Ten of Pentacles

Ruby Jewel said:

My understanding of the Nine of Pentacles is.... although the woman has everything she needs as far as security is concerned....even standing in the Garden of Eden..... something is also missing in her life. I have wondered many times what the cover over the bird's head is saying. Basically, except for the bird, she is alone in her garden...wealth, perhaps does not make for complete happiness....but for her, it suffices...nothing more. That is the feeling I get from this card. Interesting that you brought it up because I had not thought about this before.....both 9 and 10 carry an element of "estrangement"..... for me, anyway.

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Great point
I think you'd need the ten of coins and the ten of cups together for ultimate financial and emotional happiness together.
It is the suit of coins after all .
The lady in the nine has the bird and the snail too in the garden.
The snail is loaded with symbology too x

Absynthe said:

You can see such marriages everywhere in cultures outside the Western world. Our little bubble of the globe is basically the only place where marriage is associated with love. In less affluent society people marry for advantage and if they do that, they don't sacrifice it for anything except a higher advantage.

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I don't think it's logical nor smart to assume what you have here because it doesn't innately have to do with culture or a geography, as that takes away from the true essence of what you're trying to say about feelings going away. Parental obligation may force people to stay married, as would the money incentive. Like being married to someone who makes a lot of money, but being ok with them having sex with other people. It's not that uncommon in upper classes currently or in history. It is ignorant and bigoted to assume it would have to do with geography.

intuitivetarot said:

I don't think it's logical nor smart to assume what you have here because it doesn't innately have to do with culture or a geography, as that takes away from the true essence of what you're trying to say about feelings going away. Parental obligation may force people to stay married, as would the money incentive. Like being married to someone who makes a lot of money, but being ok with them having sex with other people. It's not that uncommon in upper classes currently or in history. It is ignorant and bigoted to assume it would have to do with geography.

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I feel both of you make excellent points. Often when we speak about something like this it is difficult to get it across with language...especially when we speak in "propensities"....ie there is a propensity for a culture to think a certain way. Certainly, love is never discounted in any culture even though the children are forced to marry for position....the young will rebel ..... after all, they do not see themselves as commodities. Asian Women are beginning to fight back on this now thanks to the examples set for them by women in the Western World. I do not see acknowledging this predicament as bigotry.....there is much more to the issue than words can often express so, we tend to think in ultimates rather than generalities when we become emotionally involved.

Where does the 10 of Pentacles fit into this scenario....the tarot is not exclusive to us....it fits into many cultures and remains flexible enough to encompass the dilemmas that face us all as human creatures of various cultures....for instance, I can see the 10 of Pentacles in India representing a marriage that is "arranged" for financial reasons that would most likely preclude the romantic love that the young are so feverishly adamant about....the world is very complex....best to wait for Temperance to give us the "middle way".... before disparaging another.

spookyboo22 said:

Great point
I think you'd need the ten of coins and the ten of cups together for ultimate financial and emotional happiness together.
It is the suit of coins after all .
The lady in the nine has the bird and the snail too in the garden.
The snail is loaded with symbology too x

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It would seem fortunate, indeed, to have the 10 of Cups along with the 10 of Pentacles....and I know couples for whom this would apply....wealth does not always take precedence over compassion. I'm glad you mention the snail...I tend to forget about that little guy....how cute it is....and, no doubt, fraught with an esoteric meaning of great consequence....I would love to know what both the hooded bird and the snail mean as it seems they are actually the key to this card.

Ruby Jewel said:

It would seem fortunate, indeed, to have the 10 of Cups along with the 10 of Pentacles....and I know couples for whom this would apply....wealth does not always take precedence over compassion. I'm glad you mention the snail...I tend to forget about that little guy....how cute it is....and, no doubt, fraught with an esoteric meaning of great consequence....I would love to know what both the hooded bird and the snail mean as it seems they are actually the key to this card.

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This is my opinion on the bird for what it's worth
The Falcon could only be kept by the rich. It was unusual to have falconry as a hobby, so the person in question could have an unusual hobby.
Falcons have extremely good eye sight, much more so than humans. The hood is there so the bird doesn't spot some prey long before the human and fly away to pursue that.
The human decides what it wants the bird to see then takes off the hood and the Falcon goes after that which it owner wants it to see then comes back.
The bird stays with the woman because the pay off for the bird is it doesn't have to think for itself and gets fed and sheltered.
Sometimes in falconry the bird doesn't come back. It is wild after all and I don't forget that.
The imagery of the snail is so interesting!
The snail is at the front of the picture.
Snails are very different to people in as much as when they want sexy time, they don't find a dark private space. They come out into the open to look for a mate. They take a risk because they might get their vulnerable shell stood on and their house would be gone.
They move slowly which is a consideration, and they always leave a trail behind then which could be important. x

Interesting thread.

