9 of Pentacles

inanna_tarot

This card at first seems to sparse to me. a woman, a merlin, a wall... what can there be in that?!

Sooooo much! When ever I see this card I think of the hardworking lady of the manor, when being a lords wife wasnt just about looking pretty and doing nothing, it was being the manager of all the household, the family, the harvest and making sure food stores lasted throughout the winter. The lady would have been under a lot of pressure to keep her lord into the manor he was accustomed to so he can provide for all the community.
And now this lady is taking a well earned day off.. walking her grounds, feeling the essence of her land and what her hard work is all for. She might be walking and being with her merlin, but there is so much more happening here. She is absorbing and feeling her worth rather than her wealth, being grounded and comfortable and putting all the stresses of everyday life into perspective.

So theres a feeling of groundedness and perspective here - that there is money or the sake of it, and feeling worthy and comfortable. A time of enjoying what you have and appreciating its full value, even though it might seem a little amount.
And in doing that, keeping in touch with her 'roots' the wall reflects that how shes not reaching beyond her means, but keeping a strong sturdy wall rather than a rushed flimsy thing. Her wealth (be it money or experience or worth etc) is based on from deep within. I know what I'm trying to say about the wall but I find it hard to put it into words, but the wall is very important for me here lol. Is the wall important for you?

Its a beautiful card - but then arent they all!
 

Disa

Yes, they are all beautiful to me, as well.

Though she has everything she needs, she just doesn't seem happy to me. I always feel she is alone with her wealth, as though she has isolated herself to some degree. Though there is a wall there, it is quite a low wall. I don't feel she is a prisoner so to speak, but perhaps she's confined herself. Within the walls is where she finds her sense of self and security. I almost feel as though she needs to venture outside the wall to gain companionship and love.
 

Dancing Bear

I agree Disa..
I have this card pop up every now and then in readings for clients.. and funny mostly for single mums..(not always but Mostly)
and I have seen this card as not to keep focused upon what you have gained in life.. even though they are contented with the material surrounds.. The little hawk (merlin ) she is holding I see as a messanger saying: it is time to as you say climb the wall and gain emotional fulfillment. Fly and fulfill ones emotional needs..focusing more on family and relationships..

Everything about this card seems to me all staged and controlled, stagnant and staid.... It makes me feel i need to let go of that bird and watch it fly and climb up upon that wall or tree and explore the fields afar..not that the grass is greener, but there is more to life..

my two pennys anyway,,
 

Willow Huntermoon

To me this Lady looks like she has the "sweetest sadness" in her eyes, almost like, yeah life is good, she wants for nothing and she can leave if she wants to (the wall is not high) but she stays on possiblay out of obligation. Something or someone or a situation/circumstanse is anchoring her here in this place and this state of emotional unfullfilment. Her friends would probaly say about her, "look at so and so, she has everything she has no reason to be unhappy she has it all she should not complain!" but does she really have it all? there seems to be something missing on a soulful level.

Your never truly know how someone feels unless you walk a mile in thier shoes fits very well here.

An the (merlin) is also mirroring her situation, and feeling the exact same thing. A bird should be free to fly and to soar great heights, but he is tethered. Looking at the merlin you would say he is protected from the dangers out there feed and taken well cared for, he is living a charmed life. But is he really? The Lady feels an infinaty towards him, he is owned by her and is not free just something pretty "arm candy" I think she feels just like her little merlin alot of the time, kindered spirits.


Just my thoughts ;)
 

Disa

What Willow posted is quite the way I feel towards this card.

It reminds me more of a married woman who has everything, except love. She doesn't completely appreciate all that she has because these things are not giving her satisfaction. She may not realize that the stability offered by this way of living can be a wonderful springboard for going after what your heart truly desires-if you can find out what that is. She is controlling the bird because that's all she can control. She feels trapped by whatever may be controlling her- the spouse, society's expectations, anything but her own spirit.

As far as her being grounded, I don't feel that so much in this card. We cannot see her feet, she seems to be floating along, going whichever way she is directed by some outside source, as opposed to being directed by her internal guidance system.

The white gown makes me feel that she is in that garden, thinking, trying to come to terms with whatever it is her spirit wants and needs, she's trying to get in touch with the purity of her spirit...and the fact she is holding onto the tree branch indicates to me that she really is trying to get in touch with nature, and her true self. She seems to be holding onto the tree to try to find a way to feel grounded, I just don't think she's really there yet.
 

atypical

White

It seems significant that she is the one and only person wearing white in this deck. The flowers are white as well.

I looked up the significance of the colour white in Druidry and found that the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids use white robes for Druids (the highest of the three ranks). So, maybe she is wearing some sort of ceremonial robe.

This scene also has a feeling of barrenness. White is often associated with virginity. Maybe she looks melancholy because she doesn't/cant have children.
 

flipperjane

At first I thought she might be a ghost. I live near Dartmoor (a huge wild moor in South West England) and we have hundreds of miles of stonewalls like that - and Celtic stories are never very far away.

Anyway - i know she isn't a ghost. It looks like winter to me - the twigs are bare, the little bits of green are litchen growing on the bark. (Litchen indicates clean air - it won't grow where there is air pollution!)

Maybe it feels a bit like winter emotionally to her. The pattern on the yoke of her dress is a Celtic Knot - i really feel that this lady comes from my part of the world - I can almost see her on the wild moors!

Have you noticed the shining light on her forehead, on her third eye?
 

Yuliya

She is bored with her life, she totally has everything she could want- even the ability to go walk in nature with her pet falcon while wearing a white dress, because if it gets stained she can just go buy another one and not think about it again.
She looks lost in life's material luxuries. She is trying to keep her self entertained with a hobby of falcon hunting perhaps, but it doesn't bring her the pleasure she longs for.
She is deeply disconnected from what truly matters in life- thus the emptiness in her eyes. The need to connect with spirit, the soul desires, the life purpose, not just material goods is what she is longing for.