Working with One Card
This Page of Pentacles from the Tarot of Prague is based on a 19th-century mosaic painted on the facade of a house in the old city. Pentacles signal the world of manifestation, the Earth element, money, material possessions. The card is rich in detail and opens itself to innumerable interpretations.
Court cards often represent the manner in which the element assigned to their Suit (Fire, Water, Air, Earth) is used by different levels or classes of individuals. Pages, Knights, Queens, Kings could suggest different ages, levels of maturity, behavioral patterns, classes in society, etc. Pages tend to refer to young, inquisitive energies and are sometimes considered passive or feminine energies; Knights carry the mandate of the kingdom and are active, male energies; the Queens provide the feminine, seed aspect, they bring the creative aspect of the Suit to its full potentiality. Kings rule the Suit, but they also delegate its power; as they provide the necessary structure to the element of the Suit, they can also be dictatorial, since they carry the final expression or full potential of the energy. Court cards are archetypes also, just like the Majors. You will find a wide interpretation that might feel sometimes even confusing when it comes to the Courts. There are sixteen distinct personalities reflected in them, and there are several studies on line comparing Court cards to the Myers Briggs personality types.
In Qabalah, Aces and Pages are assigned to the same Zodiac quadrants. This adds an important interpretation to their "young" or "inquisitive" energy. Knights are active, powerful energies and in some decks they play the role of Kings and marry the Queens. So take the time to identify personalities, potentialities, characteristics that you would assign to the Courts because they really respond to how you tend to organize your world.
Let's go back to the Page of Pentacles above. In the Waite Smith deck, we find a Page holding a Pentacle with such care that we intimate this is no ordinary "pentacle" but rather the Quintessence, or Fifth matter. And here we have a sense of awe and reverence, as this Page holds a miniature castle in his hands, which at one level could be interpreted as potential manifestation of wealth and security. The golden Pentacle hanging by the bookshelf behind him or her, serves to add a mystical message: the miniature castle could also symbolize the soul and the potential ability of this young individual to bring out, by careful study of the texts in the library, the necessary wisdom that leads to an illumined soul. Both interpretations intimate growth and achievements, whether at the physical or the spiritual level.
What title would you give this card?
Could you describe briefly the overall feelings surrounding this card?
Can you identify with anything in the card?
Try to establish a dialogue with the individual here depicted: What would you ask him or her? What is this person doing? Why?
Can you tell a story about the card and how it might relate to a present or past situation in your life? Does the card remind you of anyone you know?