The Archetype and The Tarot: The Samaritan and Knight of Pentacles
Through the Samaritan and Knight of Pentacles, this week we’re being called to look at our patterns of offering assistance. Can we come to see that all are equally deserving of help?
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The Samaritan Archetype
This is an archetype that comes to us specifically from a story in the Bible (Luke 10:25-37). In this story, a Jewish traveler was robbed, beaten and left for dead on the side of the road. A few people passed by and did nothing to aid the man. Finally, a Samaritan (a person from Samaria) came along and helped. The Samaritan bandaged the man’s wounds and took him to a nearby inn to recover. The significance of the story is that, historically, Jews and Samaritans were enemies.
The Samaritan archetype, then, is a type of caregiver. Possessing great powers of empathy, they are keenly aware when someone is in need, particularly those they’d rather not help.
When the Samaritan archetype comes up for us, I believe we’re being called to see if we hold beliefs that some people (or parts of ourselves) are more worthy of help than others.
In the light, the Samaritan is a channel of good will. On the lookout for opportunities to be of service, the light side of the Samaritan is the epitome of helpfulness. As a beacon of compassion, the Samaritan in the light does not pick favorites. They offer assistance without bias or personal agenda. As part of this, they have a clear understanding of their own capacities and practice kindness towards themselves too.
On the shadow side, the Samaritan might place the wellbeing of one group (or individual) over another and offer the sort of help that actually causes harm. The example Caroline Myss gives of this is: “the driver who stops in traffic to let another driver make a turn against the flow, with the result of holding up many more drivers in the process.” Rather than being motivated by compassion, the Samaritan in the shadow might offer assistance because of the sense of identity or self-importance they get from the act. This one might offer help even when they are beyond their own capacity to do so. Most commonly, however, the shadow Samaritan is simply indifferent, clouded by apathy when opportunities to be of service arise.
Some questions to consider this week:
Do you feel that there are people in your community (or parts of yourself) who are more worthy of assistance than others?
Do you only feel a sense of purpose when helping others?
Do you feel pressured to help others even when you don’t want to?
What is the difference between being a good Samaritan and being a people pleaser?
Knight of Pentacles
Here we see a Knight sitting still on their horse, not charging into battle. They are gazing at a pentacle in their right hand. In the background is a fertile and serene farmland.
Even though this one isn’t actually depicted with movement, since they are a Knight, I do believe they’re on a quest, albeit a slow moving one. They are on a quest for the wisdom—the deep symbolic insight—of the suit of Pentacles. To me, the suit of Pentacles represents the physical realm. It’s about ecosystems and the way bodies are in relationship with themselves and each other.
This knight, then, is on a quest to deeply understand the world of form. In this journey, the virtue of strength becomes essential. Strength here isn't just about physical power; it's about the resilience to navigate and harmonize with the intricate web of connections in life. This knight is searching for the inner fortitude to honor the cycles of nature, to stand firm in their values, and to support others as they find their footing in the world. As the knight delves into the mysteries of the material world, it is the strength of spirit and heart that guides and sustains this noble quest.
How does this pair work together?
What I see here is that the Knight of Pentacles, while out on their quest, witnesses the parable of the Good Samaritan. Struck by what they’ve seen, the Knight realizes that true strength lies in having compassion for all beings; in being able to open one’s heart wide enough to include all.
I believe our task this week is to ask ourselves what, if anything, we’ve been excluding from our compassion, and can we find the strength to give it/them a helping hand?
As always, please practice self-kindness with this. While we’re examining our modes of compassion, let us not put ourselves in harm’s way.
I’m really intrigued by this week’s pairing. Personally, I haven't delved deeply into the Samaritan archetype as I don't think that my tendency is to actively seek out opportunities to assist others. I’m curious, too, about watching my patterns to see if I may unintentionally overlook specific groups when it comes to showing compassion. It feels like it will be a week of self-discovery for me! Send me an email, a DM, or leave a comment to let me know how this week goes for you.
P.S. I wanted to share with you all a couple pictures from the ancestral healing intensive I attended last week, led by my dear friend
. This is the offering we collectively made over the course of three days. As we felt pulled, we would each spent a little time reverently adding a bit to the design. It is made from beans, seeds, herbs, spices, leaves, flowers etc. and the love of thousands of generations of healed ancestors coming through the hands of their living sons and daughters. Being part of this ritual is an honor I will carry with me for eternity.
Jenna, first off, thanks so much for sharing those beautiful photos and for connecting me with the work of Shannon Willis! I just subscribed to her Substack and I look forward to learning more about her work.
Also, I love the questions you ask in this post about the Samaritan and the Knight of Pentacles. Especially this question, and I'm offering my own answer, and hoping that other readers will offer their answers too, as I'd love to read more responses to this:
"What is the difference between being a good Samaritan and being a people pleaser?"
=> For me, the difference lies in being aware of a need in another, like the person who had been left for dead on the side of the road, versus simply doing something for someone else with an unconscious desire within me, for them to like me.
Jenna, it looks like you had a wondrous retreat! I look forward to hearing more about it!
This is an interesting pairing. At first these two didn’t seem to energetically connect. As I dug deeper into this though, I looked to the KofP. He is the slowest of the knights. He feels more like a guardian to me, one who watches and protects. His movements are intentional, thought through. He is like the turtle to the hare. Slow and steady. Paying close attention to the details. In this way the Samarian and the KofP are actually more alike than I thought. Both are in service to something greater, wanting to protect the sanctity of life. The KofP is the one who saves the Jewish traveler as they are being attacked or before it even happens. The Samaritan is the one who rescues him because of an attack. Both are offering support, just from different angles.