My take on the 9 of pents is that the woman (could be a man) feels like they should feel lucky, they have everything, and from the outside everything is looking good for them. They might have done something as drastic as turn their lives around, they have overcome obstacles and challenges, they did the hard work in the 8 of pents and can now rest on their laurels. So it's a card for new mums, they are not working, so they get to spend their days looking after their family, things like that. They have financial stability, a home, fun, love and everything. But they are not necessarily feeling fulfilled, and they try to hide this feeling, because they know how lucky they are.

So the 10 is either that they sink into delusion, everything is going great. But the 10 is the end of the cycle, so there might be a bit of "what next?" feeling or "when will this happiness end?". Rather than loveless marriage that is for appearances sake only, I think it's more that things are good, they are stable. They may not have the amazing highs that come from the knight of cups or the passion with the king of wands, but they don't have the immaturity of the page of cups or the incredibly damaging rows of the knight of swords. Things like that. So it's a love, and of course there is love and feeling, borne of convenience, maybe, but it's not disheartening, it's longer lasting than a love borne of a true and powerful all consuming love. But with that comes a possible problem - a fleeting and powerful love (page or knight of cups) might come along and take their attention, and then they must decide between the security and stability of the 10 of pents life, and the all-consuming romance and attraction. So it talks about a certain strength of character as well.

intuitivetarot said:

I don't think it's logical nor smart to assume what you have here because it doesn't innately have to do with culture or a geography, as that takes away from the true essence of what you're trying to say about feelings going away. Parental obligation may force people to stay married, as would the money incentive. Like being married to someone who makes a lot of money, but being ok with them having sex with other people. It's not that uncommon in upper classes currently or in history. It is ignorant and bigoted to assume it would have to do with geography.

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Actually you mistook where I think the lesser choice is. I'm not saying marriages built on love are superior nor marriages built on advantage or economic reasons are inferior. What I was alluding to was that the 'love marriage' is a relatively modern concept and one that's really only taken off in popular culture in the West. The marriage for advantage used to be the norm the world over. It was just how society everywhere worked. The west however is unique in it's little romance indulgence fuelled by popular culture and it's really only existed since around the 1920's. Prior to that it was the norm in the West for ones father or brother to arrange a suitable match.

It's neither ignorant, nor bigoted to point out that the world does not hold the same values nor work the same way everywhere. Cultural differences exist. I spent the better part of 20yrs dating in foreign cultures and experienced first hand just how much values can differ. Ones family and what you can bring to a marriage in terms of wealth absolutely matters in the Asian cultures I was involved in. I came up against many objections based on my ethnicity and perceived value as an addition to a family. Language barriers were also another major issue as potential in-laws did not want a daughter in law who could not communicate with them or understand the importance they place on certain customs and family structure.

This idea that a love marriage is the be all and end all to life is just as much a fraud as any other concept . They are just concepts that are either valued or not by various cultures in the world. For my money the Ten Of Pentacles marriage more realistically assesses the fundamentals of a secure family unit than say a Ten Of Cups marriage which is primarily an expression of feeling. Of course no marriage is either totally one or the other, they are concepts and archetypes to consider. Is it not ironic or rather telling that divorces are highest in the places were the idealised style of marriage is the cups?

Ruby Jewel said:

Really such an interesting card. On the surface it appears to be all the things you mention....perfection in marriage, but when I look at the way everybody seems to be unaware of one another...except the dogs and the old man.....and the tower in the background at the edge of the card, and the upsidedown house, etc....there is an implied "estrangement" in it. I find the card does not represent a happy situation irregardless of the financial implications. I, personally, could never see this card as one I would want to turn up in a reading. Still, I do not totally understand exactly why....so, I started this thread.

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What upside down house? I hadn't noticed that.

I personally don't see it as negative in this card at all. It's come up for me in various readings to represent family - meeting up with family, a day out with family, discussing family issues, that sort of thing. So to me it represents family support and strong family ties, the love between family members, tradition and ancestry - passing on things from one generation to another like your grandmother teaches you how to pluck a pheasant, or your mother gives you a family recipe, your father teaches you how to camp and fish. I've even had this card come up to represent a day out with my family, as well as my partner's family, step kids, the whole works. To me it's a card of bonding and engaging meaningfully, one big happy family.

