The castle in RW - pentacle suit

Sandalwood

Hi :)

What would you say a castle represents in symbolism? It makes me think of a safe haven, wealth, something established, & where work has been put in, perhaps even extreme security & mastery/authority. Í also wonder about the redness of the roof. Red = the first chakra and creating a base.

If I'm now just looking at the castle in the pentacle suit. I think it's first visible in the 4 of pents, then the 6, 8, 9, 10 (inside on the wall, where the people are inside the town/village for the first time). I noticed that in the eight of pentacles (left of the card), further away to where I imagine the village is, is the same castle as in the card of the king of pentacles. In the 8 of pentacles the person is refining his skills, working hard and probably doing work for the village/community (the court suit?) of the pentacles. Then right behind the king is the same castle (or I assume it's the same one).
How would you connect or look at the castle througout the pentacle suit? For example: the work put in, in the 8th, to ensure that safety & wealth for later on? Getting closer to that castle, the mastery of the suit?
I think the pentacles have the most secure (beautiful) castles & buildings in comparison with the other suits. Which maybe makes sense since it's a suit of security.

I'm sure there's probably much more to it. What are your thoughts on the development of the castle in pentacles, castles in general & the redness of the roof (and anything else I overlooked)?

Thank you :)

I would love to hear your thoughts on this :)
 

Abrac

Hey Sandalwood. I'm with you, I think there's a lot to it so I'll limit myself to just a couple of observations.

From card to card, the castles take a place of greater or lesser importance and strength. Sometimes there are many buildings prominently displayed as in the 4; other times they're in the background and hardly visible, as in the 9. I think they do have symbolic meaning. Perhaps they represent tendencies inherent in the card. Sometimes they are greater, as dominion or earthly power in the 4. Or the one in the 9 could represent a tendency toward isolation behind one's wealth; or if ill-dignified it could represent deception or theft. As for the King (Knight in the Golden Dawn), Book-T says, "Unless very well dignified he is heavy, dull, and material." This is reflected in the bulky, heavy stones.

It's an interesting study and I'm looking forward to hearing others' ideas.
 

firecatpickles

The rose is the consistent symbol for the pentacles in the GD system. A quick search reveals that the rose is a symbol of eroticism and of Venus (early Christians referred to it as "the Devil's foot" :|).

The castle is a more obvious symbol of eroticism, the phallus. Is there is a connection: Could Waite and Coleman have substituted the rose for the castle? Makes me wonder...
 

Sandalwood

Hey Sandalwood. I'm with you, I think there's a lot to it so I'll limit myself to just a couple of observations.

From card to card, the castles take a place of greater or lesser importance and strength. Sometimes there are many buildings prominently displayed as in the 4; other times they're in the background and hardly visible, as in the 9. I think they do have symbolic meaning. Perhaps they represent tendencies inherent in the card. Sometimes they are greater, as dominion or earthly power in the 4. Or the one in the 9 could represent a tendency toward isolation behind one's wealth; or if ill-dignified it could represent deception or theft. As for the King (Knight in the Golden Dawn), Book-T says, "Unless very well dignified he is heavy, dull, and material." This is reflected in the bulky, heavy stones.

It's an interesting study and I'm looking forward to hearing others' ideas.

Hi Abrac,

Thank you :) That's very interesting. That's true, what would be the significance of them being prominently displayed or sometimes not showing up in the cards at all? I find that an intriguing question. The more the suit goes 'up', the closer the castle though. I'm very taken by the idea to look within the card dynamic & what you write on the 4 & 9. feels very fitting.
I don''t have the book-T (I should buy it! & put it on that already massive pile, lol), but I often see the King representing that indeed. Heavy stones are difficult to move & very 'set'. Thanks :)
I do also work with dream analysis a lot, in which buildings are always reflections of the self. A castle would be the master of that, but also quite 'stiff' & very settled if that makes sense.

The rose is the consistent symbol for the pentacles in the GD system. A quick search reveals that the rose is a symbol of eroticism and of Venus (early Christians referred to it as "the Devil's foot" :|).

The castle is a more obvious symbol of eroticism, the phallus. Is there is a connection: Could Waite and Coleman have substituted the rose for the castle? Makes me wonder...

Aah no, it's about sex again! Lol. Power is after all (or can be) very eroticising to some. And pentacles is the suit of the body & bodily pleasures (or so I read them). So I hear you :) Also if you look at what signs are ruled by Venus, Taurus being the earth sign it rules, it's a sign that's very much about sensuality & earthy pleasures & material wealth/beauty.
Venus being related to The Empress might then also be interesting to look at? Which is also a very sensual/sexual card (among all the other meanings).
There are roses in the pentacle suit though, like on the card of the Queen of Pentacles for example.
Why was it called 'the Devil's foot'? Do you know that?
Thanks :)
 

Sandalwood

Oh wow, thanks for the links! :)
So next time someone brings me roses, I should slap them? ;)

@Richard: this made me really curious what was there?
 

Richard

Oh wow, thanks for the links! :)
So next time someone brings me roses, I should slap them? ;)

@Richard: this made me really curious what was there?
It was just another link to Book T.
 

treedog

burning roof of tower?

Surely this has been discussed, and is only marginally on topic, but what's going on with the smoldering/burning building top in the IV of Pentacles? Sort of a burning tower in the distant city.

Kaplan thought it important enough to reproduce it in the Universal Waite Tarot deck just as Pamela had it in the original pack.

Also, in the cities most of the more modern buildings seem to flat-roofed and are gray, but the castles have red roofs. Those are my cursory observations, anyway.