DruidCraft 3 of Pentacles

Horace

I've always had a special affinity for this card. Years ago Chronata even sent me a stained glass of it. But lately it's been annoying me because it's changing aspects for me.

I'm trying to figure out why I'm noticing the people on this card so much lately.

3 people, 3 pentagrams. The braid on her hair sort of matches the design on top of the unfinished pentagram and the same for the hood and the top of the design. Are they standing in 'ranking' order? Does that even matter to a meaning? The man at the top has a hood and is clearly the oldest.

Maybe they are just passer-bys, stopping to admire his work. I don't like someone looking over my shoulder while I'm doing something. I do find that annoying..

Or is he a paid craftsman and they are there to check on their investment. He is almost done, are they going to pay him and he and the cat will go eat well?

As you can see, I've been 'pondering' this card.:)
 

crazy raven

Hi Horace,

I think the card is changing aspects because you, yourself are chainging. It's like reading a book for the 2nd time and gleaming so much more knowledge from it.

The purpose of a lifepath 3, is about self-expression, about communicating something specific and important. The 3 pentacles could be saying these '3' people have found their life's work.....doing what they love to do and receiving money and abundance for it.

The first thing I thought of was the stone this man is working on. It reminds me of Michelangelo who was commisioned to carve a statue in an open courtyard. A young boy watched for awhile and then ask Michelangelo why he was hitting the rock. Michelangelo replied 'because there's an angel in there and it wants to come out'.

WHen I think of this, it feels like being able to reach into the core of one's being......kind of like 'me getting in touch with me'.

I'm not sure of the actual material this man is working on. If perhaps it's made of clay, clay apparently has the ability to vibrationally store emotions and information. Clay is a great material to work with and allows one to put alot of detail in their work.

I also noticed this 'brawny' man out in the open, without a shirt, working hard at his creation. I can't help but wonder if the energy and enthusiasm he's putting into his work is towards self-promotion. To put it another way, his actions as seen right now, can definitely have a bearing or impact on his future.

Is he working hard to call attention to himself and get attention from the public.....especially from those who are influential and powerful?

Is this a time when we do have the urge to have others notice what we're doing? Will we do a lot of extra work to receive recognition or promote ourselves and earn more projects. I also wonder if this man wants to go into production and needs to hire people or even partners in his business.

Then again he could also be doing this for a very worthy cause, something he believes in, using his potential for 'good' to come (attracting others to donate money and time)

Oh just thought of one more thing....is he working in a supportive environment, working happily around people he loves.....does his work enrich the lives around him and somehow make the world that much richer.
 

merissa_88

I know I'm on a tangent, but a stained glass of this card sounds really cool. Got any pics?

I wonder if the colors of their cloaks mean anything (purple and green)? I think of that as a combination of vision and heart (third eye and heart chakra). Maybe they are reminders of what he needs to do while he is working?

Guess I am looking forward to the color symbolism thread. :)
 

crazy raven

Hi Merissa,

It's seems you have started the color thread :) And I think you're right on in regard to the various colors. This is how I think they unfold.

When I look at the man, color wise, the color beige or perhaps tan is prominent around him. Tan is a very logical, methodical, and down to earth kind of color. These are the people who are very rational and need things to be scientifically explained. These are the people who are calm, reasonable and work diligently to bring home a paycheck each week to pay the rent, the bills, etc. Without the addition of the other colors in this card, we could find ourselves in a very routine and limited world. But this color does give a base and a stable environment for all other colors to build upon.

Green is a color of harmony and nature, of mind and spirit...there are actually two shades of green here....pale green symbolizes sympathy and compassion, the bolder green of energy, ferility, new life and growth. It indicates friendliness, cooperation, goodness, hope and faith. In fact, if I look closer there are 3 different shades of green as there is a yellow/green combination too.....this means a warm and generous nature....it could indicate how much we willingly give to people and friends.

Purple, the combination of red and blue indicates the union of body and spirit. All these color combinations seem to create a passageway that joins the conscious self with the higher self. I also love that the creator of these cards added just a touch of yellow, even to the purple cloak the woman is wearing. A little yellow adds a touch of logic to all the other colors, allowing the mind to flow and merge with all the different colors or chakras.

I think this card is about awareness as well as a synergy or synchronicity of the symbols and colors. Symbols give us a perspective of time and space....they are the basis of the knowledge we've gathered so far, even perhaps a combination past, present and future.

Thinking about the 'cat,' orange' tabby, this animal has a well developed sacral or 2nd chakra. There is a cosmic balance between its body and its abilities....cats live 100% in the moment....they show us that love and devotion can exist without demands or expectations. I think this energy gives the artist total freedom to the unfoldment of his own creation.

Back to you :)
 

Horace

Oh Yay yay yay!

That's exactly where I want to be with this card. :) I used to think of this card as a patronage card. I could allow myself to be creative in a job someone was paying me to do. but still having to be solid and logical enough to remember it's still about eating. I'm not that person anymore. Should have remembered this.

The purple is huge, but my focus is on the scarf of green checks. The DruidCraft is so about the colors and a lot of the pentacles suit have these green checks. Other suits, other colors and I can't wait for those discussions!

