7 of pentacles/ disks
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Dec 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Marion |
15 Dec 2003 |
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I did a reading last weekend wherein the 7 of disks was the outcome card. I was using the Thoth deck. In the RWS deck, the 7 of pentacles is a fairly optimistic card, fellow looking hopefully at his crop presumably thinking it will ripen and he will do well. Meanings somewhat around that theme.
The 7 of disks in Thoth is another story. The keyword on the card is 'failure'. The seven disks are grey and curled up and generally withering on the vine. I happen to have aquired Barabara Walker's book on tarot recently and it was just sitting there so I looked 7 of disks up. She went on about being lost in a wasteland, spiritually drying up, etc, etc. Very thoth like. So, now I got out Diana's fav, the Tarot de Verre. Thoroughly cheery card, one disk at the top like a sun's face, two disks sort of 'above ground' and four 'below ground' presumably waiting to ripen. More or less back to the RWS' optimistic expectation of things developing nicely.
The Crowley explanation is that 7's are far down the Tree of Life, pretty well unbalanced, and frankly nothing good can come of it. Okay, I am kidding... a bit.
Comments about this? The 7 of pentacles/ disks now has me thoroughly confused. Marseille interpretations perhaps?
(In my reading I was fairly sure it meant that the querent was burying and neglecting her gifts and this was causing them to suffer).
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| MeeWah |
15 Dec 2003 |
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7 represents awareness; initiation; perfection or mastery; completion or finish. 7-The Chariot is sometimes known as the Victory or Warrior Card.
7 is 3 (Spirit) joined with 4 (material plane), represents the developing of spirituality &/or recognition of same. Along with the developing of awareness there is conflict for there is no growth without conflict; associated with the need to make choices. It can be likened to a time of testing. It takes purpose, motivation, passion & determination to follow through; to not falter as the momentum can be lost. Patience is also a quality as both time & effort are usually required as investment in an endeavor or goal.
7-Pentacles can be a time of reflection to see the fruits of one's labours; the lay of the land or where one is at in one's efforts. It can involve an evaluation or an assessment of the progress thus far; to determine where one heads next or if one initiates a change; future plans. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
Poorly or negatively aspected, it can mean wasted effort; little or nothing to show for hard work; stopping too soon; not recognizing or missing an opportunity; improper use of resources.
Sorry, not familiar with Crowley's view nor the Tree of Life. That 7 is an odd number not divisible by 2 may in part contribute to the view of it being unbalanced.
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| Marion |
15 Dec 2003 |
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Thanks both of you! Very much appreciated. Interesting to get two threads almost identical in subject matter simultaneously.
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| Alex |
02 Jan 2004 |
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Marion
The Waite's depiction doesn't strike me as very happy, I often see someone who's gotten the flowers blooming but doesn't know what to do with them. Like "is that ALL there is to it AND I still have to work MORE?".
It's like having a bachelor's degree in ecology, to find out one has to get a M.Sc. and there's only Zoology in the school you apply for, so the hell, you go do that, then you find out you have to get a Ph.D. if you ever want to get a job ...
;)
Alex.
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| Marion |
02 Jan 2004 |
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I had not thought of it that way, but I see your point. I am in fact in a similar situation. No matter how much I do, it just leads to needing more to be done with no 'harvest' point.
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| firestorm |
02 Jan 2004 |
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This type of confusion is exactly why I ignore words on the cards; they don't tell the whole story. :D
When I was learning the Thoth I used "The Tarot Handbook" and "Tarot- Mirror of the Soul" and both books describe the card as FEAR of failure.
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| Kachua |
03 Jan 2004 |
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I think it also depends on whether the card is well- or ill-dignified. It's true that the 7 of Disks in the Thoth deck doesn't look exactly like a ray of sunshine, but I also don't see it as too negative a card. Granted, it's not a card that I jump up and down happily when seeing, but it's not one that when it turns up, the immediate thought that comes to my mind is, "Oh dear god, why."
To me, the 7's represent struggles that lead to a necessary growth. I always see 7 of Disks as, "Stop. This isn't working, and it isn't going to." To me, it's a message warning me that if I continue focusing my efforts in this one area, I will never get anywhere. I think some people may wonder why, if you give up it would be a struggle, but sometimes letting go and trying something new is much harder than letting things go on as they are. Rather than a time of rest to consider the growth of your labours, I see it as stagnation--especially since Disks are passive.
In a reading I did for a friend and I saw the 7 of Disks in the main position modified by 8 of Swords. I think these two cards reinforced one another's meanings quite well--he was getting absolutely nowhere just sitting around worrying.
So in the end, I think it _is_ the card of Failure--the description is accurate.
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| allibee |
03 Jan 2004 |
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Whilst not wishing to be contrary ... although that's the beauty of discussions in forums ... I couldn't disagree more Kachua, and I really mean that in the nicest possible way :)
Marion, I think we may all be in agreement that the 7 is a pregnant pause of sorts, its just a case then of deciding which way to head.
Do we go in Kachuas direction and throw it all away, all that we have worked so hard to achieve (or grow, in basic terms) just because it's not yet 'happening' OR, do we focus our efforts even more in this direction, look at new ways of doing, new ways of seeing, new action we can take, to become the success that we have the potential for in the 8 Pentacles.
To me it definately says now is not the time for letting go, for giving up .... for that would indeed be failure.
Just some thoughts
allibee
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| Kachua |
03 Jan 2004 |
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Actually that's kind of what I was trying to say... I just didn't express it in the right way. I didn't mean to give everything you had worked for up, but rather to find a better option to work for it than the one you're currently in.
For example, when I was doing the reading for my friend, what I didn't tell him was to give up on what he wanted, but rather to move forward from where he was at and find a new solution (as in, taking action rather than sitting in fear).
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| WolfyJames |
03 Jan 2004 |
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The Seven Of Pentacles is a card of frustration, because you work very hard and you don't see the fruits of your harbor yet. You have the feelings you've worked that hard for nothing. You're lost and confused, and tempted to let things go. But the message of the card is: don't let go, your hard work will pay you back sooner or later, stop focusing on the result and pay attention to what you do and how you do it.
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The 7 of pentacles/ disks thread was originally posted on 15 Dec 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.
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