“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” ― Alexander Pope
I'm back from a bit of a hiatus, but I hope you have been keeping up with your Tarot reading and exploring. Today's card of the week takes us right into the daily toil of work. Pentacles, ruling home, career and all concerns earthly, shows up in the Seven. A card by all intents and purpose to be a quite dull and boring card. In fact, the guy on the front embodies that feeling of impatience, boredom, disappointment and defeated attitude.
Let's talk a bit about Sevens as a group. The Sevens have no decisive theme in their imagery, like Aces or Twos. They run the gamut--from the Wands man in defensive posture, the Thief in the Swords, the Indecisive Man in the Cups, and then this hardworking man in the Pentacles. Seven numerologically speaking have some strong attributes associated with it: perfection, imagination, awareness, and understanding. It may be hard to see those attributes in this motley group of cards, but the Tarot pushes us in the Sevens to want more, to be more, to strive for more. Tarot really asks us to reevaluate and reassess our current situation, and helps us open our awareness for our soul's growth.
The Pentacles, dealing specifically about our career and home, deals with our hard work. You can see a man sowing and working in his field. His abundant vines are producing Pentacles, but it isn't enough, or what he expected. Those pentacles are cold hard cash, right?! Then, why oh why the grey sky, and despondent and defeated stance? Something is missing here. His hard work may have yielded something, but it may not be what he thought it would be. Perhaps it isn't yielding enough fast enough. Or perhaps the Seeker's perspective has changed after all the hard work.
When a client pulls this card, I know they have been working hard at their marriage, their career, their college degree, their home or some aspect of their life. Perhaps the person has focused on amassing money, but has allowed the rest of his life to fall apart. Or they may have put years into a project that still is not done. Whatever the situation (sometimes you can get some hints from the cards around the seven), the Seeker is not contented. The hard work is still not done.There is an expectation on the Seeker's behalf that when he achieves this goal, he will be happy. But the Seven acknowledges that the happiness is not here. Not yet. The missing link is the contentment and serenity of the Seeker, which seems intrinsically tied to the hard work. But is it? This is the part of the Seven that challenges the Seeker to go deeper. What makes you happy? What do you want your life to look like? How have you changed from the beginning of your hard work? In what ways have your goals changed?
When I started this piece, I pulled a quote by Alexander Pope about expectation, "Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." This disappointment might be an expectation. As they say, an expectation is a planned resentment, and this card embodies that resentment and disappointment. That isn't to say that the disappointment is always your fault, but rather the disappointment should be an inspiration to change your life, rather than sit in the mire of self-pity. This is the warning with the card--defeat can lead to inaction and defeat, but the Seven urges us forward. Spirit says that if you are not happy with this hard work and your fruits, find the thing that helps you find contentment. Money is not enough. The Pentacles often have a paradoxical relationship with money. On one hand, they govern the materials. On the other, they are constantly urging you to find spiritual riches rather than materials ones. I interpret this card differently for each reading. For some, I urge them to keep toiling, their goal is almost achieved. (And yes, I validate that they might be reevaluating the commitment they have, but that the fruits are almost there.) This is the kind of interpretation I do for someone in the midst of a dissertation. For someone in the midst of a home renovation, I might ask them to reevaluate if they may want to do this work themselves, or hire someone to finish it. Priorities change. So, this card does really tap into that seven energy by asking the Seeker to use that discouragement after such hard work as the impetus to sit and reevaluate what is important, what you really want, and how to achieve it. Pentacles have practical concerns, and we must remember that they also have practical solutions, so I advise my clients to make pro and con lists, to see their decisions on paper, but then to pray and meditate about it.
In health readings, the Seven of Pentacles can be an indication that internal organs or internal systems are affected. The Seeker is usually aware of this, and this is more of a validation for you. Reversed, the feeling of failure is more pronounced. The situation is advised to be left. It can also indicate mortgage or money issues around the home.
If you have any questions about this card, or any other Tarot card, please put it in the comments. You can always see the past Tarot cards I have covered in the sidebar to the right. I try to list them by card, suit, minor or major arcana, and also by Tarot of the Week.