Today, we continue our Decan Walk journey, delving into the fascinating world of Astrology through the lens of the Tarot Cards. This is the Decan of Moon in Taurus, which is linked to the 6 of Pentacles. Let’s study the Astrology of this pairing and explore how these energies manifest in the card’s meaning.

6 of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus: 1 May to 10 May

For the 6 of Pentacles, we find ourselves in the second Decan of Taurus. This Decan takes the theme of the 5 of Pentacles to the next stage of development. Let’s start our journey by getting to know the lay of the land, so to speak.

The Decan: Taurus II

The 2nd Decan of Taurus, ranging from 11° to 20° of Taurus, is linked to the 10 days from the 1st to the 10th of May. Let’s look at the card images from the Picatrix Decans Deck and the Telos Tarot Deck to understand the energies of this Decan.

The description of the energies of this Decan, according to the Picatrix is:  “A man whose body and face look like those of a camel, his nails are similar to the hoof of a cow, wearing an old garment, interested in developing land and buildings, and using cows for planting and cultivation.” According to the booklet with the Telos Tarot, this is “a time of procreation.”

The decan is associated with the energies of Ability, Nobility, Reward, Power, Vice-Regency, Destruction, and Oppression of Constituency.

Notice how we see the growing saplings in the image of the Picatrix Decans card. This Decan’s energy takes the previous Decan’s energies to the next development stage. In the prior Decan with the 5 of Pentacles, we worried about planting our seeds, whether we are doing a good job, and how things would turn out. Now, we’re shifting from the initial anxiety of planting to a focus on cultivation and development.

The connection with the Camel is pretty interesting, since it links to the High Priestess card connected with the Moon. Along with that, we also see a key on both of these cards. This is a powerful link to the Hierophant card, which is associated with the Sign of Taurus.

The Telos Tarot card image also features a Maypole, adorned with ribbons. This symbolizes the arrival of spring and is often celebrated in communities with festivals and dances. It also signifies the Axis Mundi, or the World Axis, a connection between Heaven and Earth. This is the time when things are starting to manifest and finally happen.

The energy of this decan suggests that things are starting to show signs of success, development, and growth, emphasizing cultivation and procreation.

Let’s start by looking at the planetary influences at play. The 6 of Pentacles is linked with the combination of the Moon in Taurus.

Astrology: Moon ☾

In Astrology, the Moon reveals our personality, emotions, and emotional makeup. It represents how we experience satisfaction and is connected to the Mother Archetype. It can show us our relationship with our mother, and how we would be as mothers. It can tell you how you look at the concept or the ideas related to motherhood, family, and traditions. This can tell us about our childhoods. In essence, Moon energy is about giving and receiving nurturing, which are the fundamental needs of everybody.

In the 3 of Wands, we saw how the Sun symbolizes the Father, and sunlight nourishes and supports life on Earth. The Moon, being the Satellite of Earth, is closer to Earth than the Sun. It also affects the tides and the waters on the Earth. Interestingly, we human beings are 70% water. So the Moon also has a potent effect on us.

Water is all about feelings and emotions. The Moon is elementally connected with Water. Thus, emotions and feelings are the realm of the Moon. It also rules the Sign of Cancer.

The Moon talks about our instinctive responses. This energy is about receptivity, intuition, creativity, and our inner motivations. These are the patterns that drive you. It shows us the emotional undercurrents and the emotional security that we feel.  The Moon is how we express our primary drive through our habits, actions, nuances, and expression. It is the experience and expression of feelings.

On the darker side, the Moon also represents our insecurities, anxieties, and inner fears. The touchy aspects related to feelings are the domain of the moon.

Before we dive into the imagery of the High Priestess, the Tarot card associated with the Moon, I want to take a quick segue into the Kabbalah Tree of Life.

The Kabbalah Connection: Unveiling the High Priestess

As a student of the Tarot, you must have seen the image of the Kabbala Tree of Life in various books and blogs, along with a few Tarot Cards.

To give you a quick overview: the Tree of Life is a diagrammatic representation of how the universe was formed. Kabbalah is an ancient Hebrew tradition that profoundly influences Tarot and Western mysticism. It provides a framework for understanding the universe’s creation and the interconnectedness of all things.

