King of Pentacles

The Fool walked through the vineyards. He had seen a parade of Dionysus and his acolytes drunk and reveling across the countryside. The Fool enjoyed a few hours of this spectacle before growing weary of the wine that made his head dizzy, so he sought company elsewhere. He came to a king seated on a […]

The Fool walked through the vineyards. He had seen a parade of Dionysus and his acolytes drunk and reveling across the countryside. The Fool enjoyed a few hours of this spectacle before growing weary of the wine that made his head dizzy, so he sought company elsewhere.

He came to a king seated on a throne in the middle of the vineyard. The rows of grapevines surrounded him and grew outward from him, creating the spokes of a wheel. All the posts that held up the vines were topped with a bull skull. 

As soon as the Fool entered the clearing he could tell that the king was deep in thought. A coin hovered over the king’s hand. The king seemed to be meditating on the slow rotation of the coin. The coin created spots of light which rotated around the vineyard when the coin caught the sun. 

Sometimes it is hard to accomplish something so great, the king said. There is almost a sadness, a period of grief after something ends. Even when people are still congratulating me on a job well done, I find myself wondering if there is anything to look forward to. 

I have to remember the journey that got me here, he continued, that at one point, finishing something seemed out of my grasp. Every obstacle, every mistake, and every point of self-doubt was keeping this moment a mere dream. Now I’m here with my laurels.

The king seemed to be touched by deep melancholy. The Fool could see that this king was very accomplished, and had overcome many complications to be on the throne. The sun was warm, and made the grapevines’ aroma strong. The Fool could smell their fermentation. 

I now have many laurels, the king said, and I know what works now, too. Obstacles and difficulties that I don’t have experience with are becoming fewer and farther between. I have a method for everything now. Even deciding when to think outside the box is part of my methodology. 

One army I crushed with force, the king continued, while other armies I just bought. No bloodshed, just gold. It ends up cheaper to acquire an army than to fight it. Sometimes.

The parade of Dionysus was nearby again, but the king didn’t mind them at all. The drunken singing and the never-ending debauchery paraded through the vineyard. The Fool was still fine not being involved. 

Someday this war is going to end, the king said, and he nodded sadly, as if war ending was a bad thing. 

The Fool thought of the Emperor then, the Emperor and his throne beside the river in the canyon. The Dionysian parade reminded the Fool of the line of people that would come to ask the Emperor for advice instead of sowing turpitude. He wondered if the Emperor felt pangs of grief when he finished solving a problem or answering a question. 

He noticed that this king before him now didn’t mention asking for help like the Emperor did when he needed help. The Emperor would consult the Hierophant, the Empress, the Priestess, and Justice. This king was alone in a vineyard under the hot August sun.

The parade’s sound disappeared as the revelers traveled away from the Fool and the king. The king refocused on the slowly turning coin that hovered over his hand, and after awhile the silence became unsettling. Maybe, thought the Fool, the king had said all he was going to say. 

The day was hot and the Fool felt a thirst. He knew that he should find water instead of more wine to quench it, and he looked around. All he could see was a row of tall trees off in the distance that he figured might reveal a canal or creek. He left the king in meditation and sadness.

He wondered what accomplishment had given the king such grief. He knew that sometimes with a great high comes a great low. The Fool liked to stay away from extremes. He wandered and observed the world around him, but he didn’t like to get involved, because he knew that there were consequences from trying. 

These priorities left the Fool very alone. He also had a feeling of regret whenever the topic of past accomplishments came up. So many people he met had great stories of overcoming adversity, and all the Fool could ever add was how he stayed away from adversity.

Sure enough, the Fool found a canal under the trees. He dipped his hand in the cool water and brought it to his dry mouth. The cool liquid refreshed him, and he walked on, looking for something more.