9 of Pentacles: Gardener or Not?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Apr 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kiama	17 Apr 2003
Sorry about all the questions, but I've been spending alot of time bored stiff, just shuffling cards and looking at them. I was wondering about the 9 of Pentacles. In the 'What Card Am I?' thread, somebody mentioned that they felt the 9 of Pentacles woman had already worked very hard to get where she is, which I agree with, since I've always seen this card as an 'independent woman' card. But then I got to wondering... Is the 9 of Pentacles woman the gardener of that gorgeous rose-garden she is spending time in, or is there somebody else wh does it for her? She looks very richly dressed, so I'm assuming she'd hire somebody to do it for her... And if you know anything about gardens, you know that if you have a garden like that, it takes 24hour care, but there this woman is, idly playing with grapes! (In the Robin WOod deck anyway!) So, is she the gardener? Is she spending time in something she herself has created, or is she spending time enjoying the art of another? Kiama

divinerguy	17 Apr 2003
Mmm, Methinks she's dressed a little formally for gardening. I see the little bird as either a play thing for the rich (as in a tamed bird), or perhaps as an adornment of, or harmony with nature. Examples of the latter would be the Boticelli's Birth of Venus, and St. Francis of the Animals http://www.mgc.org/043.htm As the card often indicates abundance and fruitfulness, I would assert that it could go either way.

jema	17 Apr 2003
(and this is completly unrelated to the card in question) gardening is as hard as you make it. it is a LOT of work in the spring. but then it really doesn't take all that much time. just about 15-30 min a day for a normal garden, with a really lush and big one double that - but you still will have plenty of time to enjoy it. we do all our weeding as we wake up, so we sometimes during the summer stumble around the garden with coffeemug in one hand and glove in the other still dressed in morning-robe:) tending a garden is a big joy in life. to watch it grow and flourish is a real blessing. you get so much for so very little. but... spring time is hard work indeed. (as is autumn if you grow a lot of fruits)

lunalafey	17 Apr 2003
Funny, I was just looking at the 9P I did for SACT... and it so fits the moment!{and the subject} She is the farmer & the harvester. Being the independent woman she is, she would not have ant other way. She knows what she wants and knows that it does not come easy. Being the harvester, she admires her hard work by admiring her bounty. Creating this card is a manifestion thing for me. A homestead that mine is my #1 goal....I admire my card, I see my dream, I know it will be a very long hard road, but when I get there, I can relax and enjoy.

Butterfly	17 Apr 2003
I see this as the card of someone who has worked really hard to fulfill their visions and can now enjoy the fruits of their labour. They have built it up and created it so that it is becoming self sufficient. She loves to express herself through her life, and if that means gardening in her beautiful clothes, no big deal. It's funny, in the Fey Tarot it talks about how she has inherited all that she has, the fey is drawn as someone who has been spoilt and indulged. I've always seen it as very different and have such a hard time actually connecting with this card in this particular deck. How do you feel about the Fey Tarot depiction LunaLaFey?

NeXoRiouS	17 Apr 2003
One would only enjoy the true pleasures of seeing a flower blooms when it has been nurtured by themselves. Maybe indicating having enjoyed whatever effort they have put in and can relax right at that moment of harvest?

galadrial	17 Apr 2003
I think of the Falcon on her hand as the key to this card. It represents the taming of her baser instincts. Her soul has reached a level where it can really appreciate the finer elements of the Pentacles suit: music, art, nature artistically arranged into a beautiful garden. No matter how "wealthy", some people cannot appreciate beauty even if they are surrounded by it. I think the point is not whether she labored to produce the art, music, or garden, but that she labored spiritually to reach the point of being able to truly appreciate them. Mind you, I think this spiritual labor is greatly facilitated by having physically labored to produce beauty at some point. In the Fey tarot, I see someone who's spiritual potential is challanged by never having had this experience. The book says the bird represents "the beauty and intelligence that are waiting to emerge.". I would rephrase it to "the intelligence (understanding) of beauty that is waiting to emerge."

