I love that expression, 'like a bull in a china shop'. It conjures up a fantastic image of a huge, muscular animal with awesome power but no grace, rampaging through a room full of delicate ornaments and fragile, beautiful objects, smashing everything to hell! I think this idea is central to the warning element in the King of Pentacles. There's a tremendous power in the king. He's ready for anything. He feels hugely optimistic, virile, capable and masterful. He's working to amass more fortune, more success and more adoration and he's impressing himself while he's at it. But over-confidence may be his ultimate downfall. Putting out such overwhelming energy may mean upsetting the balance with those around him, laying him open to accusations of arrogance or selfishness. He may get himself into a destructive mindset whereby failure is not an option and every setback is a glaring indictment of his character.This card is asking you to consider the ways in which the drive towards success can play with self-perception. It is possible to forge forward with your eye on the prize without losing your sense of fair play and diplomacy. It's possible to be tenacious and driven without being ruthless or inconsiderate. The balance must be struck between self-motivation and acting for the greater good. You have the free will to invest the tremendous energy and power you have into good, worthy pursuits. It's lonely at the top, as they say, so you need to make sure you've kept the people around you whom you can really trust and have them close by to enjoy the more light-hearted and frivolous things life has to offer, not to mention the fruits of your labour.
Don't step on people's toes. Listen to the ideas and viewpoints of others. Naturally, be confident about what you can expect and deserve, particularly when you've been working so diligently towards what you want. But don't let your own ambition go to your head. There's a lot more work to do and not all of it will be triumphant and enjoyable. Some of it is good old-fashioned hard slog and that's ok. Many things that are difficult to obtain are worth getting your hands on, but not at the expense of your friendships, your enjoyment of free time or your sense of who you really are.
