Noir
I was very pleased with Bursten’s interpretation of this card, which he condenses into the phrase, “Magic in the Ordinary.” For a card with such seemingly simple imagery, the Ten of Coins is a complex and mysterious card – a good choice for meditation. The card shows an archway flanked by two stone faces or masks, which opens into a shimmering, magical space where ten coins float in the air. Where the outer aspect of the card is dark, almost forbidding, the inner aspect is full of light. The path that leads to the coins is bordered by a metal fence, though I prefer to think of it as gate that has been thrown open. Unlike the Nine of Coins, which shows a more terrestrial garden, the garden in the Ten of Coins seems otherworldly. It is almost as if the coins were in a process of transmutation, vibrating out of existence in the physical world and translocating into a higher realm. In fact, the energy of the coins is so intense that the branches that hang down into the arch bear no leaves.
This card speaks to me about the idea of a “secret garden,” which is steeped in symbolism going back to the dawn of religious thought. For example, in the Medieval and Early Renaissance world, there were creations know as “Mary Gardens.” These were small secret gardens set within a larger garden with great symbolic meaning related to the Virgin Mary and the Garden of Eden. Indeed, the imagery of a secret garden or an inner sanctuary is used extensively in psychotherapy and mediation to allow a person to access states of consciousness that are beyond what we are capable of experiencing in our normal, waking state. It would be interesting to hear other people’s thoughts on what would be beyond the arch if you imagined this to be your own personal secret garden.
The arrangement of the coins suggests the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah – so much so that I was curious why Ciro chose not to place them in that arrangement. He commented that it did occur to him, but he felt he would have had to add the paths between the coins so that the Tree of Life would have been recognized. Rather than reduce the size of the coins to do this, he opted to symmetrically fill the arched space to enhance the visual sense of a path leading to the coins. Ciro commented that he would consider changing the arrangement of the coins to the Tree of Life if he decides to reprint the deck, since he anticipates that the glossy version of the ToD will sell out toward the end of the year. Personally, I hope that both things happen – I hope Ciro reprints the deck and I think the Ten of Coins would be enhanced if the arrangement of the coins were changed to the Tree of Life configuration. My sense is that adding the paths is optional, since the configuration is distinctive enough to stand on its own. In fact, it adds a layer of subtlety if some people do not recognize it right away – it leaves them open to being pleasantly surprised later as they become more intimate with the deck. What are your thoughts about all of this?
The two stone mask or heads that sit on either side of the arch appear to be the same at first glance. However, if you imagine yourself standing in the arch looking outward (the same orientation as the masks, looking toward the viewer), the mask on the right has a crown and the one on the left does not. Since it would have been easy enough to make them the same, I believe the intention is to suggest a difference between them. On the right (traditionally associated with active, male, authority, yang, etc.) is a male figure that appears to be a king. On the left (traditionally associated with intuitive, female, nurturing, yin, etc.) is a male figure overgrown with leaves that looks very much like the Green Man.
Briefly, the Green Man is a mysterious entity that would seem to be of pagan origin but who is found in many Christian churches. The figure, often only a head and usually male, is typically a face either surrounded by or integrated with leaves and foliage. The origin of this figure appears to be lost, since there is little if any written accounts of him in history. The Green Man is associated with many deities and mythical figures, such as Dionysius, Cernunnos, Sylvanus, Jack in the green, John Barleycorn, Robin Hood, Puck, Peter Pan, and the Green Knight who confronted Gawain, one of the knights of the Round Table. In one account, which involves the perception of the world as feminine, the Green Man is seen as the son of Gaia or the Great Mother, both human and divine. Symbolically, the Green Man is associated with concepts of death and rebirth, the power of nature, ecstatic states, and the passion of humanity’s innocence or original nature.
One of the things I find deeply exciting about the Tarot of Dream is how one is continually rewarded by spending time with the imagery of the cards, and this juxtapositioning of the two masks is one example. Since I would like to encourage other people to share their experiences of this aspect of the card (or any other aspect), I will simply say that the two mask represent a treasure trove of meanings if you choose to explore them.
In the Haindl deck, the Ten of Coins is associated with Hexagram 48, “The Well.” This is one of my favorite hexagrams in the I Ching, because of the beautiful imagery that it evokes. The image is of wood below and water above –a wooden pole attached to a bucket that dips down into cool water, for example. The idea of The Well speaks to those things that are foundational, inexhaustible, and unchanging, both in socio-political structures and the individual. This reinforces the message of the Ten of Coins, which points to the existence of something both inexhaustibly magical and natural as the basis of prosperity and wholeness in human life. To me, the Fool’s journey is not complete until he or she travels through the Major Arcana and then applies that knowledge through all of the suits, ultimately arriving at the Ten of Coins - culmination of the most physical of the suits. This is reminiscent of the Zen sage’s “Return to the Marketplace” – the idea of giving something back to the community of humankind.