Alissa	17 Apr 2003
Lordy, do I have a different take on this.... I've always seen her as a "kept woman." This comes from years of making up my own meanings to cards before "studying" Tarot. The bird, like her, is kept. A hunter by nature, he is hooded and therefore artificially contained, as is she in her lush and beautiful garden gaol. Abundance, yes, but not necessarily happiness. And, except for her bird/pet, she's alone. Is she someone's pet also, a pretty bird for someone to keep and admire, harnessed by luxury and the good life that's provided for her? Has her good life blinded her to the higher aspirations in her heart? In readings, it often seems to me as one who "has everything, but is still dissatisfied with their surroundings." Or, one who has monetary, but not emotional, wealth. (May be too much Victorian "Lady of Shallott" type imagery coming through, but that's how I've always seen her).

Belladonna	17 Apr 2003
The nine of pentacles implies that things are very much aligned for this lady. Everything has finally come together. Think "good karma". Even if she has inherited this money, or come by it in some way other than hard work, the implication is that she deserves it and she enjoys it. Sometimes I find that it relates to a sense of self worth. It doesn't matter whether anybody else thinks you deserve what you have or not, deep down you are proud of something you've accomplished, earned- and anybody else's opinion cannot take that away. Warning! Twice in my experience this card has appeared reversed in a spread when the readee's health was "not in alignement" and they both had prostate cancer.

lunalafey	17 Apr 2003
AH!...this Fey threw me, she is not the working woman that I normally associate with the 9P. But like belladonna mentions, there is a karmic aspect, which I mention in my SACT card...So perhaps the Fey may have fallen into her riches, but what she does with it is the focus of the 9. Does she keep it to herself? or does she share the wealth? The Fey seems to be a sensible creature, kindness shows in her eyes, so does a sparkle of independence. She is a Fey that knows how to get things done even if she had every thing handed to her. She has turned against pleasures of self indulgence and gets more satisfation from making things happen.

Umbrae	17 Apr 2003
She has worked to gain what she has, but is not a gardener. Any gardener would squish the snail. They’ll destroy the roses faster than…

lawguy51	17 Apr 2003
Gardeners, in my experience, are rarely chosen to grace the front cover of a book. (Tarot and the Tree of Life by Kliegman) :). Lawguy51

Moongold	18 Apr 2003
She has always seemed to me to be a complete and wise, humorous woman who would be great to know. She has been around, sure, but she's content with herself and her lot, and enjoys things immensely. Never saw her as a gardiner though. Moongold

Lady Mary	18 Apr 2003
I see her as a very successful, maybe even wealthy woman. She's worked very hard and she knows that hard work is necessary to become that independent woman. And she'll never forget where she comes from and where her success comes from, but in the 9P card I don't see her as a gardener. Now she's got the means to enjoy the garden. It's also a time for her to relax a bit.

Aerin	18 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Alissa Lordy, do I have a different take on this.... I've always seen her as a "kept woman." This comes from years of making up my own meanings to cards before "studying" Tarot. The bird, like her, is kept. A hunter by nature, he is hooded and therefore artificially contained, as is she in her lush and beautiful garden gaol. Abundance, yes, but not necessarily happiness. And, except for her bird/pet, she's alone. Is she someone's pet also, a pretty bird for someone to keep and admire, harnessed by luxury and the good life that's provided for her? Has her good life blinded her to the higher aspirations in her heart? In readings, it often seems to me as one who "has everything, but is still dissatisfied with their surroundings." Or, one who has monetary, but not emotional, wealth. I'm sort of on this page as well for the Coleman-Waite card. I see her as someone who has what they thought they wanted, but is now rather isolated and lonely (as you say, like the falcon she is hooded). It's a bitter sweet card for me. I don't feel she has any meaningful relationships even though she has surrounded herself with beauty in other ways. Not a gardener. Maybe she'd like to be, but it isn't 'done' for her to engage in such work and so someone else always does it for her. Perhaps in the next frame of the video she lets the falcon (her spirit?) fly free, tucks her skirt up and starts dancing for the sheer hell of it... Aerin Aerin

NeXoRiouS	18 Apr 2003
To me, it's more like a woman who has experienced fame, pleasure, luxury but also torment. Hence resorting to serenity in the gardens could keep her away from the complicated world. It's just like the garden of eden, no worries. Being able to tame a bird without any lure shows that her purity has touched the hearts of beasts. Furthermore, in the RWS deck, the background is a cottage out in the countryside. If she was a kept woman, there should be fences or even maids to tend to her needs. In the picture, she is free and all alone though does not seem to be very happy. Why not look upon it as seeking seclusion from problems and pain?