In this diagram, each little circle has a number. Each circle is called a Sephiroth. Each Sephirot is a stage in the journey of formation of the Universe. There are essentially 10 such stages, or stops, along the way. This journey starts with Kether, the Crown, and ends with Malkuth, the material world. So, at the first point, or Kether, the first energetic emanations of the Universe start to appear. Before that, all we had was a void. And then something starts to happen. We start seeing the first sort of emanations of energy. This point is called “Kether” or the “Crown”. From there, the energy moves forward at different stages, stopping at each point where a different aspect of that energy materializes. The 6th Sephirot, Tipareth, is where you can say that the God Consciousness, or Christ Consciousness, has manifested. The 9th Sephirot is Yesod, where your Unconscious, or the Subconscious, has evolved. Finally, at the 10th Sephirot, we have Malkuth, where our world has come into being. There’s also a hidden Sephirot, Daa’th, which contains all the secret knowledge and wisdom of the Universe.

Thanks to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the pathways connecting these Sephirot are associated with the Major Arcana Tarot cards. Now we can see that the card connecting Kether to the 3rd Sephirot, Binah, is The Magician, while the card linking Kether to Chokmah is The Fool. And then the Empress connects Binah and Chokmah.

Our focus, though, is on the pathway of the High Priestess. This connects Kether directly with Tipareth. It is the longest pathway among all the paths. And it also crosses over the secret Sephirot of Da’ath. Thus, the High Priestess is the direct connection between the first emanations of energy within the Universe and the Consciousness of God. This pathway is also a link between the Archetypal and Formative worlds. The energy of the High Priestess enables you to travel across this space, including through the space of hidden knowledge. This is the Desert of the Soul, and one can cross through this desert on a camel. Not surprisingly, the Hebrew letter associated with the High Priestess card is Gimel, which translates to Camel.

Now, let’s look at the card images of the High Priestess and see how all these aspects show up in the card imagery.

Tarot: The High Priestess

Let’s begin by exploring how the astrological energy of the Moon is beautifully represented in the High Priestess card.

The High Priestess – Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot

The High Priestess – Tarot de Marseilles

The High Priestess – Thoth Tarot

The High Priestess symbolizes intuition, secret knowledge, and the subconscious. In most Tarot decks, she is seated between two pillars and in front of a veil.  Those two pillars are often connected with the two pillars of the Tree of Life. The black pillar is called the Pillar of Severity, and the white pillar is called the Pillar of Mercy. These elements represent the entrance to the temple and the veil that conceals hidden wisdom. The Pomegranates link her to the story of the Greek Goddess, Persephone, while the Date palms link her with the Egyptian Goddess, Isis.

In each card, we also see her sitting quietly, with either a book or a hidden scroll, accessing secrets, studying hidden knowledge. In the Tarot de Marseilles, the High Priestess sits with an open book in her lap.

She also wears the triple crown of the Pope! The card title is La Papesse, which translates to the Female Pope. In the Rider-Waite-Smith image, the High Priestess has a cross on her dress. All these connect with the story of Pope Joan. The veil behind her hides the path towards the Subconscious world. In the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot image, we can even see a water body behind the veil. Water bodies are often used as the symbolic representation of the Unconscious. The High Priestess has access to all the secret knowledge. She has a deep, instinctive understanding of the Subconscious wisdom. And she ensures that she only lets those who are worthy and capable of accessing this wisdom go past the veil and access this knowledge.

In the Thoth Tarot image, the Priestess is holding up the fabric of reality. This is such a beautiful depiction, using elements of sacred geometry! The Priestess holds it up, creating a little crescent of the moon. The bow on her lap is also a harp. In this manner, the Priestess is linked with the hunter Goddesses like Artemis, who was also connected with the Moon.

We can also see how the energy of the Moon is depicted in the image of the High Priestess card. We see the phases of the moon across the card images. That is the energy of the Moon: the instinctive understanding of everything. This is when you know and understand something instinctively and intuitively. You may struggle to express it — and for that, you may look at your Mercury placement in your Chart. The Moon energy is this instinctive understanding and intuitive knowledge that shows up within yourself.

