot

Following this system, we end up with Cardinal Earth sign Capricorn being associated with the Queen of Pentacles (Water of Earth). What qualities do we associate with this Queen? Pragmatic, well-organized, good with finances, a loyal friend who’s always ready to listen and dispense practical advice.  As well as finances and possessions, she also represents taking care of – and taking pleasure in – the body.  We also associate her with caring for the earth – and enjoying its wealth.

Plenty of goat imagery in the Universal Waite's Queen of Pentacles! We also see plenty of symbolism around nature, a connection to the land, and the enjoyment of its riches.

Queen of Disks (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The Crowley Thoth’s Queen of Disks is one of my favourite representations of this card. We see her resting in a green and fertile oasis, looking back over the barren, difficult landscape that she’s had to travel through to reach this point. The goat looks at us, rather cheekily, I always think – as if to say “see? We made it!” – reminding us of the tenaciousness and independence of the mountain goat as he surmounts obstacles in his way. We see this too in the curved horns on the Queen’s headdress.  Remember too, what we said about the goat when we looked at the Devil – that it also represents procreation and new life.  This Queen knows what she needs in order to nourish herself – and others – and has worked hard to achieve it. Now she can rest and enjoy the fruits of her labours.

King of Pentacles (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

If you work with a system that assigns cardinality to the Kings, you’re looking at the King of Swords.  In the image from Juliet Sharman-Burke’s Beginners’ Guide to the Tarot, we see the King on his throne, adorned with carvings of goats’ heads, symbolizing Capricorn and the steady, determined hard work that’s helped him to realize his ambition. Behind him we see his castle and grounds – symbols of his achievement, both in terms of material success but also of his status in society. They also appear to be on top of a mountain, reminding me of the sure-footed-ness of the mountain goat as he picks his way around obstacles in his way to the top. Security and stability have been gained through effort and sheer determination, and the King is now in a position to share this wisely and generously.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Taurus in the court cards

King of Pentacles (trimmed):
© Universal Rider-Waite Tarot

Our final foray into Taurus in the tarot – Taurus in the court cards. Again, we have the question – which court card?  Many decks follow the Golden Dawn system, where the fixed signs are assigned to the Kings.  This gives us the King of Pentacles – with the bull being represented quite clearly on the throne in the Universal Rider-Waite deck, for example. This King looks comfortable – he’s achieved what he’s set out to do and is surrounded by what he’s achieved.  Very down-to-earth, practical achievements, as befits a Taurean King – accomplished through hard work, determination, and tenacity.

Prince of Disks (trimmed):
© Thoth Tarot

 The Thoth deck follows this convention, although there are no Kings in this deck, just to confuse things.  In the Thoth hierarchy, the Prince is at the top of the heap, so it’s the Prince of Disks who’s linked to Taurus.  The bull pulls the chariot in this image, steady, reliable, head down – nothing will stop him in his determination to reach his destination or goal.  Perseverance and patience. The Prince’s nakedness here also represents that straightforwardness, as well as openness and honesty.Behind the chariot we see flowers, while the chariot itself is full of fruit; both represent the abundance of the Earth. Perhaps even the blossoms of spring, in the northern hemisphere at least!

Queen of Pentacles (trimmed):
  © Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Juliet Sharman-Burke, in her Beginner's Guide to the Tarot, assigns the Queens to the fixed signs, on the principle that Kings order things, Queens maintain, and Knights disseminate. So for Taurus, we have the Queen of Pentacles. Again, we see bulls’ heads on her throne.  Venus, the ruler of Taurus, is represented by the roses – symbols of love, youth and beauty. Taurus is often said to be the sign of the farmer and the gardener; well, we see plenty of evidence of nature’s abundance and the labour that’s gone into growing and nurturing it here.  The Queen of Pentacles in this deck is very connected to the earthy reality of Taurus – she’s maintaining what’s been started by the cardinal energy of Aries, and enjoying the fruits of her labour as only Taurus can!

