“The Seven of Pentacles represents the not-so-distant days of our ancestors when everything was grown and made by hand.
Before large-scale farming and manufacturing existed, people toiled day in and day out. They worked in difficult, and sometimes dangerous, conditions to provide for their families. For most, the goal was to make it to harvest season.
During harvest time, the crops could finally be gathered and sold. All of the planning and hard work manifested into fruits and vegetables of their labor. What once were small seeds in the ground became coins in their pockets.
Although few of us actually work in the agricultural business today, the message of the Seven of Pentacles still remains the same: long-term success is near if you are willing to put in the work”. Source: Little Spark of Joy
The Seven of Pentacles unquestionably represents accomplishments we have earned through the investment of blood, sweat and tears. It is eye wateringly unbelievable that until 1994 Australian women who worked farms could not declare that their occupation was farmer. Instead they were identified as farmer’s wife, or providing home duties. It is especially amazing given the significant contribution women have made to agriculture since colonisation.
A prime example of credit not being directed to a woman is the story of Mary Penfold.
In 1844 Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold arrived in the new world onboard the Taglioni with a vine cutting and a bold vision. A doctor, with an eye for medicinal winemaking, Penfold and his wife, Mary sought a new life filled with hope and prosperity.
The family purchased 500 acres of ‘the choicest land’ in early colonial South Australia. Here, Christopher planted vines and set in motion philosophies that remain with us to this day and set about inventing tonics, brandies, and fortified wines made from grapes and Australian sunshine.
The 7 of Pentacles indicates that you recognise the importance of investing time and effort now to reap long-term benefits and that you have a deep willingness to invest in long-term success. You’re not trying for instant gratification. You may want to make sure you’re focusing your efforts on the correct places rather than spending time and money on projects that won’t help you achieve your goals
Christopher was seen at the forefront of the winery. The Australian Wine Industry, in its wisdom, believed that the founder of Penfolds Wines and the Maker of the World famous Grange Hermitage should never be a woman and said that Dr Christopher Penfold was responsible for it
all.
However, it was certainly not Dr Christophe Penfold who was responsible for the enormous success of Penfolds. He devoted most of his time to being a doctor. It was actually Mary Penfold who was the unsung chief of Penfolds. She was responsible for many of experimentations, growth and winemaking philosophies. Everything she knew about wine, she taught herself – insisting on having the grapes blended to her own taste. A woman standing confidently at the helm of a thriving business in the 1800s was unheard of. She’d command from a white mare, watching over the vineyard with her treasured spyglass close at hand.
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