means plans concerning property progress.

With strategizing and setting a

realistic goal, you will succeed. Pay attention to the practical details now, and
future benefits are assured. Day to day, this Knight asks you to get through
boring and routine, but essential, tasks. In work, the card can indicate more
money coming to you due to a raise, bonus, or promotion, but you may need to
work harder in return.
An additional meaning of the card is finding a secure home, potentially with a
partner.
As a person: This Knight is loyal and dependable. He is a natural protector,
and security is very important to him. He may work in property or finance.
As a potential partner, he has much to offer and is genuine. For some, he may
lack excitement, as he plans rather than reacts; he can be slow to judge and to
express his feelings, and keeps on safe subjects. Depending on what you need
from a relationship, he could be a gift—your rock through thick and thin. If you
crave excitement, he won’t be entertaining enough to capture your heart
As the “you” card in a reading: Invest your time wisely. Be consistent in
your efforts.
As an influence: If two or more Knights fall close together in a reading, the
meanings are as follows:

Two Knights: Friendship if upright; rivalry if one or both cards are reversed
Three Knights: Men meeting up
Four Knights: Lots of action; events speed up

REVERSED MEANING
When reversed, the card advises that you avoid complacency and check out all
financial arrangements. The most negative interpretation of the card is financial
mismanagement and misleading advice.
As a person, the reversed knight is stubborn and cannot see others’
viewpoints. He is plodding and pessimistic, reluctant to take action and
unwilling to go beyond his comfort zone. He may tend to be materialistic and
secretive and, in extremis, dishonest.
 QUEEN OF PENTACLES

Element: Water of the suit of Earth

Astrological Associations: Sagittarius and Capricorn
Chakras: Base and solar plexus, for security (earthiness) and wisdom
Key Meaning: A reliable woman
UNDERSTANDING THE QUEEN OF PENTACLES
The Queen of Pentacles is an aspect of card III, The Empress, or mother
archetype. The Queen of Cups is the heart, the Queen of Swords, the mind, and
the Queen of Wands, the soul (see pages 144, 200, 228, and III, The Empress,
page 43). Our Queen of Pentacles is the physical, or material, side of the mother
—the aspect that deals with money, property, and practical concerns to make our
lives secure.
This Queen looks down upon her golden coin and to the earth itself, Earth
being her suit element. All around her are symbols of spring and fertility—the
hare, lush vegetation, flowing water, and flowers. The rose briar is also seen on
card VIII, Strength, and I, The Magician—which also shares the dominant colors
of red and yellow for practicality and clear sightedness. The land is part
cultivated and part wild, giving the sense that work is ongoing and that the
Queen is comfortable in nature and in the domain of her own garden or yard. She
is pragmatic, cares for her environment, and above all, works hard to achieve
long-term success. She is patient and will wait to see the fruit of her labor.
Engraved on the Queen’s throne are pears. Symbols of fertility and long life,
pears were sacred to the Italian deity Pomona, goddess of fruit trees and the
orchard. According to Ovid, Pomona was a wood nymph—which the Rider-
Waite deck’s artist, Pamela Colman Smith, may well have referenced in the
carving of a nymph on the right of the throne. The goat’s head is the symbol for
Capricorn, one of the Queen’s zodiac signs, mirrored as a winged goat on the
crest of her crown. The goat also appears on card XV, The Devil, and is a symbol
of excess that, in the case of the Queen of Pentacles, translates as sensuality.
The card’s element combination is Water of Earth. As water feeds earth and
makes crops grow, this underlines the Queen’s association with fertility and
plenty.
Queens and Kings in tarot are traditionally regarded as people in your life or
people about to come into your orbit. However, you can also read the Queen as a
general influence, so this interpretation is included last.

UPRIGHT MEANING
As a person: The Queen of Pentacles is usually well off, generous, and
supportive. She has a strong maternal instinct, is affectionate and wise—and she
may be an older woman, or a younger female with wisdom beyond her years.
 Her vocations include public office, ecology, agriculture, politics, sports
coaching, food and catering, and business—any work that benefits large
numbers of people. She may be a homemaker, as she loves caring for her home
and garden. She likes the good things in life and knows how to spend money
well—on beautiful objects, on gifts for loved ones, and of course, on herself. She
is physically affectionate and hands-on in her projects; rather than dictating from
the sidelines, she will lend practical help.
In readings, she commonly shows up as a benefactor.
As the “you” card in a reading: Care for your body and your finances.
As an influence: In addition to practical support, wisdom, good financial
management, and financial help, the Queen of Pentacles can show marriage and
money coming to a couple. It is also a positive card for good health, a sensual
sex life, fertility, and children.
If two or more Queens fall close together in a reading, the meanings are as
follows:

