First Decan Pisces, Eight Water, Indolence
First Decan Pisces Tarot Eight Water, Eight Cups
First Decan Pisces is ruled by astrological Saturn and corresponds to tarot minor arcana card Eight Water, Eight Cups. Each of the Minor Arcana cards numbered 8 exhibit qualities of intellectual discrimination between beneficial and disadvantageous outcomes because of taking an action. This is because 8 is the number of Hod, the sphere associated with Mercury on the QBL Tree of life.
Sephirothic Planetary Correspondence
The planetary correspondence of Hod is Mercury and each of the minor arcana cards numbered “Eight”, exhibit qualities of this planet colored by their corresponding elemental suit of fire, water, air or earth.
These four suits correspond to the four worlds of the QBL: Fire: Atziluth, Water: Briah, Air: Yetzirah and Earth: Assiah.
Keep in mind the influence of Eight is a backdrop to all the other qualities expressed within this card. Hod has the attribute of splendour and with splendour can come complacency due to a false sense of achievement. This is the situation when submitting to the previous card Seven Water, Illusionary Success. Loss of interest in a project or boredom are other signatures of this state which are really fear of failure that will bring pain.
Astrological Decan Allocation
Tarot Eight Water, Indolence is allocated to the First decan Pisces whose planetary attribution is Saturn, the planet whose tarot major arcana correspondence is Universe.
The combination of Pisces and decan planetary ruler of Saturn is summed up in the card’s title of Indolence.
Saturn in Pisces represents a forceful opposition to the balm inducing qualities normally associated with Water signs. There is disinterest in success and any positive currents will be short lived and thrown aside without further result.
As an influence on a personality we witness an individual who is removed from and who has no desire to integrate into a positive and invigorating social environment to be refreshed but who would rather melt into oblivion.
However, we should also consider there are circumstances where indolence can be understood not as a deterioration of work ethic but desire for freedom from pain, resulting in being cautious or not taking opportunities due to fear of the pain that may result. A period of reflection for inquiring into a situation prior to taking action that might result in failure and pain in one’s personal advancement.
First Decan Pisces Considerations
With the card Indolence we witness the result of a Saturn Pisces combination under the influence of Water.
All present and previous opportunities and achievements are thrown aside as being worthless in this condition of malaise.
If there is a positive aspect to this card it is a lesson in understanding that sometimes on our life journey there will be occasions when we must accept finding a way through an experience in order to gain the knowledge not to return to it.
Eight of Water radiates an atmosphere of despondency where an individual fails to realize or gives little to no value to what they already possess or have achieved. The influence encourages one to roam from one place to another seeking what they feel they are missing but finding it nowhere because their despondency prevents them from realizing they already own it.
Combining these considerations into an image we perceive a stagnant rubbish-filled pool whose incoming opportunities, or waterways, have become blocked and toxic because refreshing invigorating currents of stimulation are prevented from entering and cleaning out its pollution.
In this quagmire life withers and rots transforming living things into slime from where new life will eventually rise.
Personality Type
The human personality type behind Tarot Eight of Water is Knight of Water, Knight of Cups. Here is a personality image best suited to exploit the appearance of Eight Water to one’s advantage through translating the specific ancestral voice of the decan.
His graceful and poetic personality tends to be languid and dreamy. However, it can become inspired and enthusiastic when roused signaling that impetus from outside is the trigger for overcoming Eight of Waters’ influence.
To assist in illustrating this character’s nature imagine a languid sea suddenly becoming roused by wind.
Decan Signature
In our failure to understand what any minor arcana card is saying, we should allow ourselves to be driven back to our specific inner voice of the decan for resolution.
In this example of Eight Water, the conjunction of major arcana cards Moon and Universe corresponding to Pisces and Saturn, are the specific signature of this decan and will be projected through the personality type represented by the Knight of Water whose elemental quality is Fire of Water.
See
Tarot of the Morning Star second expanded and revised edition deck available now.