KelarSkye	18 Apr 2003
The garden isn't really that literal, but an easy concept to grasp. A garden takes a lot of work and sweat and tears. Years even to get it to be what you envisioned. In order to have a beautiful garden you have to give up lazy spring days. you ahve to work instead of play, you have to haul dirt and dig roots instead of going to the park and flying a kite. But then you reach the summer, your garden is in bloom and you need to do little to tend it, it can stand on its own. You sit back, you enjoy. That is this card to me. The hidden shadow of it is that my woman is alone. Like the things you miss out on when building a garden, she is missing out on that now. She is surrounded by beauty and is content on one plane, but there is obviously something lacking still in her life. Hence why she is the 9, there is still more of the path to travel on, still more kinks to work out. :-) The kept woman scenario works for me too. You have everything you think you want and could ever need...but there is still something missing. I also see the card as a calming breather before the next hurtle. Enjoy what you ahve made, then use that to identify what you still need and go from there, rested, refreshed and positive you can acheive because you have before.

NeXoRiouS	18 Apr 2003
I like your ideas. But the question up till now has yet been solved. Some says 9oP is and some doesn't. Any clear cut answer? I personally think not.

jema	18 Apr 2003
if you see the garden as a metaphore for fertile and creative work - they i definatly see the lady on the waite-smith card as the one who has done the work and deserve the pleasure it brings her now that she can take the time to enjoy it.

Aerin	19 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by NeXoRiouS I like your ideas. But the question up till now has yet been solved. Some says 9oP is and some doesn't. Any clear cut answer? I personally think not. I would hate it if the question *were* resolved - in fact I would get rather grumpy. I can see circumstances in readings where either/ any interpretation would hold. It just depends what filters you are looking at the card through at the time. Aerin

Kitty	19 Apr 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama So, is she the gardener? Is she spending time in something she herself has created, or is she spending time enjoying the art of another? Kiama Good question Kiama!!! Hmmmm I think that she has created the garden mostly herself but now she is standing back at looking at it - she starting off being the gardener but she now has gardeners doing it for her! :) (I often think of those English mansions (in the old days) with manicured gardens)

NeXoRiouS	19 Apr 2003
lol. So you like suspension? The thrill of the unknowning.

Silverlotus	19 Apr 2003
I have always assumed she was the gardener herself. I see her has having worked on this garden year after year, perhaps starting it from a few small plants, until it became a beautiful creation that sustains itself. Now that she has trained it and built herself a sanctuary, she is able to enjoy the hard work she has done in peace and serenity. This is a very romanticized version of gardening I know, but it fits with my interpretation of this card.

Cerulean	15 Jun 2003
on the woman...I had a fascinating class where a local forestry service/falconer gentleman brought the female peregrine used for educational classes and such...the peregrine thinks of him as a 'mate' actually. I had not really thought about the 9 of Pents falcon aspect of the bird before...but since taking the class, I've found many different size and colored hawks (maybe a Harris or a red-tailed?) But now that I read these descriptions listed here and looked at Rachel Pollack's Illustrated Guide more carefully, I think of the woman who is about to launch her bird, just before she is going to unhood it with a quick release of her other hand? The beautiful, well-kept garden to me is just on the OTHER side of the hedge and the woman is doing something rather interesting to me--she is hunting or controlling a bird of prey that will assist in keeping down pests or rodents or she is exercising a bird whose wild nature is being used in a productive way. It's true the partnership between the bird and woman is not natural, it's a product of a different tradition than I am used to---but even though it's a courtly practice, the woman is mature and supposedly knows what she is doing. I find her comfortable and strong in disciplined way. As other people might have mentioned, the falcon is normally solitary and the falconer might not be someone that is akin to follow the crowd, yet is aware of tradition. I have wandered from Kiama's main question, but did want to revisit the falcon in the context of the discussed thread. Thanks, Mari H.

