caridwen
There is a set of scales just above the head of the old man in this card. Does anyone know what they stand for and does it relate to Justice at all?
10 of Pentacles - Scales
Abrac
Hi caridwen-
It is hard to say exactly what this is supposed to mean for sure, but a couple of things come to mind. First it was put there by design, for all to see, as a statement of who this man is and what he represents. It is carved into the supporting structure that holds up the archway. The scales are perfectly balanced. My guess is this is a just man who has prospered through honesty and fair play. Perhaps he was, or still is, a judge. In any case, I think it is probably a symbol that reflects this man's outlook on life.
My 2 cents.
It is hard to say exactly what this is supposed to mean for sure, but a couple of things come to mind. First it was put there by design, for all to see, as a statement of who this man is and what he represents. It is carved into the supporting structure that holds up the archway. The scales are perfectly balanced. My guess is this is a just man who has prospered through honesty and fair play. Perhaps he was, or still is, a judge. In any case, I think it is probably a symbol that reflects this man's outlook on life.
My 2 cents.
caridwen
Abrac said:
Thanks.
I've been thinking about this and comparing the card to the 6 of Pentacles. In the six, the Merchant measures out the money and the scales relate to Netzach on the Tree of Life but here, in the ten, they relate to Tiphareth. Tiphareth in turn, relates to the four sixes of the Tarot.
It also relates to harmony and pride which are evident not only in this card but in the scales which are balanced. In the six they are slightly tilted. So I wonder if this is in someway the completion of the Six of Pentacles.
It has often been noted with the Six of Pentacles, that the Merchant must keep some of the money back for himself in order to prosper. That there must be a certain amount of measurement in charitable acts, that one should not give away everything. Here we see the culmination of the promise in the Six.
The evidence of the Tree of Life are very pertinent in the Five of Pentacles which has the Tree in the church window. So I'm wondering how it relates all the way through the pentacles to the ten.
caridwen
Pentacles and Masonary
We also have the connection between the Pentacles and Masonry. The scales, the universal symbol of justice, are derived from Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, and order. The term magistrate is derived from Ma'at because she assisted Osiris in the judgment of the dead by weighing their hearts. The scales are also representative of the harmony of the cosmos, the measurement of space and time.
The scales are carved into the masonry of this card and are one of the symbols of the masons. So does the Ten of Pentacles represent the culmination of the Masons and their ideals?
We also have the connection between the Pentacles and Masonry. The scales, the universal symbol of justice, are derived from Ma'at, the Egyptian goddess of truth, balance, and order. The term magistrate is derived from Ma'at because she assisted Osiris in the judgment of the dead by weighing their hearts. The scales are also representative of the harmony of the cosmos, the measurement of space and time.
The scales are carved into the masonry of this card and are one of the symbols of the masons. So does the Ten of Pentacles represent the culmination of the Masons and their ideals?
Parzival
10 of Pentacles-- Scales
From a Pythagorean perspective, 10 is the number of ultimate equilibrium. It is considered "the principle of natural equilibrium and wholeness." It is "the number of the Cosmos and the foundation of Creation." -- See Opsopaus, Pythagorean Tarot, pp 348-349, for this and more on the 10. Importantly, it is balance as well as fulfillment . Dante's Divine Comedy has 100 cantos ; the Grail Castle has 100 chandeliers (Parzival), is 100 fathoms in diameter (according to Rosicrucian legend). Odysseus takes 10 years to adventure home. Faust dies at 100, according to freemason Goethe's intention. There are 10 sephira, 10 points to the Pythagorean triangle. So, along with completion, 10 is perfect wholeness, balance, harmony. More Maat as cosmic harmony, or just deserts or good karma, and less Justice as austere judgment, in this 10 of Pentacles. The joy of dynamic balance.
From a Pythagorean perspective, 10 is the number of ultimate equilibrium. It is considered "the principle of natural equilibrium and wholeness." It is "the number of the Cosmos and the foundation of Creation." -- See Opsopaus, Pythagorean Tarot, pp 348-349, for this and more on the 10. Importantly, it is balance as well as fulfillment . Dante's Divine Comedy has 100 cantos ; the Grail Castle has 100 chandeliers (Parzival), is 100 fathoms in diameter (according to Rosicrucian legend). Odysseus takes 10 years to adventure home. Faust dies at 100, according to freemason Goethe's intention. There are 10 sephira, 10 points to the Pythagorean triangle. So, along with completion, 10 is perfect wholeness, balance, harmony. More Maat as cosmic harmony, or just deserts or good karma, and less Justice as austere judgment, in this 10 of Pentacles. The joy of dynamic balance.
Abrac
I was thinking the same thing later as I was meditating on this card. If you notice just to the left of the scales there is a diagram of what looks like a mountain or tower with entrances at the top, which remind me of caves. To me this image represents basically the same idea as the rough and perfected ashlar symbolism from Freemasonry. The mountain represents humanity in the crude and natural state, while the main image represents humanity in a state of refinement, cultivated by moral and judicial law. The dogs seem to be acting as a conduit, through which the old man is passing on his wisdom to the child. They are obviously well-trained and disciplined animals.caridwen said:
