Four of pentacles and the high priestess

[Laurelle]

hmmm...you are being very secretive (HP) and not telling us what the action is about. lol.

I would say just from a glance at those two cards that someone is being secretive, jealous, not letting go, hoarding.

The HP is all about being ultra quiet and secretive. Those two cards actually have more in common than you would think upon first inspection. Both hoard thing. Both hold on tightly. Both are non-action cards.

Both are kind of telling you to wait. These are NOT action cards.

The Emperor (key 4) represents stability, but that doesn't mean that just because the 4 of pentacles is also a 4 that this card represents stability. Remember, the Emperor can also be tyrannical, rigid. The person in the 4 of pentacles also has a tendency not to think clearly with their heart. If they did, they would share, but they hold on, due to a block of emotions.

 

[Aidan]

Both these cards are cards of non-action. Doing nothing, romance requires at lease a glance, these two cards are cold, keep away from me cards. This person giving these kind of vibes? Just a thought..... perhaps the just want to be left alone.

I dont think the HP being necessarily cold. It is, after all a card in the element of water, as is the suit of cups. But i like that interpretation, it suits well that secrecy which the hp includes.

 

[PAMUYA]

I dont think the HP being necessarily cold. It is, after all a card in the element of water, as is the suit of cups. But i like that interpretation, it suits well that secrecy which the hp includes.

water reflects all emotions, most confuse water with only love, there are so many other emotions, so many colors in the rainbow. The HP emotions are hidden, only your intuition knows the truth of her message.

 

[Thirteen]

When I look at HP, I see the story of Pope Joan. She ruled the church as a male pope. No one knew she was a woman. She was quite intelligent to pull something like this off in a place where only men reside. But she got caught when she went into labour on a crowded street during some religious prosession. Anyways, the way I see her is her gift of knowledge and intelligence is hidden away from the world. It defines her.

I know that when the card is called the Papess in certain decks it does refer to this apocryphal tale. And, obviously, if this tale strikes you it strikes you. As you've brought it up, however, I have to say that it's always troubled me rather than inspired me as a model for the HPS.

I mean, the upshot is that she gives birth in front of everyone—and then is murdered by the angry mob. This implies that she was promiscuous rather than aiming to keep her position as pope holy by remaining chaste, and that, in the end, she wasn't nearly as intelligent as she thought she was as she got caught out publicly. Her conclusion strikes me as a gossipy, mocking, moment of exposure, condemnation and execution that says no woman, however clever, can be in charge of a church for long. Her lustful folly will eventually expose her, and give her a deservingly shameful end.

The card may be historically based on the tale and true to the "secret" aspect of the card (outside of the fact that Joan's secret is exposed rather than given to the deserving as a gift, which is more in keeping with the HPS), but I just can't see it for a figure emblematic of feminine power, magic, intellect and psychic abilities.




.

 

[bluelagune]

Agree. I kinda felt sorry for her. However, I've never thought of her being promiscuous though but mainly because Im a romantic. Love is love and in those times it is kinda hard to do an abortion. On the other hand in reference to the documentary about her, the author mentions that the ending might have been a fabrication by the church to punish the cought. It would have been cool if she wasn't caught though but then how would we ever hear about her at all? Oh well its just the way I see her, no disrespect ... just admiration.

 

[Tiggy-cat]

Interesting question. I haven't read through the whole thread, but this brought something to my mind. Having practically never drawn that card in readings, it's one I had to think hard about when it came up recently, and in my situation, I could see it applying perfectly to a case of intellectual property or copyrighted material.

Say that you are JK Rowling, and you've just finished a new manuscript, and you are now in the final phases of putting the finishing touches on your work before you hand it off to your publisher to bring it to market. There is a phase here where what is YOURS is absolutely being kept private, held onto very tightly and is top secret. And money is involved. You are guarding what's YOURS, and rightfully so, as if you didn't, it would be in bootleg form and getting illegally distributed all over the globe before you could say "Harry Potter!". Or say that you have a tech startup and you're about to go public. You can't let the details of your business, or your craft/assets, etc. get leaked.

