Taurus III - Get Up You Son of a B*tch

Seven of Pentacles

“If you're ever down and hurt, a little angel is gonna appear on your shoulder…That angel is gonna whisper in your ear, he's gonna say..’GET UP YOU SON OF A BITCH!...'cause

Mickey loves ya’..." – Rocky V

Following the Six of Pentacles and Taurus II, we arrive at Taurus III and the 7 of Pentacles– a decan that is ruled by the taskmaster that is Saturn–this is a planet that demands sacrifice, toil and persistence. 

The Golden Dawn called this card “The Lord of Success Unfulfilled” and Chang would have us add the word “yet.” It’s an important distinction that pairs with the illustration in the classic Rider Waite Smith illustration. 

Here, we find a farmer toiling over his crop. He rests on a long-handled garden tool and there is a forlorn sense that he’s done all he can for the moment but he doesn’t know if his efforts will yield. He fears they won’t and knows either way, there’s a lot more work to come.

Seven of Pentacles

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we get knocked down. What we do next doesn’t just influence the outcome; it also illustrates our character. There is no better personification of this notion in modern pop culture than Rocky. 

T. Susan Chang notes that this card’s arcana rulers are The World (Saturn) and the Hierophant (Taurus, which is ruled by Venus). The World is surrender to the cosmic order. The Hierophant, in turn, is surrender to the order of the divine. In both, surrender. But I also see an additional layer: in both, serve. 

It’s very Rocky-coded. Mickey is Saturnian in his unrelenting pressure on Rocky to evolve, get stronger and persevere. Mickey is both the World and the Hierophant. He is the cosmic order made flesh — the discipline of Saturn delivered through the tradition of a trainer who has seen a hundred fighters quit and knows Rocky won't. The training montages are liturgy. 

The Venusian influence adds another layer and it’s critical: we may know we need to fight through, but why? What is it all for? Who are we serving?

Rocky’s “why?” is clearly Adrian, and it couldn’t be more clearly Venusian – love and the beauty of building a family. 

Austin Coppock (36 Faces) identifies a similar supportive Venusian influence at work within the decan. He references the Litae, which were ancient Greek benevolent spirits — gentle intercessors to whom people would pray for assistance when the work was grinding them down. And astrologer Nicola Allan concurs in her Wild Way Oracle: the Litae are the sign ruler Venus operating beneath the decan ruler Saturn. Saturn may be setting the terms, but Venus is why we keep going. 

They are the reminder that we are not alone.

I think there’s another interesting layer here if we compare this momentary pause in the 7 of Pentacles to the 3 of Wands. In the 3 of Wands, we see a lord who has conquered his lands. He’s sent out his ships, climbed the hill and now is taking a pause to consider his next steps from on high. The Three of Wands pairs the Sun and the Emperor. The Emperor imposes order through will and vision. The Sun illuminates from above, radiates outward. Together they describe a figure who is the author of his circumstances.

What I see is that in contrast to the 3 of Wands, the toil of the 7 of Pentacles isn’t self-directed — it’s in service of something larger. The divine order. The foundation. The land that feeds you and your family.

In my view, the 7 of Pentacles represents a shift in the faith that points to something deeper. The 3 of Wands asked you to have faith in yourself. The 7 of Pentacles farmer may toil all he wants but he doesn’t control the weather. I think the 7 of Pentacles asks for another layer; have faith in yourself to adjust – learn, grow and do better, yes, but also trust the process. 

And when we’re tempted to throw in the towel, we can lean on Mickey’s wisdom yet again:

“I didn’t hear no bell.”