Grace Kelly and the Nine of Pentacles

Alissa

Last night, Grace Kelly came to mind. Not the Grace Kelly who starred as Hitchcock's ice princess in Rear Window. No, that was the Grace Kelly who was still on top. That was Grace still living in her Queen of Cups moment, in Hollywood.

No, instead what blossomed in my mind was like an emotional epiphany... Grace Kelly was the living embodiment of the Nine of Pentacles after marrying Prince Rainier.

Grace had everything, by outward standards. She was a living the dream, a princess, wealthy beyond measure, surrounded by luxury. "A fairy tale come true" was what they all said to her. And she smiled her strained smile, demurely nodding in agreement while examing the tightly clenched fists in her lap.

Alone. She had a empty title, and tried to give her rudderless life a direction again by having the children that were expencted of her. While she embraced her role as mother, she longed to return to acting, her true passion, but knew it was considered unthinkable by her husband, who was known to dally with other women.

Purposeless. Loveless. Directionless. Alone for decades, despite her enormous fame and fortune. Her life had had momentum and meaning when she was only an actress in Hollywood. In Monaco? Not so much.

If I made a Tarot deck, I would use the stunningly beautiful Grace Kelly as my Nine of Pentacles. The woman in the Ivory Tower, the quintessential Poor Little Rich Girl of the 20th century.

I hope she had a falcon and a snail to keep her company.
 

harperevan

I love this. Thank you.

My association with the nine of pentacles is very positive, a moment alone to pause and appreciate your work, and the things that you have earned or accomplished. However, I still love the narration you created around the darker aspects of the card. And Grace Kelly, a leading lady, who was so important in her time, and so public with her life.
 

Alissa

Very true, harperevan... perhaps my association of Grace Kelly and the 9 of Pents is more reversed, or ill-dignified, than an upright 9 of Pents needs to be.

But to me, even upright this card is one of marked discontent, of feeling emotionally abandoned while living a life of luxury. By outward appearances, nothing should be wrong. But inwardly? Nothing feels right.

And the loneliness is palpable. If you look at pictures of her from the 60s and especially from the 70s, not too long before her untimely death, there is a mist of sadness that clouds her every portrait.
 

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Alissa

harperevan said:
My association with the nine of pentacles is very positive, a moment alone to pause and appreciate your work, and the things that you have earned or accomplished.
Forgot to add... to me, the sense of accomplishment in one's work is very 8 of Pentacles, or pausing to appreciate it can even be very 7 of Pentacles.

But the 9? Not so happy, not even content.
 

moderndayruth

Loved the story, thank you!
 

Myrrha

I must have a different view of the Nine of Pentacles, the woman in the Waite-Smith image looks content to me. There aren't other people shown in the card because her wealth is her own and doesn't have to do with other people like it does in the Ten of Pentacles. I'm not sure that means there aren't other people in her life. Venus in Virgo -- Venus is beneficent and Virgo indicates careful management. If you look at the reasons why the image was chosen, it doesn't seem to have a message about sadness or loneliness.

Always interested in hearing other views though... and that is a great story about Grace Kelly
 

Glitterbird

To me this card is the very essence of a "kept" woman. And who better to illustrate that, than Grace Kelley - she could have anything that money could buy. Not happiness, not freedom.
 

Le Fanu

How odd. I have never had this impression. Nice story though.

It is possible, surely, to have a satisfying life (maybe very satisfying or even reasonably satisfying) and then move onto another phase which may seem less satisfying to others and yet still be content. Someone could have a career, then marry and leave that career behind and be happy. It might be a different type of contentment but we still feel that the old life had run its course. And wouldn't necessarily want to go back to it.

The life I left behind a few years ago - enjoyable job, enjoyable lifestyle, earning easily, living in a beautiful place, laughing a lot, plus many other things - is not a life that I would have wanted to continue indefinitely till I died, even though in many respects it is richer than the life I have now. People sometimes look at it from the outside and think I was mad to leave it all behind. But life is made up of many complicated facets with many tiny satisfying details and we can find consolation in small things.

You leave stuff behind simply because nothing stays the same and we shouldn't cling. Maybe it seems out of step with the "modern woman" that someone can have a career and then turn away from it for a "man". People hate the thought of this.

Would I have an aversion to being (dirty word) kept? Maybe not. The inner life might keep me sustained. I'm not sure I see the 9 of Pents in this sense.

I have always identified massively with the 9 of Pents; comfort, ease, the sense of having "arrived" with great élan & nonchalance. Who wouldn't want to see this card in a reading? I love it when it comes up. Speaks to me of an effortless stability and all that accompanies it.

Maybe Grace Kelly felt this. Maybe she felt her best acting days were over and she was cutting her losses. Maybe she thought it was time to sit back and wallow (we don't know). The 9 of Pents can also be that, I think. And - reversed - complaisant, perhaps. I don't get that sadness from Grace Kelly.

But it's an interesting thread. Thanks for posting that reflection, Alissa
 

Alissa

Le Fanu said:
It is possible, surely, to have a satisfying life (maybe very satisfying or even reasonably satisfying) and then move onto another phase which may seem less satisfying to others and yet still be content. Someone could have a career, then marry and leave that career behind and be happy. It might be a different type of contentment but we still feel that the old life had run its course. And wouldn't necessarily want to go back to it.

You leave stuff behind simply because nothing stays the same and we shouldn't cling.
I definitely agree, and so does Tarot! I would associate that emotion with the 8 of cups more than the 9 of Pentacles... walking away from what once gave you a sense of fulfillment.

But regardless, my Grace Kelly moment? It was just a thought and it seemed the kind of thing to share with AT. :)
 

kfk

Great story Alissa.It made me pause and look again at this card.

Its impossible to know what's what in a public figures life even with their own words in an interview.Reflecting on Grace tells me more about myself than her.I would have found that life fun and exciting at first but all those affairs would pall and I would look for the stability that would allow me to deepen my relationships.I would like to surround myself with others who value that..A love of acting could be played out in many paths.That's me.

I have always loved this card-the peace of enjoying the fruits of labor and accomplishment.But I also see nines as completions and they can indicate a beginning to look for another project maybe even another path.
this is amountain top from which to launch that next new thing.