The Nine of Pentacles depicts a woman standing in a garden, dressed in a way that signifies a high status. The card symbolizes a comfortable lifestyle that has been achieved based on merit. It indicates that managing resources and looking ahead is what ensures long-lasting livelihood.
Nine of Pentacles
Eight of Cups
In the Eight of Cups image, there is a sense of deep sadness but also resolve; we see a figure walking away from a collection of Cups that remain upright and unspilled. The stick that the figure uses and his cloak suggests a long journey ahead: we intuit that he is not planning to return.
Nine of Wands
In the Nine of Wands, the Rider Waite image shows a figure who has faced many struggles and, while he’s still standing strong, the bandage around his head indicates that he has sustained injury along the way. The figure is watchful, wary, anticipating further attacks from any angle.
Three of Wands
The Three of Wands is a card of consolidation; unlike in the Two, here the figure looks out on his boats and is unfettered, and at ease. We have the clear sense of someone at peace with their life, and confident of their place within it.
Four of Cups
The Four of Cups depicts, in the Rider Waite version of the card, a man sitting with arms crossed, looking fed up and disinterested in life. A hand holding a Cup appears from a cloud - an echo of the suit’s Ace, while three other Cups are lined up in front of the man. Here we see what can happen if Water’s receptivity is not tempered by another element: passivity has turned to apathy.
Five of Wands
In the Five of Wands, we see another aspect of the fire element: energy that requires a release to not become destructive. In the traditional Rider Waite image, we see a group of youths engaged in vigorously hitting their wands together; they are immersed in the action, their focus on nothing but the melee itself. A closer look at the card, though, shows us that these figures aren’t actually trying to hurt each other at all, but are merely playfighting, clashing sticks rather than aiming to cause each other any injury.