Tarot Card Comparisons: The Thoth Tarot- 5 of Disks-Worry & The SpellCaster's Tarot- 5 of Pentacles.

In the Hermetic Qabalah's Tarot, the 5 of Disks or Pentacles is also called the "Lord of Material Troubles". This is because of the influence of Geburah (severity), the 5th Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, influencing Assiah-The Material World. Now, this is not the ruin of all things that is implied by the Ten of Swords, rather this is a  severe disturbance to the natural structure brought into Taurus by the energies of Mercury. Normally, it would take a great amount of Mercurial energy to disturb the Sign of earthly Taurus, especially when concerning earthly maters, but with the addition of Gerburah's influence, the material world is disturbed. Here, we have Severe Intelligence supplied to Labor. The angels of the Decan are Mibahiah and Pooyal.

The Old English word, Worry, is a term used to describe the throttling of a sheep by a sheep dog to make it stop moving, this is known  as "worrying the sheep" and is indeed a proper perspective for this card. For, when one's head is full of worry, their creativity and forward motion in life, is stopped.

The Thoth 5 Disks are arranged in the skeletal framework of a upside down pentagram, representing trouble and instability in the form of matter. In each disk is a symbol of one of the five Hindu Tattvas (geometric forms that symbolize  Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Spirit) whose task is to hold together, on a very low plane, an organism that would normally be totally disrupted. In the Hindu system these are the underlying currents of matter.

The angry dark background of coloration, on the Thoth card, symbolizes long continued inaction held together by intense strain. As stated: not unlike, the closed jaws of a dog holding still, by the throat, a sheep who is too terrified to move. Thus, the five of Disks, represents the "jaws of fear throttling  our intelligence", so that we are unable to correct a material loss of monetary sources.

Hence, in the Five of Disks-Worry, the underlying currents of matter are totally unstable in their reversal, again shown by the upside down pentagram.

The 5's are all familiar with the 5th Sephiroth- Geburah, a state of energy that is severe in its function. Geburah is a corrective state of intelligence, whose severity is an action towards self assessment, rather than anything karmic.Geburah, demands one's attention, by sever action, which can seem tragic. Such as, taking a "breaking bar" to a jammed door; there will be some damage.

Too not be overstated,"To Worry" something, is translated as the Anglo-Saxon shepherds use the word, which is a type of strangulation a sheep dog does to a sheep. This strangulating is a biting and holding on to the Sheep's throat, which stops it in its tracks. Hence our fear has us by the throat and we are unable to mentally and physically move.  Thus, we understand that the five of disks is so named because it stops all material events, such as profession or monetary gain, dead in its tracks.

To reiterate: Mercurial energy is opposed in Taurian earth, simply because earth has a natural tendency to be stationary  while Mercury is swift motion. Granted it takes a strong Mercury to influence  and unbalance Taurus but Geburah is just that strength.  In fact, instead of Severity, She is sometimes called Strength and causes instability in the five states of matter/energy. This instability is vibration, much like an earthquake, yet the 5 states of energy ( Five Tattvas) have enough attraction necessary to hold together on the lower planes forestalling complete disruption. So, again, this is more like the dog holding the sheep at a standstill; a kind of intelligence applied to labor. The Five of Disks also implies intense strain with long moments of inaction.

 

The 5 of Disks or Pentacles card reminds us that by focusing on what we have lost or don't have, we cannot create more. We need to focus on what we do have, and on the thing we can do; maybe just a baby step is all we have, but that is motion and is enough to get us going again.  Just taking a deep breath, hold it for a count of 4 and exhaling is enough to begin taking positive control over the brain.  Even the Taoist axiom, of " a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step," is the solution to this worrying problem that confronts our intellect.

Since Disks or Pentacles or Stones, are cards that represent the physical, and/or objective world, this card represents physical worry, concerns, and rumination over monetary means.

Shows a couple, being turned away by a barking dog. Much like the Sheep dog Worry theme of the Thoth card. However, this one implies that too much focus on material things has caused the door to more spiritual things to be closed, as the pentacle on the lock implies. In other words, spending most of our life, in the animal survival mind perspective, which closes us off from the Higher Vibrations of the Soul/Psyche.  Here, we impoverish ourselves with thoughts of worry about our material welfare. There can be illness, as we are not taking care of our bodies, while the drama within our brain is "barking" so loud that our life is nothing but stress and worry.

Therefore, courage is implied, for one needs to tap into inner strength before courage arises to protect oneself from the indoctrination of fear and survive the mental challenges of being alive. Nature can be worrisome, for she is severe as Geburah and loving as the Empress. These cycles require endurance and acceptance on the part of the living.  Sometimes this may mean withdrawing from trauma, to focus on emotional resilience.

Hence, both the SpellCaster's Tarot and Thoth Tarot support the fact that Worry represents a state of consciousness that dwells in the past and/or looks forward into a feared future and in so doing isn't living in the "now". By not living in the now, we are not present today, which doesn't allow new perspectives or thoughts to change our mental emotional direction.  Hence, worry is a general effect of a long strain with out action; a general state of inaction. Health, finances, work, relationships and/or creativity are the concerns here. What we must do, is make our " Spiritual inside" louder than our "animal outside", so that we are not distracted by fear.

 Since, astrologically this card represents Mercury in Taurus, the 5 of Pentacles or Disks, also symbolizes communication worries on the physical level. Worrying about if your communication efforts are coming across correctly or if you even have the ability to communicate at all.

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