General Book of the Tarot, by A. E. Thierens, [1930], at sacred-texts.com
TRADITION: Friendship, attachment, affection, intimacy, affinity, tenderness, attraction, etc. "Concord in a state of arms." (W.) Reversed: Falsity, imposture, lie, duplicity, bad faith, deception, superficiality.
THEORY: The element Earth on the Second house. By virtue of the Venusian qualities of the Taurus-house, this Saturnian and Martian element, as will easily be understood, leads up to the magnetic affinity of the sexes, consequently to intimacy, attraction, affection, etc. But the idea of 'friendship' is different and not in this card. It denotes also artistic appreciation, founded on the perfect functioning of the senses. Taste for art will be born from this and an exact knowledge of prices and values. It is the card which means quality and essential virtue. Therefore it has been rendered as 'falsehood,' etc., when reversed, i.e. when the innate virtue is wanting. Now in weak cases this card will certainly denote sensuality and lazy luxurious habits, which will be found accompanied in many instances by the desire for money. For the rest we see in such cases the possibility of stupid resistance, dullness, cruelty, relentless opposition and recreation, passive obstruction, perhaps silent, unforgiving hatred. But in another respect it means the will to cultivate
the soil, in the literal as well as in the figurative sense.
CONCLUSION: Latent force, magnetism, the principle of art, artistic appreciation; quality, virtue; magnetic attraction, affinity, intimacy, affection, that force which binds by the reduction of the senses; in weak cases sensuality, laziness, dullness. When badly aspected cruelty, unforgiving hatred, passive obstruction, etc.