Universal Fantasy - 6 of Pentacles

From the LWB: "In order to enlist the aid of others, we must be able to explain our real needs and feelings."

I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this sentence speaks to a fundamental difference between the man in this image and the water sprytes. I just can't help but wonder, exactly what good gold is going to do these girls? He's giving generously enough, but the blonde one seems to be taking out of politeness rather than need or even desire. The other three don't seem all that excited either.

It makes me think, did he ask what they needed? Or did they tell him? Is his generosity misplaced. Perhaps he feels the need to "give" something - to someone, anyone. Their surroundings are idyllic and beautiful, and it seems that the sprytes don't want for anything at all, and that he is an interloper into their world. Is his gift indicative of a little colonial-type arrogance? He has made an assumption, I think, and not truly considered what the sprytes might actually want or need.

\m/ Kat

Hi thorhammer. I like the questions you ask about this card, which do seem to fit with the LWB phrase. For me, I found that the LWB very often did NOT add anything for me, so eventually I just quit looking at it all together. So, I was unfamiliar with this phrase in relation to the card when I read your post.

In this deck, for whatever reason, this Pentacles suit does not usually cry "finances" or "money" to me, but this card makes up for that.

With most decks, I do tend to compare to the traditional RWS images. In the RWS, we usually see a man handing out alms to those who are less fortunate and we see giving for giving's sake. But in the UFT, if we consider those empty jars on the shore, this becomes a transaction; an exchange of money for something needed. No longer do I see generosity in this card, but commerce. Maybe he needs water, and he's trying to buy some from these sprites? But then... it IS a pentacles card....

Hmm, that's a novel idea, to be sure, but the two jars that we can see fully have coins in them. Perhaps, though, he's used them to carry the coins and will replace them with water. This is something to consider, especially given the LWB phrase.

I agree that this is one of the few Pents cards that seems to fit the generally accepted Pents theme of material goods and wealth - although the 3 and 8 fit nicely with their RWS meanings. This 6 seems to follow from the unexpected good fortune alluded to in the 7 (I've started following Waite's example of going "backwards" through the suits) - the dude on the shore is sharing his good fortune but perhaps ill-advisedly.

\m/ Kat

Maybe the man is giving the coins as a offering to the water sprites. Maybe he wants them to do something for him, or the sprites did something for him and now he is giving the coins as a thank you gift. Maybe the sprites do this all of the time, which would explain their "ho-hum" attitude.

The medals or coins hanging on the trees might also be offerings.

Rhine-Maidens

The blonde Rhine-Maiden and the Man on the shore have five coins between their hands. The Maiden's posture implies that she is receiving them. Is she the leader and her sisters there to witness the transaction? The pentacles hanging from the tree limb are larger and include a discernable pattern - I rede these as medals, trophies, of some victory.

The coins in the jars are interesting. Glass near water is a bad idea. The water makes them slippery and when broken, their shards are very hard to find underwater. Why bring the coins to the riverbank in tall glass jars? Visibility perhaps? The Man wants the Maidens to see his wealth? That's almost a committment to give them all he's brought, isn't it? If the jars were opaque, only he would know what he has to invest. I get the impression that he's feeding them coins like children in this world toss breadcrumbs to ducks. The Rhine-Maidens are waiting their turn like well brought-up River Sprytes.

The question that I can't answer is why is he doing this? For the joy of it, like children who feed breadcrumbs to ducks? Renewing an ancient partnership, like throwing coins into a fountain for Luck? The difference is that the Rhine-Maidens make an appearance and actively receive the tribute. From this perspective, the six pentacles in the tree could represent the generations that have gone before this Man in giving tribute to the Rhine-Maidens. Those pentacles could be a mark of his heritage. Perhaps they are hung as they are on the tree limb to act a windchimes to call the Rhine-Maidens to that place?

The riverbank on both sides is well covered with greenery and the bank drops driectly into the water, no strip of beach to mark the transition from land to water. Lily pads are abundant. A lake perhaps behind them with mountains shrouded in purple further behind. This feels like a sacred place. But if that's so, why does the Man wear such a plain loincloth? Sign of a petitioner - coming in humility?