Two Queens: Rivalry

Three Queens: Helpful friends
Four Queens: Women meeting up

REVERSED MEANING
When this card is reversed, finances can suffer. Money you relied upon doesn’t
roll in or funds are misappropriated. You may have to deal with the impact of
someone’s financial mishaps. This is temporary, however. An additional
meaning is your home is neglected while other concerns take over.
As a person, the reversed Queen can be stubborn and unimaginative. She can
be mean with money, or at the other extreme, an emotional spender. Her erratic
behavior is for self-comfort, or she uses money to buy other people’s affection.
 KING OF PENTACLES

Element: Air of the suit of Earth

Astrological Associations: Aries and Taurus
Chakras: Solar plexus and base, for wisdom and security
Key Meaning: A generous man
UNDERSTANDING THE KING OF PENTACLES
The King of Pentacles is an aspect of card IV, The Emperor, or father archetype,
who brings structure, order, and authority. The King of Pentacles is the father-
aspect that deals with money, property, and practical concerns to make our lives
secure.
The four bulls’ heads on the King’s throne stand for Aries, one of his zodiac
signs, and the number four relates to his ancestor card, IV, The Emperor (see
page 46), and also symbolizes the four elements. The King has his right foot on
the head of a boar to show his mastery over base instincts. His foot and leg are
armored, to symbolize he has fought hard for his position. This is echoed in the
victory wreath under his crown, which is decorated with red flowers and fleurs-
de-lis, three-petaled lilies or irises, ancient Egyptian fertility symbols. In this
way, the King presides over the fruits of the Earth—the element of his suit.
The grapes and bull imagery also invite a comparison with the ancient legend
of Ampelos, a young satyr loved by the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. Ampelos
was savaged by a wild bull and died. Then Dionysus turned Ampelos’s corpse
into a grapevine and his blood into wine. On the card, vines grow plentifully
around the bulls on the throne of the King of Pentacles and creep onto his robes
as a pattern of leaves and red grapes—symbols of fruitfulness and success. From
this, we deduce that the King plans carefully and expects results from long-term
investments.
He holds a scepter in his right hand and his precious coin in his left, which
rests on his knee. He is protected by a stone wall, and it seems he is stationed
within castle battlements, as we can see the castle keep and towers on the right
of the card. We sense he is secure and protected. The background is golden and
orange, like his coin, reminiscent of late summer sky and harvest time, a symbol
of abundance. The King’s cowl is red, for energy and the material world; he does
not rest on his laurels.
The card’s element is Air of Earth, which can be interpreted as grounded
ideas—the King sees through the projects he begins. Air and Earth can also be
thought of as seeds borne on the wind to impregnate the earth, relating to the
King’s meaning of fertility and foundation for future growth.
Kings and Queens in tarot are traditionally regarded as people in your life or
people about to come into your orbit. However, you can also read the King as a
general influence, so this interpretation is included last.
UPRIGHT MEANING
As a person: A visionary man with a plan, the King will work hard for rewards
and is usually well off. He is reliable and generous and offers practical support.
Security is important to him, and he is happiest in a settled relationship. He
needs to be a protector, and he has firm boundaries—he will not tolerate those
looking to take what is his. His ideal vocations include property and building,
business, accounting or any work that is number-based, as well as agriculture or
land management.
An additional meaning is a generous benefactor.
As the “you” card in a reading: Make the most of your assets.
As an influence: Financial and property matters improve, and you enjoy
success and comfort. The King of Pentacles also predicts conflicts that will be
resolved. In relationships, he offers security and loyalty.
If two or more Kings fall close together in a reading, the meanings are as
follows:

Two Kings: A good partnership

Three Kings: Influential men
Four Kings: A power battle

REVERSED MEANING
When reversed, the King is greedy and untrustworthy, so double-check all
financial agreements to ensure that there are no hidden catches. Debt is an
interpretation of the reversed King, so turn the spotlight on your finances now to
limit the damage of overspending.
As a person, the reversed King is corrupt and may be involved in fraud or
gambling. He is determined to win at any cost.
 The Suit of Swords
ACE OF SWORDS

Element: Air
Astrological Association: The Air signs—Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius
Number: 1
Tree of Life Position: Kether, the sphere of divine light
Key Meanings: Success, decisions, and beginnings