The Wild Unknown Tarot - Ace of Pentacles

Oh how I love this card... I think this must be one of my favourite depictions of the Ace of Pentacles..

Looking from above we see what looks like a tree stump that has been cut so that the rings inside are visible. The stump has splits in it (as they do) and these form 5 lines, joining in the middle - a pentagram type shape.. It reminds me of an apple when it's cut across so that it makes a little star. In the centre, where the cracks meet is the glowing core of the tree and around the outside, growing from the stump are small shoots with leaves.

Aces are like seeds, they show potentiaal, the potential of the suit so with the Pentacle suit that's Earth energy, the energy of real, solid things in the material realm. I like to think of the Earth suit as the suit of manifestation.
Air / Swords is thoughts and words, Fire / Wands is the action taken, Water / Cups are the emotions and feelings and Earth / Pentacles are the other elements made real, solid so Pentacles are concerned with money, health, security and the work we do to make those things.

The Ace of Pentacles is like the seed but what I think is so good about this card is the fact that we can see the age rings in the tree, rings of longevity that say here is the potential for something real and long lasting, it's not something that will be here today and gone tomorrow, it will be around for a good long while.
The tree has been cut but it's not dead, the core is glowing with life giving energy and the leaves are growing, there is new life there.

The central pentagram pattern makes me think of The Goddess, everything is there within that image - beautiful.

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts about this unusual depiction of this Ace.

This card makes me so happy, too, Sulis. It's full of life, despite it showing a cut tree stump. I see the rings as the history and experience that support and have given birth to the new life emerging around the stump and the energy at the stump's core. The rings could represent past-life lessons or present-life experiences. The card is filled with such hope that even when a material element (money, security, career, health) is cut short or severed, something fresh and exciting can grow from it.

This card reminds me of fallen trees I see in the forest when I go for hikes. The rotted wood becomes a haven for all kinds of new life -- plant life, mushrooms, insects, reptiles, and all kinds of animals. It transforms and is transforming. A stump is usually seen as an ending (to a tree), but it's the beginning of so much else.

The burgeoning leaves show that many options are available, and that one or all can be selected -- just as one kind of life form or many can call a stump home. The radiating lines at the edges of the card show vitality and excitement -- so much so that this card almost vibrates with energy, potency, and anticipation.

This Ace is not pretty and delicate and young. She proudly shows her age lines and her scars, actually been beheaded, and keeps on supporting her branches and ideas, still has a center core of life and strength, still connected to the ground, still nurtured by the ground, bursting with new life and joy despite all she had been through in another time. Another way of seeing the rings is like a tunnel or channel into the center of the earth from the sky view above.

Karrma said:

This Ace is not pretty and delicate and young. She proudly shows her age lines and her scars, actually been beheaded, and keeps on supporting her branches and ideas, still has a center core of life and strength, still connected to the ground, still nurtured by the ground, bursting with new life and joy despite all she had been through in another time. Another way of seeing the rings is like a tunnel or channel into the center of the earth from the sky view above.

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Wonderful commentary, Karrma! Gosh, yet another card that has multiple ways of viewing it. Fascinating perspective on the sky view and the rings being a channel or tunnel to the center of the earth. Wow!

This card is as wonderful as you were all pointing out. So solid, with history in its rings, but also new life!

One thing I notice about this ace is that it's the only one that has color within the symbol. The ace of swords has color looping around it; the cup sits on a still background of color, and color flashes out from the wand. But here there's a central ring to the tree in orange. It reminds me of the earth element, from the literal sense of the hot core of planet Earth, to the way things grow up from within the earth.

To me, there's also a sense of self reliance with this card's color within and its similarity to the wheel of fortune and the world -- finding fortitude, stability and contentment within ourselves in a material world that's always changing.

Rose Lalonde said:

To me, there's also a sense of self reliance with this card's color within and its similarity to the wheel of fortune and the world -- finding fortitude, stability and contentment within ourselves in a material world that's always changing.

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Beautifully put! I agree that it's interesting that this card has the color right smack in the center. I love how the pentacle is embedded there and enmeshed with the tree trunk. It does indeed seem to represent the hot core of the Earth -- how things grow outward by starting from deep within.

I'd like to add my experience of this card yesterday.
It was my first reading with the deck - outside in the forest beside 3 massive beeches.
I asked a question about what I need to know, learn, cope with around the approaching menopause and the massive hormone fluctuations I'm experiencing.

The second card in a 5 card spread was this Ace and my eye was immediately drawn to the colour in the centre - it reminded me of my womb. I saw all the rings around it as the years of my wisdom - all that I've learnt on my journey so far - and this is the moment for change - crucially it's about my womb and it's changing role, changing internal environment. And I sat on the grass in this beautiful wood and felt very connected to the earth and to this deck.

It's kind of hard to explain what I felt about this card - I'm not great like some of you are at putting my feelings into words. I felt this was a really positive card - a new beginning (it came after the Death card ) - moving from mother to crone now. I can't think what to add now (I hope this wasn't too much information for anyone - my apologies if it's not very delicate - I kinda felt like sharing)

I'd appreciate any other thoughts about this.

Thanks for your input on this card, Flipperjane. I think one of the most special elements of this deck is the gift of being able to see in the images whatever it is we need to see at the time. It sounds like the Ace of Pentacles spoke to about new beginnings in a very personal way, and it was great to read how you interpreted it.

Ace of Pentacles

I really love this forum. Your insights are awesome! It inspires me jump into my own...

Yes to everything said so far, and in addition, I want to go into the glowing center of the image- saying, in a sense, that real growth comes from our deeper center. This realm of Pentacles can be a tricky one because we can get caught up in externals - the money, the status, the earthly rewards - and this card says - potential lies in the deepest heart or core of a being - and to shift from the inside first towards outer goals and desires is to come from a power center within, where we cannot be shaken.

This card speaks to me of the first and second chakra areas of the body where the pelvic bowl holds the seat of power in the body. From here, we can hold and nurture our deepest desires and needs for full flourishing of our presence in the world. We enact our soul play on the field of material manifestation and generation- making magic through the grounded creative power of earth.

I imagine the core center of a tree differently,now, with its deepest aliveness radiating from it's center. I have a sweeter, more aware affinity with trees, now!

Love this Deck!!!!

Rose Lalonde said:

One thing I notice about this ace is that it's the only one that has color within the symbol. The ace of swords has color looping around it; the cup sits on a still background of color, and color flashes out from the wand. But here there's a central ring to the tree in orange. It reminds me of the earth element, from the literal sense of the hot core of planet Earth, to the way things grow up from within the earth.

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Great observations!

One thing I would add to what has already been said is that this card seems to be a reminder to enjoy every step along the journey. From the seed through every added ring, this tree has been majestic. So are our journeys.