Llewellyn Tarot - Nine of Pentacles

Before I start – and in case this doesn’t come across in the following … I love this deck! It’s just that the more I love something, the more I get frustrated if little bits don’t make sense to me!

This card depicts a well-dressed woman standing in a partially harvested field of corn. On the horizon, a horse pulls a, presumably loaded, hay-cart off home. The overriding colours are the golden brown of harvest and red (the poppies and the sleeves of her dress).

The traditional meanings (as I understand them!) are prosperity and the solitary enjoyment of one’s own accomplishments.
Initially I was confused by the presence of another figure in the card, but then it occurred to me that the lady is turned away from him (and the geese for that matter) – so she may as well be alone.

One of the warnings that come with this card is the danger of the bird in a gilded cage syndrome and I guess the presence of a steward that the lady can’t even see (because he is so much further down the social scale than her) could be representative of this.

One thing that rather bothers me about this card is that, what with the bits of straw sticking out of her hair, and the bird sitting on her wrist, this high born lady looks rather like a well-dressed scarecrow! Though a very elegantly posed scarecrow!

I am used to this card being set in a garden which, to me at any rate, expresses both the idea of repose after hard work (the garden has been tamed) and the potential dangers of being trapped by this (gardens have boundaries). I am concerned by the idea of being in the middle of a field as this is less relaxing (stubble is not a good place to sit!) and less potentially enclosing (that horse and cart is disappearing over the horizon for heavens, sake … how much freedom do you want?

Any thoughts, anyone?

PolarBear

I feel that even in company, one can still be alone. I get the feeling the lady is definately enjoying the peace and satisfaction after some hard work. She carries a knife on her bodice so to me she has definately been involved in the harvest. I think the fact she has turned her back on the other figures represents the fact that her part in this process is done, and she can safely leave the other tasks to others, such as the man who to me is probably tallying up the produce, and the horse who is taking the produce away for the next step in the process. She is feeling a sense of freedom and satisfaction, having competed her task, and I feel the falcon on her hand could represent this. Also Falconry (is that what its called?) is a sign that she is disciplined and wont rest until she knows the task has been completed satisfactorily. I just feel the man, and the horse and cart in the background are representations of the way life goes on, the process continues, even though you yourself have completed your part in the task. Life goes on, and there is always something happening behind the scenes. Sometimes we have to trust in forces that are unseen and know that thnigs will continue to happen without any input or action from us.

I love this deck, too, but some cards were damaged by water, and I've had other things going on, and never really sorted it out. I just took it off my shelf, because I bought the deck at the beginning of July last year (and am having trouble believing it's been that long already - sheesh).