I just finished Terry Pratchett’s Reaper Man. I loved it. I was slightly iffy about the living cities and the parasites at first, but loved the idea in the end. The book was not only highly amusing and made me laugh a lot, but also very engaging and made me think philsophically. Mostly about metaphors, which came to life frequently. The living swears amused me to no end, and Death did too, as he always does. The best part, however, was the Death of Rats – by far the best character on the Disk. Seeing him appear made my day. Definitely one of my favorite books so far. Next on the list: Guards! Guards!
Daily Archives: May 24, 2011
Nine of Disks: Gain
Gain: Discipline, Refinement, and Receiving the Fruits of One’s Labor
The Nine of Disks. Gain. Refinement. Self-reliance. Discipline. Getting Things. Receiving the Fruits of Your Labor. The Nine of Disks corresponds to the Sefirot of Yesod: Crystallization and the Essence of Being. This card’s energy represents the best the Suit of Disks has to offer, and is the resolution of the two weaknesses of the Suit of Disks. This card represents the recovery from Failure by using the appropriate amount of Prudence (not too much). Once one uses Prudence to make up for their faults as seen in Failure, they will begin to Gain. While Prudence represents the labor that goes into making something happen, Gain represents to the Fruits of That Labor, and the act of enjoying and Receiving them. With regards to the Suit of Disks’ Crystallized Essence of Being, this card represents one’s essence of they adhere to the ideals of the Suit of Disks; they are Disciplined and Self-reliant; they can make their own way in the world. This person is also Refined and civilized, as s/he knows how to succeed in the world and Gain from it. This card represents the energies associated with succeeding in the world, and the good things that come from it; this card is the sum total of the Suit of Disks, and represents the best the suit has to offer.
The Rider-Waite art shows a successful young woman, dressed nicely and in a well-maintained garden, with a hawk on one arm. Grapes are growing behind her. She has been productive, and has tamed her inner ferocity (as represented by the hawk). Her garden and serene pose are all symbols of her discipline, and she stand by herself, indicating her self-reliance. The Thoth art shows nine disks arranged on a colorful background of greens, yellows, blues, and browns. The colors all radiate out from the central three Disks, indicating a burst of growth that one can harvest and cash in on, as indicated by the other Six Disks on the periphery.
In a reading, this card asks you to examine the role of receiving the rewards of hard work in your life, and suggests that you look at your degree of self-reliance, discipline, and refinement. Are you able to stand on your own? Do others consider you polite or civilized? Do you belong to the elite cadres of society? Have you been working hard to receive your rewards? Reversed, this card’s energies are blocked, hidden, or twisted somehow; is one’s outward civility masking a deeper bestiality? Have they gained from the labors of others? Are they trying to be self-reliant but failing?
Z. M. Wilmot 