Falconry and the Nine of Disks

Lately the 9 of Disks has been coming up a lot in my readings. In the image, a woman stands in a lush garden with a falcon on her gloved hand. The card typically speaks of creating abundance through self-discipline and hard work. When I see it, I often think of a gorgeous Sunday afternoon after a long, productive week, or a comfy early retirement after a prosperous career.

But what of the falcon? It’s kind of an odd thing for a lady to have in her garden – a bird of prey. You might expect a parakeet or a peacock, but those symbols would suggest a different message. The woman pictured in this card didn’t get where she is by mimicking or preening. It takes something else to get a raptor to be your pet.

I was thinking about this image while I was on Twitter the other day, and next thing you know, I saw a tweet by @KikiValdes about falconry. What syncronicity! A chance to gain a little insight into one of the more intriguing elements of the RWS 9 of Disks.

According to the article, birds of prey don’t typically like hanging out with people. Training them takes a lot of work, and a great deal of ‘patience, persistence, consistency and honesty’. And of course, that’s partly why the falcon is in the Tarot card. These are exactly the traits associated with the 9 of Disks.

To create a place of abundance requires steady, patient and dependable work. But the idea of the falcon as a bird adds something more. It represents the air element in the Tarot, the suit that focuses on ideas, authority, conscious intention and communication. All these elements are necessary to take you past just earning a living to creating the prosperity seen in the card’s image.

And communication is key. Creating the garden is just the first step. For a falcon to want to return from the open sky, and even wear a hood for you, you have to convince it that being under your care is a good thing. Though it’s tough, as the article points out, “learning to communicate at this level and focus on the positive may just help your human relationships as well.”

A great message - if you can get a falcon to trust you, you’re probably pretty reliable. At the very least you’re confident enough to let something you love fly off each day. Afterall, the nest you’ve built is worth coming home to.

The 9 of Disks isn’t just describing a situation of plenty. It’s also describing an attitude of intelligence, compassion and freedom. Physical abundance is only one element of success. To be like the woman in the card, you need to be as dependable as you are willing to let it all go. Her falcon comes back because it knows it can always leave. When it is home, it lives well.

Thanks Kiki for the falconry link! I love finding Tarot insights in non-Tarot places!