The High Priestess card is all about intuition, empathy, inner wisdom, and connecting with one’s subconscious. There are powerful connections with faith and belief, learning, and secrets. Along with that, we also have a big focus on purity and virginity. She is a representation of the Potential of Fertility. This card is all about feminine wisdom and feminine mystique. It is about the instinctive knowledge of things others see or perceive as mysteries.

All of this is very much aligned with the energy of the Moon.

Astrology: Taurus ♉︎

We have looked at Taurus in our previous card, the 5 of Pentacles. So I’ll go over it quickly.

Taurus, associated with the Bull, is a steady, stable Sign. Taureans keep doing their work patiently and steadily. It’s an Earth Sign and is ruled by Venus. Taurus is powerfully connected with plants, flowers, material worth, and sensual, artistic energies. Altogether, the whole vibe of Taurus is material security and sensual love. Taurus can also be stubborn, possessive, self-indulgent, and change-resistant. Taurus is about looking for spiritual and emotional answers in a materialistic world.

The Myth of Cerus: Persephone and the Bull

I forgot to tell this story the last time, but that was all for the best! It feels just right to tell the story of Cerus and Persephone when we look at cards that connect with mythical entities. This is a story from Greek mythology. Taurus is associated with the bull Cerus.

The story goes that a bull showed up one day. It was owned by no one. However, the bull was trampling on the flowers that Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, had just bloomed. No one seemed to be able to stop him from trampling about. So Persephone goes to him. Her presence calms him down. She then teaches the bull how to be patient and manage his strength. So every spring when Persephone comes up from the Underworld to start the season of Spring, she rides that bull. Then, in the Fall, when she returns to the Underworld, Taurus returns to the night sky as a constellation.

Tarot: The Hierophant

We have already seen the Hierophant during our study of the previous card. This time, though, a different aspect of the Hierophant is drawing me in. “Hierophant” means “a priest who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles.” In some decks, the Hierophant is called “The High Priest.” In the Tarot de Marseilles, this card is called “La Pape” or “The Pope.”

The Hierophant, in his role as the religious leader and interpreter of esoteric mysteries, plays a significant role in setting up the systems and structures that govern the structural aspects of our daily lives. Our moral principles, our broader sense of right and wrong, good and bad, along with religious beliefs and their accompanying rituals — all fall under the realm of the Hierophant. The Hierophant also governs the realms of formal teaching and learning — both spiritual and otherwise. The Hierophant represents the system and the framework created to enable seekers to pursue faith, religion, and studies and develop a greater understanding of this world and its other divine aspects.

To see how the energy of Taurus plays out here, we need to understand how one has to interact with the Hierophant’s energies. We need to have a very steady and dependable approach in what we do, both within the learning and teaching realm and the belief and morality realm. As a student and teacher, following the rules and steadily working through the course material is necessary. As people who are part of society, we must remain steadfast about our actions and adhere to the rules about “good” and “bad” behavior as we go about our lives. Within the context of faith and belief, we need to be patient and consistent with our conceptual understanding of the Divine. In short, the Hierophant card demands that the Taurean attributes of steadiness and sincerity come into play while we interact with its domains. It reminds us of Taurus’s quest for spiritual answers in the material realm.

Moon in Taurus: Exaltation

Now, let’s see how the energies of the Moon and Taurus play with each other.

The Moon is about emotional security, and Taurus is about material values. Together, the Moon in Taurus is about being emotionally secure because of having material security. Feeling good comes from having emotional security, which in turn comes from having material well-being. These three points feed each other, creating a general feeling of satisfaction with the world.

With this combination, we look at the importance of stability and nourishment. We can find a steadiness of temperament. Often, we can see home-based people. We can also see people who run food or property businesses. Intuitive insights about money can be powerfully spot-on. Business opportunities work out well. The Moon in Taurus also encourages you to nurture beauty and artistic expressions.

The watery Moon finds solidity and stability in the earthy Taurus. This stability helps the Moon express its positive and creative aspects most beneficially.

While this is a lovely combination, taken to another extreme, it can bring about self-indulgence and an excessive attachment to material comforts and beautiful things.

