Welcome to Tarot Thursdays! This week we will be exploring the Seven of Pentacles and how it can be used as a prompt or brainstorming in our writing.
Tarot is an interesting thing. It’s based upon symbolism and metaphors through imagery. With these images the subconscious mind is tapped into through the story provided. Not everyone gets the same thing from a piece of art. Each piece will influence each person in a slightly different way.
Introduction of the Card
The Seven of Pentacles is card number 70 in the deck and the seventh card of the Pentacles Suit in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.
Let’s take a look at the following examples of this card below.
Card Examples
Notice the similarities between them and take note of their differences. Do any of these move you more than the others? Take your time and allow these cards to tell you their story.
My Analysis of These Cards
I could discuss what’s different about each of these cards, but instead I’d like to focus on what’s the same here. In each one of these cards, the primary figure appears to be deep in thought. In the Mythic Tarot and the Dragon Tarot, they appear to be making a decision while in the Universal Tarot and the Tarot of Dreams, they appear to be considering what they have.
Themes of the Card
Each card has a set of keywords associated with it that serve as themes for its image. These keywords will vary somewhat depending on who you ask.
According to the Learning the Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:
- ASSESSMENT
- REWARD
- DIRECTION CHANGE
You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.
According to the Biddy Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:
- VISION
- PERSEVERANCE
- PROFIT
- REWARD
- INVESTMENT
You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.
What this Card Means to Me
Following the journey of the Pentacles, this card is the next step after the exchange we discussed with the Six of Pentacles. This is where we decide whether or not the exchange got us the results we wanted and determine where to go from here. It’s also about looking at what we currently have for future exchanges. So in terms of business and production, this is a pause in the development chain.
It still applies outside of economics. Maybe you want to write a book or start a new painting. Before you begin, you need to determine what resources you need and see which ones you already have. Remember, resources include more than just money. This means time, knowledge, materials, and energy. How much of each will you need to invest? How much of each will you need to acquire?
In stories, our characters may also need to make similar pauses. What will they need to know? How much time will they have? What items will they need? And just as importantly, how much of all this are they aware of? Is this something that they will struggle with or breeze through? Do they know what they have versus what they need? Figuring this out could be an adventure on its own.
The keyword I choose for this card is: ASSESSMENT.
Music Playlist
In this spirit of all this, these are the songs I have picked out for this card.
The Writing Exercise
This exercise is a free write. Permit yourself to write whatever comes to mind based upon the theme of this card. Choose a keyword or key phrase and run with it to see what you come up with.
I would love it if you linked or pinged back what you wrote so I could see where you went with this.
Happy writing!
Mythic Tarot by Liz Greene (Author), Juliet Sharman-Burke (Author), Tricia Newell (Illustrator) © 1989
Dragon Tarot by Terry Donaldson (Author), Peter Pracownik (Author) © 1996
Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo (Author), R. De Angelis (Illustrator), A. E. Waite (Designer) © 2001
Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti (Author), Lee Bursten (Author) © 2015