Ten of Pentacles
Astrology: Mercury in Virgo | Element: Earth | Time: September 12 – September 22
Outside the green brick wall, a little girl has fallen asleep with her arms folded beneath her head. Beside her lie lanterns from the Lantern Festival night: the candle inside the rabbit lantern has melted into white wax tears; two lotus lanterns lean against each other; a lantern representing the household hangs on the fence. Two sparrows doze on the fence posts.
Beyond the decorative window in the wall, the mother lifts an oil lamp and looks out. A smile lingers at the corner of her mouth, as if she already knows the girl will be here. Farther away, the study window stands open. The father opens the window of his study, searching for the mother’s silhouette. Ten sources of light illuminate the night, warming the entire home. Happiness, comfort, and security are all wrapped within this deep, peaceful dream.
Symbolism:
The Ten Lanterns: Rabbit lantern (childlike innocence), lotus lanterns (purity and elegance), architectural lantern (foundation of the household), the lamp in the mother’s hand (guardianship), the study lamp (diligence), courtyard lights (vitality), wall lanterns (protection). Together, these ten lights are the symbolic Pentacles, representing the transition from darkness to light and the rise and continuity of family prosperity.
Outside the Wall → Inside the Wall → Distant Depth: The girl outside, the mother within, and the father farther away form a circulation of family energy. Each fulfills a role without physical closeness, yet all share in the household’s stability and abundance.
The Mother: Holding a lamp and searching symbolizes nurturing responsibility. Her vigilance reflects care, protection, and attentiveness.
The Father: Opening the window to seek the mother represents continuity, support, and the quiet presence of structure and order.
Upright:
Wealth, inheritance, family, enterprises or organizations, material success, financial stability, long-lasting achievement.
Personality: Values family tradition and honor; capable of managing and passing down wealth; respects social norms and structure; strong sense of family responsibility; skilled at preserving and growing family assets; seeks stability within tradition; possesses a long-term, multi-generational vision.
Relationship: Relationships built on family approval; well-matched marriages; unity of family interest and personal affection; intergenerational alliances; partners chosen to continue family traditions; strong family structures providing support.
Career/Studies: Successful operation of family businesses; leadership in traditional industries; inherited professional expertise; stable career paths; generational transfer of social resources; preservation of traditional skills; continuation of academic or professional lineages.
Finances: Wealth accumulated across generations; effective management of inheritance and trusts; stable asset growth; continuation of traditional investment models; complete systems of financial succession; intergenerational transfer of social capital.
Advice: Allocate time wisely and maintain balance between family and career. While safeguarding tradition, introduce new vitality so accumulated wealth and experience can create greater value. Balance family interests with personal growth to achieve sustainable prosperity.
Reversed:
Materialism, debt, overestimation, misjudgment, speculation, loss, theft, financial hardship, gambling, loss of stability, economic decline.
Personality: Straying from family values; inability to sustain inherited wealth; weakened sense of family responsibility; difficulty maintaining family honor; confusion between tradition and modernity; fractured family identity; overwhelming pressure of inheritance.
Relationship: Relationships opposed by family; conflicts caused by social or economic disparity; tension between family interests and personal happiness; generational value clashes; lack of family recognition; restrictive traditional views on marriage.
Career/Studies: Crisis in family businesses; loss of traditional skills; breaks in generational expertise; inheritance dilemmas; decline of traditional industries; interruption of academic lineage.
Finances: Loss of family wealth; inheritance disputes; failure of traditional investment models; dissipation of accumulated assets; collapse of financial succession systems.
Advice: Reexamine the balance between tradition and modern change, and seek new ways of passing values forward. Confront family issues directly and build structures suited to the present era. Be mindful of spending, avoid excess, and adopt a long-term perspective rather than short-term indulgence.