Two Tarot Pairs: Empress + Emperor and High Priestess + Hierophant

In the 4 of Wands, the Empress and the Emperor unite and make a home. In the 6 of Pentacles, we now see a pairing of the High Priestess and the Hierophant come together to create a Temple of Learning.

4: The Emperor

The High Priestess – Thoth Tarot

Imagine if you will, that a student enters the Temple of Learning where the Hierophant will teach him the rules and rituals to live by a moral code that adheres to their faith and belief system. Following those rules, the student learns the different scriptures, traditions, and the deep knowledge within the system. However, once the student has steadily followed that path to attain a certain level of expertise, the student is entrusted with a key. Using the key, when the student unlocks the door, the student will find the High Priestess. She sits patiently, waiting for the student to appear. She will assess and test the student in many ways before she can part the veil for him. If the student proves worthy and ready, she lets him dive into the endless Ocean of Knowledge. From this point onward, the student’s learning journey doesn’t adhere to any particular “curriculum.” This journey has become more personal and even a bit informal. But it doesn’t have a fixed pathway to follow. There is no fixed structure. The student must follow his instinct, listen to his intuition, and engage his imagination to inculcate the knowledge he experiences.

There’s yet another interesting angle that we can bring to this tale. For this, we need to turn to another interesting perspective from Astrology.

In Astrology, the Moon is considered “Exalted” in Taurus. Interestingly, the keyword on this card is called “Exaltation.” So, I’m going to segue a little bit into this topic.

Planetary Dignities: Exaltation and Debilitation

In Astrology, planets move through different Zodiac Signs throughout the year. However, when they land in some Zodiac Signs, they are happy and powerful, and in other Zodiac Signs, they are uncomfortable and weakened. This is known as Planetary Dignities.

Typically, planets are happy in the Zodiac Signs they rule over. They are considered to be in their Domicile. The word Domicile also means Home. And they are very much at home when they are in those Zodiac Signs. However, there are other Zodiac Signs where certain planets enjoy being themselves. It is said that these planets are “Exalted” in those Zodiac Signs.

Contrary to those positions, when planets find themselves in the Zodiac Signs opposite to their Ruling Signs, and opposite to the Zodiac Signs of their Exaltation, they are said to be in their Detriment, and are Debilitated or in Fall.

A Quick Flashback…

With this information in mind, when we look at the Chart of Planetary Dignities, we can see that we’ve seen a few of these placements in our Decan Walk journey already!

In 2 of Wands, Mars is in Aries. Mars rules Aries. Therefore, it has Domicile Dignity. It is powerful and very much at home in that First Decan of Aries. In the Second Decan of Aries, the Sun in Aries was linked to the 3 of Wands. There, the Sun is considered to be Exalted. And we saw how the glorious shining Sun loved the passionate energy of Aries. Interestingly enough, Mars, Sun, and Aries are all elementally connected to Fire and considered Masculine. These guys get on like a house on fire! 🔥

However, the next card we saw was the 4 of Wands, Venus in Aries. Venus is in Detriment here. Meanwhile, in our current card, 6 of Pentacles, the Moon is Exalted in Taurus.

With that in mind, let’s revisit our two pairs from earlier and see if the cards can add more nuance to their stories.

Two Tarot Pairs: Empress + Emperor and High Priestess + Hierophant […contd.]

When we see the pair of the Empress and the Emperor, and consider that Venus is in Detriment in Aries, we need to look at the interpersonal dynamics at play within that pairing. In our story, the Empress went to the Emperor’s house and made it a home. She was in his realm, under his domain. Therefore, she couldn’t move or act outside that domain’s boundaries. And within that framework, she had to manage the limitations placed upon her.

The High Priestess – Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot

The High Priestess – Tarot de Marseilles

The High Priestess – Thoth Tarot

With the Moon in Taurus, the dynamics are entirely different. Although the High Priestess and the Hierophant build their Temple of Learning together, they still have complete autonomy over their specific domains (or classes, if you want to play with the “School” metaphors). The Hierophant has his structures, but he also leads his students to a doorway that leads them to the High Priestess. She has complete autonomy over her space: she may or may not allow the student to pass beyond the veil she guards. Here, since the Moon is Exalted in Taurus, the domain, authority, agency, and the rules of the High Priestess are honored and respected. Even though she isn’t subject to the rules and the structure of the Hierophant, she respects his role and authority over his space. This means that when the veil is parted and the student is on the other side, all of the lessons and rules learned in the Hierophant’s domain won’t exist. The rules and structures may be absent or different, and the learning process is likely unstructured and unexpected. The High Priestess’ lessons are to be learned through the exercise of instinct, intuition, and imagination.

