THE 10 OF PENTACLES, LORD OF WEALTH

Mercury in Virgo, four elements in Malkuth.

   In an archway, a woman chats with a soldier while a child clings to her dress with one hand and grabs a dog's tail with the other. No one in the group seems to notice the old man in the fancy robe or the golden coins, arranged like the symbolic spheres of the Tree of Life, floating above the street. Only dogs seem attracted to the old man who has magic sigils on his robe. Perhaps he is only a street performer, full of tricks. Nevertheless, he has an air of magic about him. Did he create an illusion or was the Tree of Life always there? Are you only now seeing it because like him you are paying attention to the ordinary world? Perhaps you have become for a moment like the magician, experiencing archetypal energies that manifest in such an orderly way that almost everyone takes them for granted. Suddenly, the street is strange and miraculous and full of abundance and potential, yet no one seems to notice, except you and the old man. Suddenly you sense the presence of powerful forces in the everyday world. You don’t know if the old man or the Tree of Life has given you this second sight, but as you pass, you wordlessly nod at your ally, hoping that your gratitude is understood.

CORRESPONDING COLOR: Black, rayed with yellow.

Reversed: poverty, fleeting success, lack of financial stability, lack of awareness of subtle spiritual forces behind physical existence.