Keslynn	16 Jun 2003
The BUckland Romani deck has a little different take but it might add a different slant. In this deck, it's an old woman sitting on a pile of wagon wheels. She looks both a little proud and forlorn at the same time. She's got all those wheels somehow but no wagon and nobody to play with. This card came up as an obstacle in a relationship spread I did recently. For me, this card means an independent woman who is established and knows exactly where she wants to go and knows she can do it on her own. When an obstacle, it can mean a person who is too independent for their own good. And personally... I don't garden *queenly look* It's just too messy for my pretty paws. ;-) Sorry, Leo moment. :) Kes

Val	20 Jun 2003
I see her as one who is self-reliant, independent, confident, and alone. Perhaps a little lonely at times, but worth the occasional sadness in order to maintain her independence for she has made many sacrifices in order to gain what she has & she means to hang on to it. This is my favorite card. I can't remember where I read this, but I believe in one of my books the author comments that the lady in the 9 Pents might be the Queen of Pents enjoying a day in her garden. I kinda like that idea!

HudsonGray	20 Jun 2003
In the Robin Wood deck the garden has grown up in front of the gate so far that the gate can no longer open--helping to keep the lady in her garden and isolated. The lady could have intended that, some people like isolation, or it could be circumstances she can't control (the Kept Woman side of things). With this deck it ends the same...no matter how pretty the garden is and how richly dressed she is, nobody can come in.

BoomVoom	20 Jun 2003
she may not be the gardener but that dusn't stop her from owning the garden and enjoying the fruits of her labour. the garden which her penticals could aford.

jlbvt	04 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Keslynn And personally... I don't garden *queenly look* It's just too messy for my pretty paws. ;-) Sorry, Leo moment. :) Kes Hi Keslynn, I just had to say something here- I am a Leo too, and there are lots of things I don't want to get my hands "dirty" with, but gardening isn't one of them! ;) I just came in from sowing a bunch of seeds in my starting trays, and I am elated. I LOVE having garden hands- I never wear gloves unless I am dealing with thorns or something like that. I like the dirt under my nails, somehow it's comforting to me. Sometimes when there is nothing that needs doing in the garden, I like to sit and look at it, just taking in the details, musing about when the next cucumber might ripen... :) Taking in the beauty of a flower that wouldn't be there if I hadn't planted it, watching the bees and butterflies come and go... Thinking about how I might like to cook that next batch of potatoes... OK I never really grew potatoes before. But just about everything else... And yes, there is plenty of time to just sit and look at it. :T9P Joan

ncefafn	05 May 2004
I love going around my garden and pulling weeds. I see all the flowers that have started blooming, those that are just poking their heads above ground. I talk to them, I stroke them. It's a wonderfully sensual experience. To me, even if the woman in the 9 of Pents is rich enough to hire the garden, she is connected enough to the earth to do her own gardening, at least the stuff that doesn't require intensive labor. Kim

Phoenix Rising	12 May 2004
Well lately with the 9 of pentacles (Robin Wood) the experience I've had with this card was that the querent, were going on or changing their diet. And starting a exercise programme. As well as planting a vege or herb garden. So the card, since the woman is in her own sanctuary, with her being closed in. Is looking after her own needs, that of her body, her own nourishment. But to answer the question about gardener, I would say yes.

Ravenswing	12 May 2004
At least in the RWS deck, I see the gardener as the seven of pents. There he is-- one who does work and is in waiting. Or possibly doesn't get the benifit of the fruits of his work. But as a keeper of my own little piece of land that is slightly too large to get ahead on, I find the joy of the smell of earth on my hands. At times, the labor may be more enjoyable to the right one than the fruits fly well Raven

tmgrl2	18 May 2004
Adding a link...since I remember another discussion about 9Pents. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23763&highlight=Nine+of+Pentacles terri....

The 9 of Pentacles: Gardener or Not? thread was originally posted on 17 Apr 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.