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The Knight (King) of Disks (Coins) embodies the male side of the Earth Element, represents the pursuit of property, security, and material values, and displays our sense of reality. He evaluates actions, not words, wishes, or goodwill. It expresses our endeavor to persist, our persistence, the sure occurrence of known things. In addition, it has a sophisticated sense of feasibility and expediency, and instincts attention to beneficial business opportunities. Our time-consciousness represents the consciousness of the slow arrival of long-lasting values, our ability to wait patiently, to avoid hesitation. The King of Coins expresses the nature of a person who enjoys sensual pleasures, pleasures, and satisfaction of our sensual desires. The shady side of the card is the insatiable lifeguard, the heartless kufar and, last but not least, the comforting lounger, "the Oblomov in us", as Goncharov brilliantly portrayed.

KNIGHT OF DISKS

The Knights represent the powers of the letter Yod in the Name. They are the most sublime, original, active part of the Energy of the Element; for this reason they are represented on horseback and clad in complete armour. Their action is swift and violent, but transient. In the Element of Fire, for instance, the Knight corresponds to the Lightning flash; in the Element of Water, to Rain and Springs; in that of Air, to Wind; in that of Earth, to Mountains. It is very important as a mental exercise to work out for oneself these correspondences between the Symbol and the Natural Forces which they represent; and it is essential to practical Magical work to have assimilated this knowledge. 

The Knight of Disks represents the fiery part of Earth, and refers in particular to the phenomena of mountains, earthquakes, and gravitation; but it also represents the activity of Earth regarded as the producer of Life. He rules from the 21st degree of Leo to the 20th degree of Virgo, and is thus concerned greatly with agriculture. This warrior is short and sturdy in type. He is clothed in great solidity of plate armour; but his helmet, which is crested with the head of a stag, is thrown back, for at the moment his function is entirely con- fined to the production of food. For this reason he is armed with a flail. The disk which he bears, moreover, is very solid; it represents nutrition. These characteristics are borne out by his horse; a shire horse, solidly planted on all four feet, as was not the case with the other Knights. He rides through the fertile land; even the distant hills are cultivated fields.

Those whom he symbolizes tend to be dull, heavy and preoccupied with material things. They are laborious and patient, but would have little intellectual grasp even of matters which concern them most closely. Their success in these is due to instinct, to imitation of Nature. They lack initiative; their fire is the smouldering fire of the process of growth.

If ill-dignified, these people are hopelessly stupid, slavish, quite incapable of foresight even in their own affairs, or of taking an intelligent interest in anything outside them. They are churlish, surly, and jealous (in a dull sort of way) of what they instinctively realize is the superior state of others; but they have not the courage or intelligence to better themselves. Yet they are always irritably meddling about petty matters; they interfere with, and inevitably spoil, whatever comes their way.

In the Yi King, the fiery part of Earth is represented by the 62nd hexagram, Hsiao Kwo. This is as important as its complement, Kung Fu (see under Prince of Cups); it is a “big Khan”, the trigram of Luna with each line doubled. But it is also suggestive of the Geomantic figure Conjunctio, Mercury in Virgo, corresponding very closely indeed with the Fire of Earth attribution in the Qabalistic system.

To the Chinese sages, moreover, the shape of the figure gave the idea of a bird. The meaning is, accordingly, modified by human influence of the more frivolous and irresponsible kind, Shakespeare’s “little wanton harlotry”, the French cynic’s “Souvent femme vane”, and the fickle mob of Coriolanus; indeed, of History itself.

But Mercury in Virgo symbolizes Intelligence (and even creative Idea) applied to Agriculture; and this (once more!) harmonizes perfectly with the Ten of Disks, which is ruled by this Planet and this Sign. This adds to the superabundant mass of proof that this whole system of symbolism is based upon Realities of Nature, as understood by the materialist School of Science-if such a school survives in some obscure and obsolescent University! Such coherence, such introverted exfoliation, cannot be the chance parallelism of the dreams of nebulous philosophies.

The character described by this card is therefore exceeding complex yet admirably well-knit; but its dangers are indicated by the symbols of Luna and the bird. In the happiest cases, the qualities thus indicated will be romance and imagination; but overweening ambition, the pursuit of Ignis Fatuus, superstition, and the tendency to waste time in idle dreaming, are perils all too frequently found in such sons of the soil. Thomas Hardy has painted many admirable portraits of the type. Ill-starred indeed and black with bile are those who have profaned the Sacred Fire, not enkindling Earth to new, more copious, more varied life, but peering in deceptive moonlight, turning their faces from their mother Earth. 

