Dame Fortune's Wheel - 4 of Coins

BrightEye

This card show Fortuna emptying out one of her baskets to a needy person but withholding the other. I'm interested in this holding back. She gives freely of worldly riches but withholds the basket of fruit, ie things that provide true nourishment. Any thoughts?
 

Rose Lalonde

I have a question about this card as well, but first -- I'm not sure why only the money is being distributed, but the original inspiration from Cesare Ripa's Iconologia is on pg 373 here as Liberality. Wikipedia says the book gave artists, poets etc. an embodiment of different virtues. Since she was conceived as the embodiment of giving freely, it doesn't seem like the upright fruit would have a reason to be withheld. Maybe it's going to be given next?

My question is much less important! (Silly in fact.) The man who's kneeling -- Whatever's on his shoulder reminds me of the paper doll dresses with their little tabs that I played with as a child. :p Is it just a patch to mend a tear? Probably, but I'm not sure. Just curious.

4 of Coins image here at Eno's Tarots.
 

ana luisa

Just from the image itself, she is giving possessions but keeping the nourishment. I would say she's showing how powerful she is in guise of being "nice". She does not truly care for the man.Her gaze looking down on him reinforces that.
 

Queen of Disks

The interesting thing is the kneeling man is dressed like a pilgrim that is going to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This was a major pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages (and still is). The patch on his shoulder looks like a scallop shell, which was a symbol of St James and typical pilgrim's souvenir and it showed everyone you had been there before there were such things as touristy T-shirts. :rolleyes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James

http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/prayer/jamesgreater.htm

The Nino de Atocha (apparition of Jesus as a child) wears the same outfit.

http://www.luckymojo.com/ninoatocha.html

I think that our pilgrim here is in search of fame and fortune but is looking for the wrong things. The scene reminds me of the saying, Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. The pilgrim may be looking for worldly riches but may be wishing for the more spiritually nourishing fruit before long.
 

Rose Lalonde

Queen of Disks said:
The interesting thing is the kneeling man is dressed like a pilgrim that is going to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. This was a major pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages (and still is). The patch on his shoulder looks like a scallop shell, which was a symbol of St James and typical pilgrim's souvenir and it showed everyone you had been there before there were such things as touristy T-shirts. :rolleyes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James

http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/prayer/jamesgreater.htm

The Nino de Atocha (apparition of Jesus as a child) wears the same outfit.

http://www.luckymojo.com/ninoatocha.html

I think that our pilgrim here is in search of fame and fortune but is looking for the wrong things. The scene reminds me of the saying, Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. The pilgrim may be looking for worldly riches but may be wishing for the more spiritually nourishing fruit before long.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that! That must be what that patch is. Now I can stop being reminded of a paper doll outfit. And the pilgrimage gives new context to the card.
 
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