UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE OF PENTACLES

The Five of Pentacles features a snow scene showing two impoverished people
suffering a harsh winter. It is reminiscent of Dickens’s 1843 novel A Christmas
Carol and its child character, Tiny Tim, a disabled boy on crutches. The beggar
in the Rider-Waite deck appears to be a small grown man—an adult Tiny Tim,
still struggling to survive years on. Around his neck is a bell, which in medieval
times was worn by lepers to warn others of their approach. He has become
untouchable and excluded from society.
The woman accompanying him is barefoot and gray-haired, wearing a red
cloak. The color shows she will persist, despite their predicament—but what she
cannot yet grasp is any possibility of change. The pair are fixed on surviving the
elements and do not notice the window above, with its depiction of a money tree
of five coins and a safe, solid property behind it. Even if the paupers could raise
their heads to face the biting wind, this idyllic scene would seem a world away
from their reality. The stained glass also reminds us of church windows. As the
man and woman are not part of the church, and do not venture inside, there is a
sense of being excluded from a spiritual community.
On the kabbalistic Tree of Life, the sphere associated with this card is
Geburah, or power; its additional meaning is destruction and cruelty, echoing the
suffering of the two beggars. We might also interpret this harsh sphere as a
message to relinquish our victimhood and take back our power, whatever knocks
we endure.
The astrological association of Mercury in Taurus is an uncomfortable, and
often incompatible, combination. Mercury is lined with speed and
communication, while the influence of Taurus is slow and steady. In the Five of
Pentacles, this can reveal a contrary influence that brings frustration and at times
the inability to make consistent progress.
Five is the number of mankind. Five is also the quintessence, or fifth element
in alchemy. The five coins on the card give us the meaning that there is still
something to be discovered that is not yet obvious—like the quintessence, it is
invisible now, but may be revealed later.

UPRIGHT MEANING
The traditional meaning of this Five of Pentacles is financial loss, so when it
shows up in a reading, it can mean losing a job or a relationship or experiencing
some other financial or emotional hardship. The positive aspect is that you find
support from others in a similar position. These contacts may become good
friends whom you may never have met in your usual circumstances. Consider
new options, and you may discover another resource or approach that will help
you see a way forward.
However, this card often comes up in readings to show a fear of poverty and
isolation, rather than actual poverty. It also commonly shows a fear of losing the
security of home and/or the aftermath of a relationship breakup, with one partner
feeling alone and depleted. It occasionally reveals the impact of bereavement.
While tarot cards do not predict death, the Five of Pentacles when in the
present/situation position in a reading (rather than the future position) can reflect
the feelings of sadness as a result of losing someone close.

REVERSED MEANING
There’s a moral theme to the interpretation for the reversed Five of Pentacles, in
that the card asks you to examine your values. If you’re clinging to objects,
people, or money, what are you avoiding? Fear of change could lead you to
ignore debt or become oblivious to growing tension in a relationship. Hoarding
old possessions and memories shows you need to feel safe for now and don’t
have the confidence or the faith that you will be supported in the future—at
least, just at present. As with all minor arcana cards, though, this is a temporary
influence.
In relationships, you may suffer due to a partner’s selfish behavior. This
person doesn’t want to give to you emotionally, or he or she withholds money.
The card can also show you being ill-treated by an ex-partner who doesn’t pay
what is due.
 SIX OF PENTACLES

Element: Earth
Astrological Association: Moon in Taurus
Number: 6
Tree of Life Position: Tiphareth, the sphere of beauty and rebirth
Key Meaning: Property, family, inheritance
UNDERSTANDING THE SIX OF PENTACLES
Like the figure of card XI, Justice, the young nobleman on the Six of Pentacles
holds a pair of scales, and he is dressed in red, the color of energy and
practicality. His mantle is purple, the color of intuition and spirituality—and a
sign that he acts in good faith. He wears a blue-striped tunic—the only other
Pentacle card with this stripe is the Nine, in which the woman shows one blue
stripe beneath her robe. Both these cards share the virtue of generosity. Our
nobleman is judicious, weighing the situation with the scales of mercy in his left
hand and giving out coins with his right hand.
The two figures kneeling before him are beggars. One is wounded, wearing
sackcloth and a bandage around his head, the other, young and poor, his blue
cloak bearing a patch. Because of his blue, we know he is experiencing true
poverty and deserves help. The men exist in a barren place beyond the city walls
and its greenery, and there is nothing to succor them. The white sky gives a
feeling of uncertainty—it is not yellow and joyful, nor blue, for clarity—but this
wealthy man gives money regardless of what the outcome might be.
Six is the number of harmony and passivity. For the beggars, this is the ability
to surrender and accept, which brings some serenity, even temporarily. The
particular arrangement of the coin symbols might be a representation of the
Hebrew letter Kaph on its side—Kaph means palm and what might be in the
palm. On this card, the palms give and receive coins. Six also has the meaning of
the past creating the present and future, so money earned or saved in the past
may now be shared.
The Tree of Life sphere associated with this card is Tiphareth, the sphere of
beauty and rebirth, relating to the beauty of the generous soul. The Six of
Pentacles has an astrological association with the Moon in Taurus, highlighting
stability with sensitivity. This means being able to be generous without
patronizing the recipient and also knowing how to receive help graciously.

