Journey Through My Decks: Queen of Pentacles (Disks)

Gilded Tarot

QUEEN OF PENTACLES

The Gilded Tarot deck and book set. 

Deck by Ciro Marchetti. 

Companion book by Barbara Moore. 

Llewellyn Worldwide

On this card: "A stately woman holds a pentacle with quiet pride. Her face is self-satisfied, almost (but not quite) smug." (Moore)

In the book that accompanies this deck, Barbara Moore tells us that Pentacles represent the element Earth, the physical world, money, and resources. She notes that the Court Cards are like actors on a stage set by the Major and Minor Arcanas: "They provide personality, representing either other people involved or aspects of ourselves."

The Queen of Pentacles wears an emerald green robe (health, fertility, prosperity) and a purple gown (power, royalty, imagination, mystery). The other color we notice in her clothing is blue (spirituality, the unconscious, tranquility, truth, thoughtfulness).*

The Queen of Pentacles is accompanied by a peacock, sacred to the Greek goddess Hera (in Roman myth, Juno). In his book Dictionary of Symbols (Chronicle Books), Jack Tresidder tells us that the peacock is an emblem of royalty, spiritual power, and apotheosis. In Rome, it was the soul-bird of the empress and her princesses, just as the eagle served that purpose for the emperor. In Western art, the peacock often symbolizes pride (as in the expression "proud as a peacock"). However, in most cultures, the bird had a wholly positive meaning related to rank and dignity.

In Book T**, the Queen of Pentacles rules "from 20 Degree Sagittarius to 20 Degree Capricorn." The Sun was at 27 degrees Sagittarius. I often consider the Queen of Pentacles as a significator card for myself, along with the Queen of Wands (Fire for Sagittarius).

In The Tarot Court Cards: Archtypal Patterns of Relationship in the Minor Arcana (Destiny Books), Kate Warwick-Smith presents clear polarities in her discussion of the Queen of Pentacles.

Supporter: Healer.............................Detractor: Abuser

Resource: Self-Care.........................Challenge: Self-Destruction

As a Daily Card, the Queen of Pentacles encourages me to examine how I experience and express the traits associated with her -- positive, negative, and neutral. She may also be calling my attention to another person in my life who exhibits these characteristics.

* My color associations are based on several sources and personal study over a period of time.

** Book T - The Tarot, Comprising Manuscripts N, O, P, Q, R, and an Unlettered Theoricus Adeptus Minor Instruction. A Description of the Cards of the Tarot with their Attributions; Including a Method of Divination by Their Use. A public domain manuscript.