QUEEN of PENTACLES

This card is taken from the Zerner-Farber deck, which is ideal for people with small hands or those who find shuffling larger decks difficult. The imagery is beautiful and the colours particularly appealing. Most of the cards show figures drawn on a fabric background, including lace, border trim, satin and brocade. The deck is not a 'frilly, feminine' deck, however - it has a strong Pagan undercurrent and is ideal for spell work as well as interpretation. It would make an excellent deck for beginners.

I can't say I was surprised to see this card, seeing as I have had all the other Pentacle court cards appear in a very short space of time (in fact, I was expecting it). Quite what the cards are trying to tell me here, I don't know. If I were looking at this objectively, I would say it was describing a family who were going to become far better-off financially than they currently are, which makes me wonder whether I should nip out right now and buy a ticket for tonight's lottery, seeing as there's a rollover! The only problem is, I have no idea who the King of Pentacles is, as there is no man in my life at the moment, so possibly I am about to meet someone extremely rich!!!

When this card relates to an individual, it is usually describing an independent woman, often a divorcee or single parent, or simply a woman who prefers to live alone. If she is involved in a relationship, she will be very much her 'own woman' with her own identity; she will not blindly 'follow her man' if she doesn't agree with him. Some sources describe her as a loving, supportive person who has a way with children and animals, someone whose door is always open. She will have a knack for 'making a little go a long way' and is a loyal, honest friend who can keep a secret.

This woman is someone who will do what needs to be done in order to achieve what she wants. She isn't afraid of hard work, which is just as well as she often needs to put in that bit more effort than others in order to progress, although sometimes it just seems that way to her as her standards tend to be higher than those of the majority of people. She is likely to be her own worst critic and even her own worst enemy. This tendency can both benefit her and hold her back, depending on the circumstances.

No matter what problems arise in her life, this Queen will shrug her shoulders and carry on with what needs to be done - she is able to push her personal difficulties into the background and concentrate on the task in hand, which makes her an excellent employee, as she rarely lets her home life interfere with her working life. She is a perfectionist, who notices the small details that others miss.

In a reading where this card isn't relating to a particular person, it is likely to be telling the subject to adopt the attitude of the Queen of Pentacles and use determination and hard work to overcome their current difficulties. They need to forget past injustices, whether real or imaginary, and concentrate on making the best of what they currently have. They also need to look at the 'small print' and make sure they haven't missed something important.

It may also be that the subject needs to co-operate a little more with those around them at this time, rather than trying to 'go it alone'. This is especially likely if the Queen has other court cards at either side of it (these court cards will indicate who they need to co-operate with). Alternatively, it may be asking them to 'open their heart' and let a specific person in - they may be afraid to commit themselves to a relationship which could bring them a great deal of happiness if only they would let it. Again, any court card(s) adjoining the Queen should help identify the person concerned.

Results
Unfortunately, I haven't had time to update the diary since I wrote this and I cannot remember what occurred on Saturday, although I know it was nothing out of the ordinary. I didn't win the lottery, either!

THE FOOL

The Sacred Rose Tarot is a deck you either love or hate. The images are in vivid colour and have been described as 'strange', particularly the faces. There is Qabbalistic symbolism on some of the cards and quite a few of them are similar to those of the Rider Waite deck. The pictures invoke nature in terms of woods and flowers and are somewhat reminscent of stained glass. This deck would appeal to anyone who likes something different and out of the ordinary; it definitely has a certain 'something' about it.

In many cases, especially in a reading concentrating on a particular problem area, The Fool relates to the wearing of 'rose-coloured glasses' and suggests that the subject is not seeing a situation for what it really is. It can often apply to a relationship where the subject has put the object of their affections onto such a high pedestal that they simply cannot see the flaws in their character (which are usually plentiful when this card is present).

Naivety and inexperience are also indicated by this card. The subject may think they know all there is to know about a certain situation in their life, but in reality they know very little and a 'rude awakening' may well be on the horizon unless they face up to their lack of knowledge. They are probably 'kidding themselves' in some way and reluctant to accept the obvious, probably because they are afraid of losing something, even if it's only 'face'.

On a more positive note, the Fool can promise new beginnings. When it is prominent in a reading, the subject may decide to embark on a venture that under normal circumstances they simply wouldn't consider. This is because the Fool gives them a sort of 'innocence' and temporarily blinds them to any obstacles that may be in their path. This can have a positive or negative outcome, depending on the cards following the Fool, especially the one immediately after it.

This card can also signify a new beginning for the subject in terms of their entire approach to life. They may decide to literally throw caution to the winds and sacrifice everything in order to embark on a totally new lifestyle (usually an unconventional one), although this isn't something that occurs everyday, of course. However, it could occur to a lesser degree - for example, giving up a well-paid job in order to go back to college, or ending a stale relationship that offers security but no excitement and taking a chance on being alone again.

The Fool is about taking risks and not worrying about the consequences, in the same way a child would do. There is no guarantee that these risks will pay-off, but chances are that if you don't take them you won't be given the same opportunity again. If you have faith in yourself and your abilities, the possibility is high that you will gain a great deal.

Results
I can't see that I saw any connection between The Fool and the events of today. Now, if I'd had one of those Pentacle cards I've been getting a lot lately I could have seen relevance in that, because I received an unexpected cheque today - a refund because I'd paid too much on my gas bills over the last year. Was quite a tidy sum, too!

Then again, I suppose I did take a bit of a risk today and it was rather silly. I couldn't get my Sims game to load and I decided to uninstall it and start all over again, totally forgetting to save all my downloads (yes, the ones I'd spent hours and hours finding and installing). Luckily, I had the majority of them saved on cd, but I still lost quite a few. Not sure this was important enough to merit a Major Arcana card, though!