spinningspider
In Robin Wood's "Nine of Pentacles," once again I see someone who looks like she is somehow related to the King and Queen depicted in the Pentacle's court cards, tho' possibly further down in the royal ranking or even simply a friend of the royal family. To me, this woman seems contemplative, generally peaceful, and surely wanting for nothing, at least not materially. Her garden appears lush and I can imagine her home to be the same. She does not evoke a feeling of frivolity and in some ways, she's not particularly joy-filled (at least to me.) It seems like a whole lot of deep thinking is going on in her pretty head.
Come to think of it, the woman's slight smile, if a smile is even what the reader sees, is very Mona Lisa-ish. One could take it to mean many things depending on the reading.
Still, depending on where this card falls in a spread or who the querent is or what is asked in the reading, I OFTEN get the feeling that this woman is trapped in her own luxurious life. What usually triggers this thought is the ornate gate behind her...it usually seem so close to the garden plants (not forgetting that those beautiful roses have piercing thorns) that there's no way one could possibly use it to leave...not to mention that no one could open it to get into her yard from the outside world. She appears cut off...either by her own making or that of someone else or others. As I read Robin's description of the gate in her book, I wasn't surprised to find that this was one way she suggested one could indeed "read" the gate. Add to that, the fact that the hawk is wearing a hood, and especially if the hood seems very apparent in a particular reading, I then get the feeling of someone hiding behind a mask or not showing all her cards upon the table. Or even, pulling the wool over one's eyes...either someone else's or her own. Perhaps she knows that if folks knew how she really felt, then she would lose all she has gained materially...and so, she plays the part she has found herself in.
'course there are also times when I see the woman as perfectly happy and content, surrounded by roses and luscious grapes, feeling secure and at home in her surroundings. At that time she even seems in control...both of herself and perhaps others...as she literally keeps the wild nature of the hawk under her care.
Come to think of it, the woman's slight smile, if a smile is even what the reader sees, is very Mona Lisa-ish. One could take it to mean many things depending on the reading.
Still, depending on where this card falls in a spread or who the querent is or what is asked in the reading, I OFTEN get the feeling that this woman is trapped in her own luxurious life. What usually triggers this thought is the ornate gate behind her...it usually seem so close to the garden plants (not forgetting that those beautiful roses have piercing thorns) that there's no way one could possibly use it to leave...not to mention that no one could open it to get into her yard from the outside world. She appears cut off...either by her own making or that of someone else or others. As I read Robin's description of the gate in her book, I wasn't surprised to find that this was one way she suggested one could indeed "read" the gate. Add to that, the fact that the hawk is wearing a hood, and especially if the hood seems very apparent in a particular reading, I then get the feeling of someone hiding behind a mask or not showing all her cards upon the table. Or even, pulling the wool over one's eyes...either someone else's or her own. Perhaps she knows that if folks knew how she really felt, then she would lose all she has gained materially...and so, she plays the part she has found herself in.
'course there are also times when I see the woman as perfectly happy and content, surrounded by roses and luscious grapes, feeling secure and at home in her surroundings. At that time she even seems in control...both of herself and perhaps others...as she literally keeps the wild nature of the hawk under her care.