Mona Lisa Tarot -- Pentacles Insight Exercise

I have decided to include an exercise for those who are looking to go deeper in their study of the Minor Suits of the Mona Lisa Tarot. The deck is created to illustrate intertwining storylines and time periods. It is clear that each individual suit does not tell a single story but several all at once. In the LWB and for each Minor Suit there is a bit of text that gives a one or two sentence definition of what the suit describes. The LWB calls them “insights.”

The exercise is to look at the cards of the Suit in order write down your personal observations as you see the insight pertains to the individual card images. Ideally, this is best done without consulting anything other than the card images. Once, the exercise is completed post your observations in the thread and compare it with others who have posted their observations. No Peeking!


The Suit of Pentacles

LWB: “Emphasis: Insight into physical, sensory, and financial dimensions of the Mona Lisa universe.”

Here are my Observations

Ace of Pentacles: Prayer, supplication What do you worship and devote your life to obtaining? That is the one thing to prize more than any other? What do you obey or seek?

Two of Pentacles: There is a sense of touch and balance holding two things at the same time. (I cannot make out what is in her left hand.) Faith vs. Money? It is clear that in the right hand is the bread of the Eucharist.

Three of Pentacles: Facing the challenge of duty and hunger. The seller attempts to sell his goods and the guard’s duty to mind the city gates. The grapes are a temptation of taste and satisfying the guard’s hunger but to the seller they symbolize the sell and its prosperity.

Four of Pentacles: Greed is confronted with danger. How much control do we have over the world around us? We drag what we have with us but how long can we out run the bull. In the end all we have, which we cling to so tightly, will be given to someone else or thrown away.

Five of Pentacles: Desperate, barren, desolate and empty. The feeling that it could get no worse.

Six of Pentacles: The gift of generosity and the benefit of a stranger. A single coin passes between them and yet it seems to make all the difference. Generosity and giving, but not holding on too tightly.

Seven of Pentacles: Rejection, being rejected and doing the rejecting. The act of being cast out and casting out. Those who find that after the visceral act of being turned out find themselves suddenly alone and wanting. The one who callously in an angry act of forcing out those who need, will too find yourself alone. . . in time.

Eight of Pentacles: We grasp and capture the beauty. Beauty comes from work and from effort. A moment of being locked in thought and concentration.
Nine of Pentacles: Touch, to feel, and to be secure in your accomplishments. The feeling of luxury, self providing and being able to enjoy the rewards of life.

Ten of Pentacles: Fortune grown, finding that there are rewards to be gained from hard work. Prosperity comes from work and it brings joy it brings.

Knave of Pentacles: Planting seeds, preparation is the first step to future success. The beginning acts of an enterprise and the decision to put the investment to work.

Knight of Pentacles: “Take the money and run.” Placing energy behind your desire to get what you want. Be brave and even take a couple of chances along the way.

Queen of Pentacles: Sensual comforts and pursuits. Finding love and compassion, expressing your heart in the quiet intimate moments.

King of Pentacles: Death and remembrance. The dead who feel nothing and those who mourn them who feel everything acutely. Final consequences and resolutions.