As far as relationships go, to me it represents lasting foundations, a good strong, firm basis to build a relationship. It means the couple will be in it for the long haul, and most probably grow old together, sitting on the porch, watching the world go by, having the kids and grandkids come and visit, good family meals, family celebrations, Christmas time, birthday celebrations. A beautiful card.

It also represents to me long term financial security, a couple who have worked together during their marriage, endured the ups and downs of life to achieve the sort of financial security and stability that they can enjoy in their golden years, and then pass onto their kids.

I've had it come up reversed in readings to signify marriage problems and breakdowns, specifically couples having disputes about property, and awaiting divorce, but I've never had it in a negative sense when it was upright.

I guess it depends on your personal view of the card and how you associate and bond with it when you're learning to read. Me personally, I love this card.

I can defintely see the 10 of Pentacles to represent a married person - since this card, for me, is about family, home, marriage and abundance. There's a strong sense of security and safety and a foundation for future success. Permanency and creating a legacy.

As relationships goes, I see it as a dedicated and long-term relationship. Whether it's established or not. For me, this card indicates wanting to work towards the future and create something that lasts - perhaps get married (not neccessarily though since that's not for everyone) but grow old together and perhaps have children and a family. It's about being in it for the long-haul. The 10 of Pentacles have often come up for me in my readings regarding me and a certain person and it represents our long history with each other and the lasting bond.

There is no tower in the background of my card, I use the Gilded deck. And I don't associate "discontent" with this card, either. On the contrary - it's contentment, abundance, security, and stability. And yes, sure, security can become "boring" for some in the long-run, but I still would not associate that with this card. There's success in this card. But if you reverse it, the negative aspect can be a divorce, family problems, or someone who doesn't want to settle down or isn't ready to do so for whatever reasons (perhaps because they lack on the physical and material plane.)

The more time I spend on AT, the more I realize how readers interpret cards and readings so very differently. But this is what the 10 of Pentacles means for me in my readings, anyways And yes, so the 10 of Pentacles can indeed represent a married person.

TheProphet said:

I can defintely see the 10 of Pentacles to represent a married person - since this card, for me, is about family, home, marriage and abundance. There's a strong sense of security and safety and a foundation for future success. Permanency and creating a legacy.

As relationships goes, I see it as a dedicated and long-term relationship. Whether it's established or not. For me, this card indicates wanting to work towards the future and create something that lasts - perhaps get married (not neccessarily though since that's not for everyone) but grow old together and perhaps have children and a family. It's about being in it for the long-haul. The 10 of Pentacles have often come up for me in my readings regarding me and a certain person and it represents our long history with each other and the lasting bond.

There is no tower in the background of my card, I use the Gilded deck. And I don't associate "discontent" with this card, either. On the contrary - it's contentment, abundance, security, and stability. And yes, sure, security can become "boring" for some in the long-run, but I still would not associate that with this card. There's success in this card. But if you reverse it, the negative aspect can be a divorce, family problems, or someone who doesn't want to settle down or isn't ready to do so for whatever reasons (perhaps because they lack on the physical and material plane.)

The more time I spend on AT, the more I realize how readers interpret cards and readings so very differently. But this is what the 10 of Pentacles means for me in my readings, anyways And yes, so the 10 of Pentacles can indeed represent a married person.

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I can certainly agree that the 10 of Pentacles represents good things....just as does the 9 of Pentacles. However, perfection is also stasis...and stasis is death. When it comes to the 10s, I do not believe any of them represent perfection in their suits...as a matter of fact, the further along numerically, the weaker they become is my understanding......which no doubt few will agree with. The energy is in the "Ace".....from there on it loses energy. By the time it gets to the 10 it is pretty well spent, but then you begin again because the 10 becomes the Ace again. Considering the Pentacles, it has been my experience that something is lacking as evidenced by the strangeness of the people in it....also the area at the side on the Rider Waite deck....not sure about others. When I draw the 10 of Pentacles in a reading, I take all this into consideration: where is the weak point? Many times it is in communication or spirituality. After all, it is an earth sign....earth is stability, materiality. What is lacking: fire, air....energy....explosion. This is just my take on the card. I have read this on rare occasions in books....it has always stuck with me.