Mercury in Virgo is the Decan for this card, which the guidebook notes is, “A mental attitude (Mercury) of appreciation for the humble, the modest, the ordinary (Virgo)". I would add that Mercury is well aspected in Virgo, since it rules this sign, creating a resonance that is solid, practical, and down-to-earth. Communication and mental abilities are highly developed and the combination of Mercury in Virgo augers for success in scientific or teaching fields. If the card is reversed, there can be the suggestion of a cold, calculating, and unsympathetic attitude. There is also a suggestion of deep disappointment or frustration with life, leading to the formation of a critical, even neurotic, attitude. For example, when turned inward this could take the form of being a hypochondriac.
This card speaks to me about the idea of a “secret garden,” which is steeped in symbolism going back to the dawn of religious thought. For example, in the Medieval and Early Renaissance world, there were creations know as “Mary Gardens.” These were small secret gardens set within a larger garden with great symbolic meaning related to the Virgin Mary and the Garden of Eden. Indeed, the imagery of a secret garden or an inner sanctuary is used extensively in psychotherapy and mediation to allow a person to access states of consciousness that are beyond what we are capable of experiencing in our normal, waking state. It would be interesting to hear other people’s thoughts on what would be beyond the arch if you imagined this to be your own personal secret garden.
The arrangement of the coins suggests the Tree of Life from the Kabbalah – so much so that I was curious why Ciro chose not to place them in that arrangement. He commented that it did occur to him, but he felt he would have had to add the paths between the coins so that the Tree of Life would have been recognized. Rather than reduce the size of the coins to do this, he opted to symmetrically fill the arched space to enhance the visual sense of a path leading to the coins. Ciro commented that he would consider changing the arrangement of the coins to the Tree of Life if he decides to reprint the deck, since he anticipates that the glossy version of the ToD will sell out toward the end of the year. Personally, I hope that both things happen – I hope Ciro reprints the deck and I think the Ten of Coins would be enhanced if the arrangement of the coins were changed to the Tree of Life configuration. My sense is that adding the paths is optional, since the configuration is distinctive enough to stand on its own. In fact, it adds a layer of subtlety if some people do not recognize it right away – it leaves them open to being pleasantly surprised later as they become more intimate with the deck. What are your thoughts about all of this?
The two stone mask or heads that sit on either side of the arch appear to be the same at first glance. However, if you imagine yourself standing in the arch looking outward (the same orientation as the masks, looking toward the viewer), the mask on the right has a crown and the one on the left does not. Since it would have been easy enough to make them the same, I believe the intention is to suggest a difference between them. On the right (traditionally associated with active, male, authority, yang, etc.) is a male figure that appears to be a king. On the left (traditionally associated with intuitive, female, nurturing, yin, etc.) is a male figure overgrown with leaves that looks very much like the Green Man.
Briefly, the Green Man is a mysterious entity that would seem to be of pagan origin but who is found in many Christian churches. The figure, often only a head and usually male, is typically a face either surrounded by or integrated with leaves and foliage. The origin of this figure appears to be lost, since there is little if any written accounts of him in history. The Green Man is associated with many deities and mythical figures, such as Dionysius, Cernunnos, Sylvanus, Jack in the green, John Barleycorn, Robin Hood, Puck, Peter Pan, and the Green Knight who confronted Gawain, one of the knights of the Round Table. In one account, which involves the perception of the world as feminine, the Green Man is seen as the son of Gaia or the Great Mother, both human and divine. Symbolically, the Green Man is associated with concepts of death and rebirth, the power of nature, ecstatic states, and the passion of humanity’s innocence or original nature.
One of the things I find deeply exciting about the Tarot of Dream is how one is continually rewarded by spending time with the imagery of the cards, and this juxtapositioning of the two masks is one example. Since I would like to encourage other people to share their experiences of this aspect of the card (or any other aspect), I will simply say that the two mask represent a treasure trove of meanings if you choose to explore them.
In the Haindl deck, the Ten of Coins is associated with Hexagram 48, “The Well.” This is one of my favorite hexagrams in the I Ching, because of the beautiful imagery that it evokes. The image is of wood below and water above –a wooden pole attached to a bucket that dips down into cool water, for example. The idea of The Well speaks to those things that are foundational, inexhaustible, and unchanging, both in socio-political structures and the individual. This reinforces the message of the Ten of Coins, which points to the existence of something both inexhaustibly magical and natural as the basis of prosperity and wholeness in human life. To me, the Fool’s journey is not complete until he or she travels through the Major Arcana and then applies that knowledge through all of the suits, ultimately arriving at the Ten of Coins - culmination of the most physical of the suits. This is reminiscent of the Zen sage’s “Return to the Marketplace” – the idea of giving something back to the community of humankind.
Mercury in Virgo is the Decan for this card, which the guidebook notes is, “A mental attitude (Mercury) of appreciation for the humble, the modest, the ordinary (Virgo)". I would add that Mercury is well aspected in Virgo, since it rules this sign, creating a resonance that is solid, practical, and down-to-earth. Communication and mental abilities are highly developed and the combination of Mercury in Virgo augers for success in scientific or teaching fields. If the card is reversed, there can be the suggestion of a cold, calculating, and unsympathetic attitude. There is also a suggestion of deep disappointment or frustration with life, leading to the formation of a critical, even neurotic, attitude. For example, when turned inward this could take the form of being a hypochondriac.
