Deirdre of the Sorrows - Queen of Coins

shadowdancer

Well, she is certainly a contrast in many ways to the previously discussed Knight. Whereas his attire was plain and practical, our Queen is showing a love for the finer aspects of life. Not only is she well groomed, she relishes in a sense of luxury around her. You just know she will scrutinise everything within her palace, and will ensure it is of the best quality available. This Queen would not have a common breed of cat – oh no. She will be seen with the exotic species such as Persians or Siamese. She wants people to be aware of her status and this will extend to how she shows off her pets and children.
We are reminded of her status by the presence of a throne. Once again, it is not an ‘ordinary’ throne. This particular item of furniture is made of gold, and is cast with beautiful lines and design about it. You just know it is one of a kind, and that she had involvement throughout its development/creation.
As there is a lot to be witnessed in this card, once again it is worth looking at each character or aspect in detail.

THE QUEEN
She would be offended if we did not look at her first!
Her clothing exudes style and grace. Yet when we look at her collar area, we see it is rather stiff and stifling. Does this indicate she will put style over comfort? How often have been guilty of this ourselves when we insist on wearing the latest fashion or shoe, even though it is incredibly uncomfortable, and may cause us fatigue or injury? If you associate with this, you may have to consider the repercussions. It may get you noticed, but at what cost? Why do you feel you have to make such an impression, even though it is not something you feel comfortable with?
On the table in front of her we see coins piled neatly in 3 piles. Does this show that she is aware of the importance of keeping an eye on her financial situation? (The saying of “watch the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves” comes to mind). Or does it show she has frittered away a lot on her extravagant lifestyle, and is now down to just a few coins from what was once a substantial amount?
If you believe this is true for you, what does it tell you about what you should be doing if you are to avoid total ruin?
She is holding a sceptre in her left hand. If she is not careful she could upset the piles she has so painstakingly arranged. On a subtle level she is pointing to the pile of coins, as if to say “look what I have got!” Is she trying to bring our attention to the fact she is doing well for herself?
Or is she asking to you to pay attention to your own financial situation?
When looked at from different angles, we see she may be offering some sound advise as opposed to just showing off her fortunes.

THE CHILD AND CAT
The child has a red cape draped over one arm, a pile of fruit balanced precariously in his hands. In comparison he is not dressed in finery. If anything he is underdressed in comparison to his mother. What does the presence of the fruit signify to you?
He is looking up at his mother, but has his back turned towards her. What does this tell you about their relationship? He is holding onto a large amount of food here. Could it show he has been bought up in an environment where over-indulgence is the norm? It is interesting to see he is not fully clothed. Could this show neglect of sorts by the Queen? Instead of providing what is needed for her child (nutritional food in the right quantities, adequate clothing) she is focussed on her own pleasures. Where do needs and pleasures in your life overlap or show there is something lacking? What does it tell you about your priorities?
The cat is very aloof, and is looking out of the card directly at us. Such breeds are not easy to care for. They require a lot of attention and regular grooming. Is this a reflection of how the Queen considers grooming to be of importance?

This queen is so different to the character we saw on the 4 of coins. In this case she has perhaps been born or married into wealth and status. The lady on the 4 of coins gives the impression she had worked hard to get where she was. Both display their wealth and possessions in very different ways.

In a reading situation: (as typed by Deirdre in follow up to a reading we discussed)

So how does the child feel? OK let's try to see things from the child's perspective. The security aspect was very important to this child, food, warmth, shelter, etc. If they felt their environment threatened then they would react by over-eating or holding on to their possessions. Look at the child in the Queen of Coins card - half naked, too much food and clinging to the fruit. They were also very keen to please (notice the child's big smile). However, they were conditioned to think in a certain way probably because the mother made their decisions for them. This would have caused problems in adulthood as they would continue with their learned helplessness - trying to please everyone and ending up pleasing nobody. Frightened to cut ties with people and situations and clinging to things for way too long.