However different their approach may be from one another, they honor and respect each other’s methods and give each other the necessary space. The Hierophant’s structure may even subtly prepare the student for the High Priestess’ unstructured flow. The student may not see the worth and value of that structure unless he also immerses himself in the High Priestess’ imaginative, intuitive initiation. Although different (and dare I say, opposite), their approaches complement each other and ultimately benefit the student in multiple ways.

It is indeed quite interesting how the Planetary Dignities add another subtle layer of nuance to our meaning and interpretation of these card pairings.

The Number: 6

Let’s take a quick look at our number, which is 6.

The number six is all about harmony, balance, society, community, home, and family ties. 6 is all about bringing everything together and making sure that everybody has a nice connection with each other. 6 is very affectionate. 6 loves to take on responsibility and be of service to others. 6 people are often involved in healthcare-related fields, where they’re taking care of people. Regardless of their profession, 6 people end up taking care of people in various ways. 6 creates a harmonious energy whether at home or work. 6 is also about intellectual creativity, fantasy, imagination, abstract thinking, and theory.

Tarot + Astrology: 6 of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus: ☾ in ♉︎

With all that interesting information, let’s look at our card of the Decan: the 6 of Pentacles.

6 of Pentacles

In the 6 of Pentacles from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, we see 2 people who look like beggars. They could even be the two people from the 5 of Pentacles, who were facing hardship! Now they are asking for help, and we see a man giving them help. I call this man the Merchant. He is well-dressed and holds on to a pair of scales with which he measures out the coins that he gives to these beggars. I used to think that the pair of scales showed us how he was being fair and rational with his money — being generous and helpful, but not overly so.

But another link that may be interesting, and it is a bit of a long shot, is that Taurus is ruled by Venus, which also rules Libra — the Sign whose glyph is a pair of scales. As I said, it is a bit of a stretch, but I did see it.

Additionally, here’s another perspective that inspired me. It is about the nature and the intention of the giving and the receiving of these material benefits.

Look at Valerie’s post about this energy in the 6 of Pentacles. I love how she brought that aspect into consideration.

Ultimately, the harmonious energy of the 6 drives the overall vibe of this card.

We can see how the instinctive understanding of the Moon pairs up with Taurus’s natural generosity and prudence, in how the merchant knows how and how much assistance he can give to the beggars. Even the beggars understand how this generosity will help them create emotional and financial security, enabling them to feel safe and start thinking about their path forward.

In the 6 of Pentacles from the Tarot de Marseilles, we can see the coins laid out in such a way that we can see them as a set of 4 harmonious coins to which 2 more coins have joined in, without disturbing their original stability. However, they have added a layer of creativity, expansion, and growth to that stable formation. We can also see these coins as 2 sets of 3 coins, all interconnected, layering creativity and manifestation upon each other. We see harmonious growth in each formation that doesn’t disturb existing structures. Material (Taurus) satisfaction (the Moon) manifests harmoniously (6) and spreads the benefits everywhere.

In the 6 of Pentacles from the Thoth Tarot, we see a hexagram with the 6 planets from Traditional Astrology placed on each point. The Sun is in the center of the 49-petaled rose. The hexagram is said to be found in the lower arm of the Hermetic Rose cross. Here we see all the planets working together in harmony (6) to manifest the successful combination of instinct (the Moon) in the material realm (Taurus).

In the 6 of Pentacles from the Telos Tarot, we see the Decan imagery and the Maypole, which signifies celebrations of the beginning of the warm season. We continue with our planting & cultivation activities from our previous card, now worrying less and enjoying the initial success of our endeavors. This is the material realization of our steady efforts (Taurus) fueled by the joy of embracing the creation process (the Moon).

