Keywords
Caution, focus, realism, invention
Range of Meaning
Light: Spending money wisely. Saving for a rainy day. Paying close attention to physical or financial details. Knowing where every dollar goes. Having safe sex. Preferring facts to “good feelings.” Finding creative ways to “make do” with resources on hand. Completing a new invention.
Shadow: Throwing caution to the four winds. Spending without regard for consequence. Spending on luxury when necessities are lacking. Escaping stress by spending money. Obsessing on tiny physical or financial details. Perpetually chasing after some new bauble. Copying another’s work and claiming it as your own.
Correspondences
Personality: The Knight of Coins can represent anyone who wants to lead the way (Knight) to greater physical and financial success (Coins). The Knight may also represent the tendency to be more cautious than adventuresome, or a compulsive desire to avoid risk by obsessing on tiny logistical or physical details.
Elemental: Air of Earth.
Affirmation: “I temper my actions with cautious optimism.”
Story: The Main Character takes a tentative first step toward a new solution.
Advice
Relationships. Relationships, like investments, should pay dividends. Your investment of time, attention, and affection should be returned by your friends and partners. Taking care of others is admirable; take care of yourself, too. Watch for creative ways to enjoy time together without spending money.
Work. Keep an eye on the bottom line. Some times call for penny-pinching. At other times, growth many depend on generosity. There’s satisfaction in delivering a final, physical product. Keep an eye on the goal. Keep your commitments. Tackle big projects one step at a time.
Spirituality. Avoid taking a guru’s claims at face value. Weigh any guidance received on the scales of your heart. Take spiritual advice (including advice from this book) with great caution and deliberation. Find practical, physical, creative ways to express your spiritual insights.
Personal Growth. There’s a fine line between caution and pessimism. Believe in yourself and what you hope to achieve; at the same time, be sure to attend to the “doing” that leads to “having.” Encourage progress by keeping a physical reminder of upcoming rewards close at hand.
Fortune Telling. A stingy person may chide you for spending money. Be prepared to defend an economic or sexual decision.
When? Between April 11th and May 10th.
Symbols and Insights
The Precious Pentacle. Many versions of this card show a knight apparently hypnotized by the pentacle in his hand. Once you’ve attained the object of your quest, caution is required to protect, maintain, and preserve what you’ve won—but remember, too, that regarding something too highly is the best way to render it useless.
The Unmoving Horse. In many decks, the Knight of Coin’s horse stands as rigid and still as a statue. There’s a difference between proceeding with caution and allowing yourself to become paralyzed by pessimism. What do you need in order to get moving again?
Saving vs. Spending. Knights embody extremes. The Knight of Coins could be a miser or a spendthrift, depending on which way his energy flows. What would a miser do? What might a spendthrift do? And might there be some middle ground worth pursuing?
The Marseilles Image. The well-grounded Marseilles Knight of Coins rides boldly forward, chasing a Coin that somehow always manages to remain just out of reach. To what extent might you also be chasing “castles in the sky?” How well-grounded are your own plans and methods? How might an emphasis on the practical speed your progress toward your goals?
Questions to Ask
- What’s the difference between caution and fear?
- How can I evaluate the practicality of my own ideas and methods?
- How realistic are my goals?