KNIGHT OF DISKS

Astrology: 21° Leo to 20° Virgo Element and world: The Earth of Assiah Tree of Life: Chokmah

The Knight of Disks represents the Fire in the element of Earth, and with Earth surpressing Fire, the materialism is the dominant aspect in this card, showing the Knight as a complex person of amazing strength, representing Earth in its function as provider of life. 

The Knight of Disks is industrious and patient, steady and reliable, clever in material matters. He is the one working without asking much, concentrating on his tasks without getting distracted by mindgames or high flying ideas. With more Earth than Fire and lacking the qualities of Air, the King of Disks is more dedicated to making but to thinking, his success results from instinct and pragmatism rather than from intellect or knowledge. 

Further, the King of Disks lacks the emotional depth of Water, therefore he can have difficulties to understand or relate to others, he can be self-centered and sullen, intolerant and unable to put any interest in anything outside his own deeds and doings. 

At the darkest side, the Knight of Disks can turn stubborn and even stupid, clumsy and jelous on anyone that seems higher than himself, arousing over tidbits and butting in everything, yet cowardish and unwilling to change himself.

Drive: Strife for material success and wealth 

Light: Clever in material matters, patient, industrious, reliable, strong and enduring 

Shadow: Stubborness, dullness, jealousy, grasping, stagnant

THE KING OF DISKS - (Knight of Coins / Pentacles) - Sun - Bull - Sensual Pleasures

Keywords: fiery aspect of the earth, doctor, healer, financial investment, harvest, work and fatigue

Advice: It's time to put your ability to work at the service of something. There are difficult tasks ahead of you that require you to use all your strength. If you make the necessary efforts, the harvest will reward you richly.

Question: Are there any tasks in my life that I want to avoid?

Suggestion: Whenever things seem too worrying to you, focus on the positive results of your actions for you and others. Your inner learning and growth process is the most important result, more important than what you do with your work.

Revelation: With every task I encounter, I also get the energy I need to solve it.

Analogies:

Ji-Ching: None (?)

Mythology: The Hedonists (Dionysus, Zeus, Minos, Sons of Europe)

Keywords: hedonism, desire for property, sensual pleasures, objectivity, hand grasp

Attention to others is more important than gold.

KING OF PENTACLES

General Meaning

Representing the energy of a King, this card in the suit of Coins or Pentacles displays one who has accomplished a lot in life and has arranged his or her affairs so that he has much good to show for it. Possessing a practical genius in the ways of the world, he loves to build things. Because he's so good at deal-making, this character is privy to the biggest deals in town. He has the power to make or break people financially. Although this does not always win him love, it certainly earns him respect.

In previous centuries this card referred to the myth of Midas, who loved gold so much that he was cursed so that everything he touched turned to gold. One day his daughter reached out to him and was turned into a golden statue. This story illustrates the downside of letting material security take too much precedence.

While the character of this card understands the value of wealth, including the burden it produces, he or she is mature enough to keep things in perspective. Even though the suit of Coins represents the material realm, this King is not just a materialist — his sovereignty reflects higher values, as well as general welfare and prosperity.

In the Reversed Position

The King of Coins reversed suggests that you should shift your focus from control to self-discipline. This may be indicating an insatiable craving that reality on the physical plane cannot satisfy.

Such a situation calls for self-discipline; otherwise you will slide into self-doubt and the misuse of your abilities. A true master, a true king, outgrows the need to demonstrate his power unless it is truly needed for the good of the realm. A negative example of such misuse of power was the mythical King Midas, who craved the power to turn everything to gold that he touched, until he accidentally picked up his daughter. There is more to life than control or ownership.

In the Advice Positon

The King of Coins in this position advises you to behave as if you already were a success. Project confidence that your plans and goals are in the process of unfolding perfectly.

Make your moves with authority and trust in your actions without waiting for acknowledgment or approval. Soon enough you will receive blessing after blessing. If you can learn to feel that kind of confidence in your body and get comfortable with it as your natural state, you will attract the support you desire.

Read more:

• » The Book of Thoth - A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians by Aleister Crowley.
• » Liber LXXVIII - On the Tarot - A complete treatise on the Tarot giving the correct designs of the cards with their attributions and symbolic meanings on all planes. - A description of the Cards of the Tarot, with their attributions, including a method of divination by their use.
• » Manuscript N - The Tarot - A Golden Dawn Manuscript - A Theoricus Adeptus Minor Paper.