Supporting Cards: The Ace of Pentacles + The Page of Pentacles + The Knight of Pentacles

All these Pentacle cards are very much in their element, lending their support and help to our card. The Aces are the seed of the material gains and bounty, while the Pages explore the limits of what these bounties can accomplish. The Knights end up taking the actions required to manifest this in a satisfactory manner.

6 of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus: ☾ in ♉︎: Manifesting Satisfaction

This combination of the Moon in Taurus is truly about satisfaction in harmoniously manifesting all the material benefits one desires. When we harmoniously invest our emotions and feelings and deepest creative urges in the material world, we will surely bring about successful manifestation. This card shows you how to make it happen and what you will manifest if you do.

🎞️ The Video

Here’s my video about 6 of Pentacles – Moon in Taurus – the Second Decan of Taurus.

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📸 The Infographic + ⬇️ The Download

Click the buttons below to download the infographic for the 6 of Pentacles: Moon in Taurus. You can also download the PDF version of the slides for this card, and the other handouts for making your notes.

Click here to Download the Infographics

Click here to download the Presentation Slides PDF

Click here to copy the Decan Walk Worksheets to your Google Drive

📚 Homework

📓 Things to Think (or Journal) about the 6 of Pentacles – Moon in Taurus

Here are some things to think (or Journal) about while you reflect upon the 6 of Pentacles and how the energies of the Moon in Taurus show up in the card imagery.

• What are the spaces in your life where you need to examine the quality and the intent of the giving and taking of material resources? In other words, when you look at the different transactional energies of money in your life, what are the various intentions you sense in that interaction?
• What are the areas of your life where transactional exchanges take place?
  • Are they balanced or imbalanced? In what way?
  • Do the balanced or the imbalanced transactional exchanges affect the net results of those transactions?
• Consider the resources you have. Would you be open to sharing those resources with others who don’t have them, especially if it does not put you in a difficult position? Why, or why not? And yes, there is no judgment either way.
• Now, put yourself in the position of someone who needs help. What kind of help would you need? What would be the intent or the energy surrounding you receiving that help? What sort of intents would you be comfortable or uncomfortable receiving help from?
• Consider the harmonious nature of the number 6. How would you create a harmonious energy of sharing and growth that doesn’t shake up your stability? In what manner would you invite the energy of the 6 of Pentacles to manifest in your life?
• Students of Astrology: Do you have this placement in your chart? How does this energy show up in your life?
• Where in your birth chart (which House and Sign) do you find the Sign of Taurus and the Moon? How do these energies appear in that House (life area) and Sign?

🧶 The Story So Far…

Before I sign off, let’s see how the Decan story is shaping up.

6 of Pentacles

In the 2 of Wands, we saw that the very Martian desire to take action had a willing energetic space in Aries. The adventure began with the desire to expand and explore the possibilities. The Emperor wanted to extend and protect his realm, and he was ready to do what it took to make that happen. In the 3 of Wands, the bright Sun endowed the energy of Aries with clarity and passion. All the hurdles were crossed, all the dragons were slain. Ultimately, all the Emperor could do was supervise the process to ensure everything went smoothly. Finally, the Emperor wrapped up his campaign in the 4 of Wands by inviting the Empress to his castle. He now celebrated his success and decided to enjoy the fruits of his hard work.

Soon enough, the Hierophant rolled around in the 5 of Pentacles, bringing his existential worries into play. Mercury goes into overdrive, thinking about all the possible things that could go wrong. But it is time to start planting the seeds. One can’t divert from the rules and structures of the world, no matter how anxious or tense this resistance may get. And now, in the 6 of Pentacles, the calm and intuitive Moon visits the Hierophant, merging inner wisdom with that of the Hierophant’s organized faith. They come together to experience profound satisfaction in the material world by manifesting success on multiple levels. Here, we see the energies settle in a space where they can nurture their creative endeavors and make good money.

💞 Talk to Me…

I would love to hear your thoughts on this Decan walk journey and your insights from the 6 of Pentacles connection with the Moon in Taurus. If you have anything to add or share, please share your thoughts with me. Each perspective feels like another beautiful layer of meaning added to my store of insights.