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Three of Pentacles (trimmed):
© Druid Craft Tarot
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Today we move on to the Three of Pentacles, which - in the
system I use - is linked to Mars in Capricorn (as well as the middle ten days
of Capricorn). Mars brings a different energy
to Capricorn, compared to the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter in the
Two of Pentacles. Mars in Capricorn,
astrologically, is looking to expand and grow through hard work. That fiery
Martian/martial energy is still there but it asserts itself cautiously and in a
disciplined way. The ambition is still there, too, as is the decisiveness, but
in Capricorn – the initiating, practical cardinal Earth sign – the focus is on careful
planning. Patience, not a quality we might usually associate with fiery Mars,
comes into play here. The sure-footed mountain goat makes its way slowly and
steadily, picking its path carefully but with determination.
We see this in the Three of Pentacles. Hard work – and more importantly perhaps, a
lot of detailed planning – has gone into a project. There’s a sense of the
initial (Capricorn/cardinal) completion; a first phase or stage has been
reached. Like the mountain goat, we know that we still have some way to go
before the goal - the summit of the mountain – can be achieved. Progress is steady, and there’s concrete,
tangible (Capricorn/Earth) evidence of what’s been accomplished. Mars has
provided the impetus, the physical energy and the determination, required to
keep us on that path.
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Three of Pentacles (trimmed):
© Shadowscapes Tarot
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The image in the Three of Pentacles often depicts a group of
three people. In the Rider-Waite-based decks, such as the Druid Craft Tarot, it’s
often a craftsman and his two clients who are shown. In others, it’s a group of
people working together to achieve a common goal. Co-operation is often a theme
in this card – the need to pool resources or to communicate how far things have
progressed, in order to move onto the next stage.... the Four!
The 'three-ness' is less obvious in the Shadowscapes, I
think...we see only two figures here. But the sense of co-operation is there -
it's through their joint energy (Mars) that they are able to keep moving
upwards, climbing up the wall of stone, helping each other to overcome the
obstacle in their way.
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Three of Disks (trimmed):
© Thoth Tarot
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The Thoth’s version, subtitled ‘Works’ uses a triangle, the
three-sided geometric figure, as its base. While not as rock-solid as the
square, the triangle does represent stability or grounding (Earth), with that
third point added to the two-point line.
This symbolizes the balance between action and inaction, between knowing
when it’s time to do something and when things are best left as they are. At each vertex of the triangle are three
wheels, representing body, mind, and spirit, reminding us that we need to use
all three in order to achieve our goals. Each wheel contains an alchemical
symbol – one for mercury, one for sulphur, and one for salt – again, reminders
that we need to find the right balance in order to reach the stage of initial
completion. The Martian aspect comes
through in the energy that’s produced by combining these elements, while
Capricorn is seen in the steady, gradual progress that’s made.
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Three of Stones (trimmed):
© Wildwood Tarot
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Although
the Wildwood Tarot was not created with astrology in mind, I can see Mars in Capricorn
at work in the Three of Stones. The
stones themselves give us the earthiness, the sense of being grounded – especially
with them forming a trilithon. The deck’s
creators write about the need for an ‘open channel’ to inspiration, in order
for it to be able to manifest (Capricorn) physically (Mars). The teamwork aspect is less obvious, but
could it be that the contact between figure and trilithon represents that? The
figure leans against the stones, drawing strength from them, which she can draw
on as she prepares to step forward, to give form to her plans. The keyword for the Three of Stones is
'Creativity' - a ‘tapping-into-the-earth' kind of creativity.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my
e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now
available from Amazon.
Druid Craft Tarot created by Philip
Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published
by Connections
Shadowscapes Tarot created by
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn
Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by
Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Wildwood Tarot created by Mark
Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by
Connections