Green is growth and his scarf is draped more over his heart chakra than around his throat. The two or three shades of green show me there's growth happening at different stages. A little more time for some things to grow. and not quite ready to speak about it yet.

and then back to the logic of the brown hood. So there could be something about the progression of the people thru the colors. The purple of the spirit integrated with the green growth of the heart(compassion) finalizes itself in the brown logic of the mind.

Ahh..! the Druidic 3!

I like the reference to the tan side being logical and solid for a color scheme. After all, this must be the man who saves his money in the solid 4 of Pents. His wife was really having to juggle her money in the 2.:)

thanks crazy raven..let's do more:)
 

crazy raven

Great post!

Wow Horace you put the colors in perspective and blended them all together so very well! I love how you did that. :) Yes, let's do more. I know there's lots of people who'd love to talk about the color symbolism of DC. Do you suggest we start a separate thread for each one, specifically on color?

How about you merissa, do you think we should stasrt a new thread? What does everyone else think?
 

merissa_88

Great posts! I've sensed that the Druidcraft 3 of Pents is about moving from patronage to being so "in the zone" that you just naturally manifest support from others. Your color symbolism posts helped me see that clearly.


Yes, let's start a new thread. I've just started working with this deck again and would love to learn more.
 

Topsy

Hi everyone,

To me this card represents the expectations of others as well as their praise and recognition. On the Druidcraft image, it looks as if the spectators are watching the worker like a hawk, expectant that he will produce something impressive. I always see this as the card of the bright kid whose parents expect her to become a doctor, the musician whose fans have come to EXPECT amazing things from him. With this comes enormous pressure on you to live up to everyone's expectations of you.

Going with the colour imagery, the woman is wearing a purple cloak - I'm sure I've read that purple dye was always the hardest and most expensive to make, hence it was reserved for nobles and royalty. On the other hand, the worker wears the dull brown more indicative of a "commoner". So again, all these very important people are looking over his shoulder as he works - he must feel an enormous pressure to perform.

Just my thoughts. Hope this helps.
 

zooropa

My interpretation of the 3 of Pentacles

Its just been a month since I started studying the tarot..so please excuse my amateurish interpretation.

The first thing I notice in this card is a skilled and a dedicated worker who has gained mastery over some art.
If you notice the engraving on the pillar is on the lighter side and not on the darker shaded side of the pillar. this shows that the person is righteous and uses right means to achieve his goals.
The hammer represents the need to communicate one's thoughts more clearly or getting the point across or it simply means getting the job done. His grip on the hammer is firm and strong.

The Engravings has three Celtic symbols starting with the Triquetra, Pentacle and the Celtic knotwork pattern it represents the endless flow of the life force through the cosmos through birth, death and rebirth and the interconnectedness of all things.
Notice that he is about to complete the last pentacle meaning his job is about to end, and that it is time to reap the benefits of his hard work and efforts.

His posture and the position of his legs symbolizes balance and stability. The brown/tan clothes represents a down to earth and an honest person. The brown skull cap shows that he is focused, calm and peaceful.
He is so engrossed in his work that he isn’t disturbed by the people who are intently watching him or by the orange tabby cat next to him.
To me the cat seems to be stretching himself after a deep slumber, since cats represent psychic powers and spiritual awareness it could mean that the person’s hidden powers are finally awakening and that there are higher forces that are guiding him in his work.
At first glance the three people appear to be spectators or onlookers, who are observing the person’s work and acknowledging his expertise and skills. The woman in purple cloak could be a person of authority, someone who has power and money. It could represent an employer/boss who is judging the work in a fair manner.

The checkerboard pattern cloak depicts the various facets of one’s personality. In this case the various shades of green with a tinge of yellow represents energy, compassion, abundance, growth, fertility, friendliness, generous…
The hooded cloak represents a hidden talent, and since the face of the person is visible it means that the hidden talent has now come into light.

The golden/yellowish color of the land represents reaping the success of hard work, glory, spiritual enlightenment.

I would love to get your feedback and views on my interpretation :)
 

Topsy

zooropa,

That's a wonderfully detailed interpretation! I especially like your point about how he is about to complete the last pentacle, so all his hard work is about to come to fruition. But he's not quite there yet.

I also like how you included the stretching cat in your interpretation as a representation of the worker's intuitive side. But to me, my first impression was that it is about to fall asleep rather than just waking up (although either is a valid interpretation). I think the symbolism of the cat falling asleep would more appropriate for this card. If you focus so much on your work, craft, money, community and physical things, you are in danger of neglecting your spiritual/psychic side (represented by the cat).

I hadn't even thought of interpreting a meaning behind the hooded figure. Maybe it shows that some of your patrons may have ulterior motives for supporting your work? It reminds me of a celebrity called Stephen Fry who recently said of fame, "They want to touch the hem of the fame, not the hem of the person." Since this card is about gaining recognition for your talents, some of your friends and patrons may genuinely want to support your work... But some (like the hooded figure, perhaps) are just tagging along so they can leech off you when you become successful, sell their story to the newspapers, etc.

Thankyou for giving me a lot more to think about in this image. :)

Topsy