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

King of the castle… Margarete Petersen’s Father of Coins

Father of Coins (trimmed):
© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Father of Coins does look as though he might be sitting in a ‘king-like’ pose, although I can’t actually see a throne. Some of the ‘shapes’ in front of him look a bit lizard-like - I’m reminded of the salamander being a creature of fire...wrong suit! Petersen writes, in her LWB, about having restrained animal instincts and drives, so perhaps this is him subjugating the animals.

In the bottom right corner of the inner frame I can make out some people – his subjects, perhaps? I can certainly see a man in his castle being comfortable with what he’s achieved, and now rules over. Underneath there’s a man on horseback with what could be a dog, and a bird - now I’m getting a Sagittarius feel, even though that’s the astrological association usually reserved for the Knight of Wands. A sense of freedom or independence, though; the independent wealth of all realms, be it hearth, home, health or resources in general.

Home is his castle –
From roots he creates empires
Resourceful leader.

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books. 2004

Capricorn in the DruidCraft court cards

Now let’s look at Capricorn in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards, depending on how cardinality, fixity and mutability have been assigned to the cards.  As Capricorn is the cardinal Earth sign, I’m looking for the Pentacles court card that’s associated with cardinality. 

So what court card does this represent?  If you work with a system that assigns cardinality to the Kings, you’re looking at the King of Pentacles.  Although the Druidcraft was not created with astrology in mind, I want to look at the King of Pentacles in this deck to see if I can see any Capricornian qualities at work.

King of Pentacles (trimmed):
DruidCraft Tarot

Here we have the King on his throne, dressed in red and green. His left foot rests on a plinth in which is carved a goat. Ah-ha! ... my first link to Capricorn (and as the Queen's throne is decorated with bulls, I see her carrying more Taurean qualities).

This king is basking in the warmth of his home, his castle – the results of the steady, determined hard work that’s allowed him to realize his ambition.  The goat under his foot reminds me of the sure-footedness of the mountain goat as he picks his way around obstacles in his way to the top, maintaining his integrity as he pursues his goal. Security and stability have been gained through effort and sheer determination, and the King is now in a position to share this wisely and generously.

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

Capricorn in the court cards

Universal Waite Tarot

Now let’s look at Capricorn in the court cards. But which one – or ones?  Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards, depending on how  cardinality, fixity and mutability have been assigned to the cards.  As Capricorn is the cardinal Earth sign, I’m looking for the Pentacles court card that’s associated with cardinality. 

So what court card does this represent?  If you work with a system (e.g. the Book-T system: www.tarot.org.il/Library/Mathers/Book-T.html) that assigns cardinality to the Queen, as do most of the Rider-Waite-Smith-based decks, you’re looking at the Queen of Pentacles.  

Thoth Tarot

The Crowley Thoth’s Queen of Pentacles (Disks) is one of my favourite representations of this card. We see her resting in a green and fertile oasis, looking back over the barren, difficult landscape that she’s had to travel through to reach this point. The goat looks at us, rather cheekily, I always think – as if to say “see? We made it!” – reminding us of the tenaciousness and independence of the mountain goat as he surmounts obstacles in his way. We see this too in the curved horns on the Queen’s headdress.  Remember too, what we said about the goat when we looked at the Devil – that it also represents procreation and new life.  This Queen knows what she needs in order to nourish herself – and others – and has worked hard to achieve it. Now she can rest and enjoy the fruits of her labours.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Not all decks assign cardinality to the Queens.  An example of this is the Sharman-Caselli deck, whose creator Juliet Sharman-Burke has chosen to attribute this triplicity to the Kings.  Here we have the King on his throne, adorned with carvings of goats’ heads, symbolizing Capricorn and the steady, determined hard work that’s helped him to realize his ambition. Behind him we see his castle and grounds – symbols of his achievement, both in terms of material success but also of his status in society. They also appear to be on top of a mountain, reminding me of the sure-footedness of the mountain goat as he picks his way around obstacles in his way to the top. Security and stability have been gained through effort and sheer determination, and the King is now in a position to share this wisely and generously.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by US Games Systems, Inc.