Virgo in the Minor Arcana: The Ten of Pentacles

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

Back to the Minor Arcana today, for a look at the last of the three Minor Arcana cards associated with Virgo.

The Ten of Pentacles is linked to Mercury in Virgo (and to the final ten days of the sun’s journey through this sign – 13^th-23^rd September).  This is a particularly auspicious association, because Mercury not only rules Virgo, it’s also exalted in Virgo. What does that mean? Well, when a planet rules a sign, it’s at home.  It’s comfortable – it can kick off its shoes and put its feet up.  When it’s in exaltation, it’s also comfortable – but there’s a protocol to be observed.  A friend of mine uses this analogy: the Queen is at home in Sandringham or Buckingham Palace – she’s the ruler.  When she goes abroad, say to visit the White House, she knows she’ll be looked after, but there’s a certain formality and protocol that has to be followed – that’s exaltation.  Interesting that the Wildwood calls this card ‘Home’!

Wildwood Tarot

But here, Mercury is both at home and exalted!  Remember what we said about Mercury, in the first of the Virgo posts? He’s the swift-footed messenger of the Roman gods, as is his Greek counterpart Hermes.  He’s also the god of trade (especially grains – a link to Virgo); the caduceus he carries being a symbol of trade and commerce.  Despite the caduceus often being incorrectly associated with medicine, Virgo is often associated with issues of health, through its ability to work with lots of information and finding a way to make them fit, e.g. holistic medicine.

So the Ten of Pentacles is a great card to have when it comes to acquiring wealth – whether it’s financial, physical (good health) or spiritual well-being.  Mercury in Virgo brings strong analytical skills to the table, and a clear, down-to-earth way of expressing ideas and putting them into some sort of order.  Virgo is practical and helpful – remember that link to the sixth house and the idea of ‘service’!  And it’s not just about acquiring wealth – it’s also necessary to share it... and to enjoy it.  

Shadowscapes Tarot

In the Shadowscapes, the creators of the deck have chosen to depict the background landscape as a stained glass image. The art of staining glass seems to me very Virgo-an in terms of the patience and dedication required in its creation - as well as reflecting the idea of the pattern that Virgo might seek in life.  I can see the coiling dragon as Mercury's caduceus, too. 

Despite the double ‘whammy’ of rulership and exaltation, there’s another side to the coin.  Too much attention to detail can get in the way of seeing the bigger picture – that ‘not being able to see the wood for the trees’ thing.  Another potential ‘shadow side’ of the coin is fear of poverty. This can lead to holding on to things, rather than sharing.  Hoarded wealth stagnates: “the more you give, the more you receive”.

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

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

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 

Virgo in the court cards

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

 

Sharman-Caselli Tarot

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. 

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.   

Shadowscapes Tarot

The Knight of Pentacles in many decks is shown 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.  In the Shadowscapes, we see the Knight on the back of the Earth Dragon, "grounded and slow but undeniable in its progress", say the creators of the deck, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore. He values the success more than the speed at which that success is achieved.

Thoth Tarot

In the ‘double element’ system, as used by the Book-T system (www.tarot.org.il/Library/Mathers/Book-T.html), the Knight of Pentacles represents fire of earth.  We can see this in the rings of sunlight falling over the harvest in the Thoth’s Knight of Disks.  But here ‘fire’ doesn’t represent fast-burning, fast-moving; this is more about keeping the fires burning steadily.  The Knight and his horse are not moving – in fact his horse looks as though he’s grazing on the harvest! Perhaps both horse and rider are worn out by their hard work, bringing in the crops.  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 of Pentacles!

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

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.