I think it could also just apply to privacy, if that's a hot commodity for whoever you are asking about, since the guy is all by himself and seems to prefer it that way. So combined w/HP, it's definitely all about keeping it close and quiet. Without knowing what you were looking for a reason FOR, I don't know if this could apply but in my case it did. And no, I don't really see any romance there at all.

 

[Pink-lady]

I wouldn't say that men who jealously hold tight to their women to the point of making them virtual prisoners are romantics. Nor those women who won't let their man glance at other women or go out with his friends for fear she'll lose him to another woman. So if you're asking why one person might cling tightly to another...well, they're insecure, paranoid, unstable or, as you say, selfish.

Romantic means the two can't get enough of each other, but they'll eagerly let go and help there person fly far and high if they can. That's romantic. But if only one is being clingy, holding the other down...then that's not romance. That's something very wrong.

Thanks 13, u r right.
Insecurity, paranoia and such usually makes ME run for the hills and I forget not to mirror my own behavior when I'm drawing cards for others.

 

[Pink-lady]

yes, I think with these cards a couple of things

4 of pentacles:

a) somebody tight with money
b) somebody that wants to receive but won't give back in return (a one way street)
c) somebody with thick walls (perhaps due to past experiences) (emotionally unavailable) (you may get sex from this person, but there's no emotional connection)

HP:

d) somebody that will not give away the game, their thoughts, feelings
e) somebody that keeps to him/herself
f) somebody that is keeping the whole story from you (I see this as a control thing and a way to get attention, but that's just my view, never got this from any guides, only my own experiences)

Everything is Right on the dot about the person I'm reading

 

[Pink-lady]

When I look at HP, I see the story of Pope Joan. She ruled the church as a male pope. No one knew she was a woman. She was quite intelligent to pull something like this off in a place where only men reside. But she got caught when she went into labour on a crowded street during some religious prosession. Anyways, the way I see her is her gift of knowledge and intelligence is hidden away from the world. It defines her.

Four of pentacles is holding on/withholding something of value. Money? Sometimes I see the pentacles as
trust. So somehow trust is withheld.

Now, the combination of both has two options:
(1) for a woman the monetary value is withheld of fear of losing that is hidden. Like knowledge on the job in some companies is withheld based on fear that one should know more than the other in order to be valued. or This somethin is quite important as definition of ones individuality, lifestyle or even existence. She knows something we dont and she is keeping thus secret.
(2) For a man I would see him withholding his trust or money because the woman in his view is hiding something from him.

Thanks
As most people have mentioned this person's actions are not based on romance and . Your story described a courages woman but I don't think this person I'm reading for would know courage even I it hit him/her in the face but obviously hiding something

 

[Pink-lady]

Interesting question. I haven't read through the whole thread, but this brought something to my mind. Having practically never drawn that card in readings, it's one I had to think hard about when it came up recently, and in my situation, I could see it applying perfectly to a case of intellectual property or copyrighted material.

Say that you are JK Rowling, and you've just finished a new manuscript, and you are now in the final phases of putting the finishing touches on your work before you hand it off to your publisher to bring it to market. There is a phase here where what is YOURS is absolutely being kept private, held onto very tightly and is top secret. And money is involved. You are guarding what's YOURS, and rightfully so, as if you didn't, it would be in bootleg form and getting illegally distributed all over the globe before you could say "Harry Potter!". Or say that you have a tech startup and you're about to go public. You can't let the details of your business, or your craft/assets, etc. get leaked.

I think it could also just apply to privacy, if that's a hot commodity for whoever you are asking about, since the guy is all by himself and seems to prefer it that way. So combined w/HP, it's definitely all about keeping it close and quiet. Without knowing what you were looking for a reason FOR, I don't know if this could apply but in my case it did. And no, I don't really see any romance there at all.

I'm reading for a girl who is seeking the reason behind her bf's action, so keeping THE READON private/secret means dishonestly and it's not fair to her.
We keep telling her this guy is bad news but there is no arguing with what heart wants