Mammon the Queen of Pentacles

“Mammon in the New Testament of the Bible is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both quote Jesus using the word in a phrase often rendered in English as “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” In the Middle Ages it was often personified and sometimes included in the seven princes of Hell. Mammon in Hebrew means “money”. The word was adopted to modern Hebrew to mean wealth…”

 

• Source: Wikipedia

 

 

In my own deck, I have granted Mammon the Queen of Pentacles tarot card. Mammon is another of the seven princes of Hell. He is associated with one of the seven sins apportioned to these spirits – that of greed. This demon makes people become obsessed with the accumulation of material wealth to the point where they sin. Like the other seven princes of Hell, Mammon’s office is malevolent as consistent with the nefarious nature of greed.

The Queen of Pentacles is a tarot which can be found in the Minor Arcana deck. When this card occurs upright in a reading it is usually interpreted to mean abundance of finances among others. If it is reversed the card usually means financial independence or conflict at the workplace or at home. This card is consistent with the office of Mammon because the demon is synonymous with the amassing of material wealth leading to abundance.

This tarot card shows a royal female who is seated on a throne. This throne has several decorations such as engravings and carvings all around it. The queen holds a coin in her hand which she looks at intently. There are various animals and plants all over the foreground and background that surround her as well – of these the most important is a rabbit which prances about at the feet of the queen.

Sensual pleasures can also be discerned from observing the Queen of Pentacles. Firstly, the body posture which the royal female adopts is indicative of a person who is relaxed in the satisfaction that her needs are catered to. This is evidenced by her loving gaze coupled with the lush surroundings in which she is seated – there is no indicator of any strife all over the card. Both the foreground and background show rich endowments throughout.

It is noteworthy that these decorations all indicate a sense of abundance. Some of the symbols that are carved on the queen’s throne include fruits, angels, animals, and other harvests. The coin which she holds also indicates this abundance. The queen’s loving gaze towards the coin shows her nurturing side which consistent with the female nature. The rabbit is an indicator of fertility as rabbits are known to reproduce rapidly.

 

The Demon

Mammon is another of the fallen angels who is categorized as one of the seven princes of Hell. He is responsible for tempting human mortals with greed for material wealth. In biblical accounts, wealth is associated with evil because it influences human beings to commit other deviant acts. For this reason, Mammon is mentioned severally within biblical accounts as being a tempting influence for mankind.

Mammon has a rather humanly appearance in the majority of depictions – some accounts however give him a monstrous appearance such as glowing eyes and leathery skin. However, his countenance is somewhat unnerving as consistent with his demonic nature. He is usually shown clutching a bag of coins to indicate his affiliation with material wealth. There are no mentions of whether he assumes any other appearance besides this.

This demon definitely has Jewish origins although his true identity has since been lost to history. The word “Mammon” is Semitic for wealth, riches, or financial abundance. He is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. Among the biblical books which make mention of this demon are Matthew and Luke. The demon is also mentioned in the Talmud legends. There is little other information which is available regarding his past before falling from grace.

Note – there are no mentions of whether this demon is benevolent, malevolent, or indifferent towards human mortals. He should therefore be treated with caution especially by inexperienced conjurors.

 

The Message

I believe that despite his flaws, Mammon is a demon whose abilities can be leveraged by the conjuror. Given that he tempts people with greed for material possessions, it stands to reason that he is capable of making one aggressive in the pursuit of their goals. In this way, the demon makes it possible for one to get ahead in life by amassing wealth and other material resources. He can also be used to target the enemies of the conjuror by inciting them into wrongdoing.

If the tarot reading was upright, one should expect positive outcomes. The implication here is that the subject of the reading stands to benefit from financial abundance or success elsewhere. Alternatively, they may adopt a practical approach towards their activities thereby increasing the likelihood of success. The subject of the reading may also become more nurturing in their ways leading to a wholesome family life and relationships.

If the reading was reversed however, there is the implication of risk. For instance, one can expect some conflict to come their way in the near future. Another of the outcomes associated with a reversed reading is financial independence – this is obviously a desirable outcome as it shows the person will experience abundances. The other outcome of the reversed reading is self-care which may also be desirable as it shows one prioritizing themselves.

The outcomes associated with these readings can be expected to appear within a week or so. During this time, it is important not to get overly excited. You should always tread carefully when it comes to these spirits because of their superlative knowledge and nuance of the way the universe works. Nevertheless, the Queen of Pentacles almost always portends well as seen in both the upright and reversed readings.

 

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammon

https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-pentacles/queen-of-pentacles/

https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/bible/biblical-proper-names/mammon