UPRIGHT MEANING
The upright card shows that money is coming to you. It may arrive as a gift or an
award and may be donated by an individual rather than an organization. This
allows you to pay off any outstanding debt and/or invest the money wisely in
your future. If you have been struggling financially, this card is a welcome sign
that your circumstances will certainly improve. Equally, the card can show that
you are the benefactor, so you may help a friend in need with a temporary cash-
flow problem, or you feel drawn to support a charity that is close to your heart.
Whomever you choose to help, you will consider carefully his or her needs and
offer the right amount to make a difference.
Overall, this card brings genuine support and predicts you feeling connected
and close to your usual circle of friends and family. Together, you may be
exchanging small gifts of appreciation.
An additional meaning is receiving help or money from a person from your
past or using savings to help another person.

REVERSED MEANING
When reversed, the Six of Pentacles shows money coming to you but you cannot
keep it—usually due to carelessness or theft. A traditional meaning of the card is
having your purse or wallet stolen, and this message is reinforced if the reversed
card is placed close to the Seven of Swords, the “thief” card of the minor arcana
(see page 88). Guard your possessions carefully and watch what you spend so
that enough money stays in your pocket. The reversed card also suggests there
may be envy due to money, so monitor your attitudes and the attitudes of people
around you.
An alternative interpretation is an offer of money, but it comes with
conditions that are not acceptable to you. The message here is not to compromise
and to say no if you need to. There will be other options.
 SEVEN OF PENTACLES

Element: Earth
Astrological Association: Saturn in Taurus
Number: 7
Tree of Life Position: Netzach, the sphere of endurance, instinct, and desire
Key Meanings: Work and the potential for success
UNDERSTANDING THE SEVEN OF PENTACLES
The Seven of Pentacles is a card of potential success. A young man considers his
treasure, six coins arranged on a vine and a seventh at his feet. This is the same
vine we see on the “bounty” cards of this suit—the joyful Four of Pentacles,
luxury-loving Nine, the established Ten, and the wealthy King (see pages 154,
164, 166, and 174). Here, on the Seven of Pentacles, the vine is established, with
large, healthy leaves—but there are no grapes. The plant is not mature enough
yet to bear its full fruit. The man leans on his hoe, his magical object of
transformation, as he painstakingly tends the land to nurture his vine. Slowly and
with effort, it will bear him fruit. According to A. E. Waite, the creator of the
Rider-Waite cards, “One would say that these are his treasures and that his heart
was there.” The six coins on the tree show what must be saved for the future, and
the single coin represents his disposable income, or what he can spend now on
himself. This is small reward for now, but there is more to come, provided he
can keep going and not rest too long contemplating his situation.
Our grafter wears a tunic of red, to symbolize his energy, and blue, showing
he is following his true purpose. His feet, like his vine, are firmly planted in the
soil. He may be taking stock of his achievement as he gazes at his coins, but he
will have to keep going if he is to see his ideas ripen and reward come. The
purple mountains echo those on the Two and Three of Wands, and stand for
goals and using our intuition.
The card’s astrological association, Saturn in Taurus, means endeavor. The
influence of the taskmaster planet Saturn leaves no room for fantastical plans
and proposals—whatever you do must be grounded, organized, and nurtured
with consistent effort. Netzach, the card’s Tree of Life sphere, stands for
endurance, so the combined astrological and kabbalistic meaning of the card is
long-term dedication.
The card’s number is the mystical number seven. Seven is composed of three,
the number of heaven, and four, the number of earth, so the challenge is to bring
heaven down to earth—to makes your dreams reality (see VII, The Chariot, page
xx). In the Seven of Pentacles, this reward comes from work, work, work—and
keeping your eye on the prize.

UPRIGHT MEANING
There’s a goal in sight, and you are close to achieving it—but now is not the