7 of Pentacles

Thirteen

Barleywine said:
Aleiste Crowley simply called it "Failure" and considered it to express utter passivity, the abandonment of all labour. No amount of waiting was going to fix that....the RWS version always made me think the man was exhausted from his efforts, pausing more in resignation than in patient anticipation of resuming the harvest.

Agreed! Good call on that card.

elena_jaymz said:
I see it more "positive" than the RWS version and Thirteen's explaination fits with it to me.

Well, but I think my version isn't totally out of line with Barleywine's nor that Barleywine's view is all that pessimistic. We do work at things, hit failures, and get tired and discouraged. We may even give up. The card, essentially, tells us that this is the challenge we are facing and we need to find a way to get ourselves motivated and moving again, rather than continue staring in depression and defeat at something we can't fix--not by more toil or by waiting.

You can't brood on failure or stare at it wishing and thinking about what you might have done different. You need to turn away and look for new opportunities.

elena_jaymz

Thirteen said:
Well, but I think my version isn't totally out of line with Barleywine's nor that Barleywine's view is all that pessimistic. We do work at things, hit failures, and get tired and discouraged. We may even give up. The card, essentially, tells us that this is the challenge we are facing and we need to find a way to get ourselves motivated and moving again, rather than continue staring in depression and defeat at something we can't fix--not by more toil or by waiting.

You can't brood on failure or stare at it wishing and thinking about what you might have done different. You need to turn away and look for new opportunities.

Ok, I see. Yes, the card points to what you've just explained (the failure etc) and being it in advice position in my case it means I don't have to give up, nor to get depressed, so yes, here's the challenge this card is about.

Barleywine

elena_jaymz said:
Ok, I see. Yes, the card points to what you've just explained (the failure etc) and being it in advice position in my case it means I don't have to give up, nor to get depressed, so yes, here's the challenge this card is about.

Since we usually look to tarot for empowerment, not simply insight or knowledge, I think we have to try to see our way clear to the constructive side of every card. There is always something helpful and useful to be learned, even if it's just that we have to work through a bad patch to get back on the right road. At the very least, it points out the potholes so we can avoid as many as possible.

elena_jaymz

Barleywine said:
Since we usually look to tarot for empowerment, not simply insight or knowledge, I think we have to try to see our way clear to the constructive side of every card. There is always something helpful and useful to be learned, even if it's just that we have to work through a bad patch to get back on the right road. At the very least, it points out the potholes so we can avoid as many as possible.

Of course, that's why I want to learn more and more about tarots and this forum and its users are really helping me a lot. I see everyday cards highlight issues we don't want to deal with or that we're not aware of yet, that's why I'm doing my best to understand tarots, as I don't want to stay in a rut forever

Grizabella

When I look at the RWS 7 of Pentacles, I've always seen just a man who has been working in his garden and is taking a break thinking "These are thriving nicely" and getting ready to resume work or call it a day. He's worked hard on his garden and is experiencing the satisfaction of that.

Emma313

I see it as a card of a negative attitude...ie however much work the person puts in their negative attitude throughout (or lazy effort to start with) will ensure a failure

Hahaha were all ala jungian projecting i guess

elena_jaymz

Grizabella said:
When I look at the RWS 7 of Pentacles, I've always seen just a man who has been working in his garden and is taking a break thinking "These are thriving nicely" and getting ready to resume work or call it a day. He's worked hard on his garden and is experiencing the satisfaction of that.

Hi Grizabella, thanks for your feedback.
Actually at the beginning I saw this card this way as well

a man taking a break from his labor and being satisfied with his hard work, but if you take a look at his face he doesn't seem so happy and satisfied, he looks discouraged, it's like he wonders things like: "will ever these fruits ripen?" "is working so hard really worth it?" etc. so I think the message is really don't give up, don't be discouraged from the failure and look for new, better opportunities to come, as Thirteen explained and above all we don't have to act in haste.

elena_jaymz

Emma313 said:
I see it as a card of a negative attitude...ie however much work the person puts in their negative attitude throughout (or lazy effort to start with) will ensure a failure

Hahaha were all ala jungian projecting i guess

Thanks Emma. I agree, this guy has a negative attitude, because of his failures. He has instead to persevere.