Category - Tarot Card Meanings

Page of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A young man in orange and green, the colors of newness, life, and enthusiasm, stands in a spring meadow of blooming flowers, holding up a single pentacle. There is a plowed field to his right, and to his left, mature trees. The plowed field symbolizes newness and potential. The forest symbolizes the cycle of life and the agelessness of wisdom. In the distance is the mountain, symbolizing stability.

The young man holds up his pentacle as if to consecrate it. Or, he’s so transfixed with his pentacle that he doesn’t see anything else. Then again, maybe he doesn’t have to pay attention to things around him. The sky around him is gold; what does he have to worry about literally surrounded with wealth? He looks into his pentacle, trying to decide how and when he will make his fortune.

The interesting thing about the Page of Pentacles is that unlike the other pages, he’s grounded and not in danger of anything. He’s not swinging a weapon, he’s not in the desert, he’s not standing by a raging sea. He’s going to be okay. He’s a practical young man, and even if he’s full of enthusiasm and ready to take the first step, he’s not going to do it foolishly.

His focus on his pentacle show that he’s very interested in whatever material gain he’s planning. He isn’t staring into the distance, but at his pentacle. He has a real, attainable goal, and he will not lose his head getting to it.

Thus, the Page of Pentacles is about new beginnings of a material nature. It’s about taking practical, real steps toward an attainable, known goal. This isn’t pie-in-the-sky or fanciful stuff. While it’s not certain whether the young man is actually going to take any steps toward realizing this goal, it’s possible for him to do so if he’s willing to stop daydreaming and take the next step.

Thus, the Page of Pentacles is a sign of new dreams and ideas of a practical nature. Though the page is inexperienced, his desires are probably attainable, at least by someone, if not the page himself.

The Page of Pentacles foretells the awareness of material or physical gain and the plans and dreams of material gain. The Page of Pentacles may also be the call to start a business, or to make a career or profession out of being someone, not out of fulfilling a role for someone else. The page

When the Page of Pentacles is Reversed:

When the Page of Pentacles is reversed, the querent is generally unrealistic about what they can gain or make for themselves. They’re either too confident or under confident in their abilities, or they aim too high or too low.

It’s possible that the querent underachieves and settles for less because it’s easy rather than push themselves. However, it can also mean that the querent is trying but not overcoming obstacles that get in the way of starting these new endeavors that will lead to riches and financial stability.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent had an idea or motivation to start a practical or material goal.

Present: Currently, the querent is inspired or dreams of doing something that will bring them financial success or stability.

Future: In the future, the querent will hit upon an idea that separates them from others, that will bring them financial and material success.

Ten of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Ten of Pentacles:

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A wealthy man in a yellow cloak with ornate symbols sits with his dogs at his feet while a man, woman, and child stand happily nearby. This could be the man’s children and grandchild. He’s surrounded by ten pentacles.

They sit in an archway looking out over the city. This may be his home; he is at ease. The archway symbolizes stability and permanence, as the arch is a naturally physically stable structure that can withstand centuries, even eons, if nothing significant happens to knock them down.

This is no doubt a wealthy man, but he’s not just wealthy in money, but in security, in his social relations, and his social standing. The dogs symbolize loyalty, another treasure this man has. It’s probably taken him a lifetime to get all of these things, but he did. Now, he can sit back and relax, knowing that he is provided for, and so are his children and their children.

The ten pentacles are arranged in a pattern similar to the Kabbalah Tree of Life, a diagram of how the universe came into being. For this one, singular man, his universe has come into being, and he’s surrounded by it. He is the past, and the point of creation. His children are the present, and his grandchild is the future. The dogs are the raw energy from which life comes. He is in, a way, like God. He’s drawn in a similar fashion to Jehovah, who is often depicted as a white man and a beard.

The Ten of Pentacles is about being your own god and creating the abundance that sustains future generations. It’s about creating wealth and fortune for not just one’s own enjoyment, but for others. This takes time, wisdom, patience, and a genuine desire to create wealth and abundance for someone other than one’s self.

The Ten of Pentacles doesn’t work anymore; the man sits with his dogs as his children do the work: the son is holding a baton, which symbolizes the power of magick and creating one thing from something else. The son is now the one taking over the hard work. In a sense then, the Ten of Pentacles symbolizes the next step after success, when one passes the magic onto the next person so that they may become successful, too.

When the ten of pentacles is Reversed:

When the Ten of Pentacles is reversed, the querent feels unsuccessful and unstable. They can’t rest and enjoy life. Chances are that the querent doesn’t trust others and is micromanaging them. It’s also possible that a loss of business, divorce, or problems in the family cause financial instability and change the way the querent invests their money.

This card reversed can also indicate someone who is stingy with their money and their mental resources. They don’t want to give up control, so they don’t teach others how to take over. The querent can’t truly invest in anything because they don’t have faith that when not under their watchful eye, things won’t go haywire.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was successful and financial stability, and thus taking a break from actively trying to create more success.

Present: The querent is taking a rest from the rat race because they’ve done all they can and now, are ready to let someone else take over and keep things going.

Future: The querent is going to slow down in the future because they’ll have the means and stability to stop working so hard.

Nine of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Nine of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

An adult woman stands in a garden surrounded by ripen grape vines with nine pentacles in the leaves. Her garden is behind a gate, overlooking the mountains. The mountains symbolize strength, and the grapes symbolize richness, abundance, and life.

The woman wears a leather glove on her left hand as a falcon rests on it. Her mind and spirit are under control, and can be released at will. She wears a yellow cloak, the color of intellect, with red rosebuds and trim. The rosebuds symbolize magick that has yet to be realized, and the red is passion. However, her passion is tempered and under her control.

Everything she has is because she has control. Her abundance comes from ability to control her mind, energy, and will and direct them toward the things that will create wealth. There is some magic to that; and considering that it’s a woman on the card, and that the picture was drawn in antiquity, her feat was more than your average rags-to-riches story.

A little snail crawls across the grass. While a snail symbolizes the spiral, or the cycles of expansion, it also symbolizes destruction, because a snail will eat the leaves and grapes that the woman appears to be celebrating. Thus, the snail serves as a reminder of the temporal nature of all material abundance. Even something small, like a snail, can take it away. Thus, she my look at ease, but she is definitely on her guard. This doesn’t cut down her enjoyment. In fact, she’s well-pleased with all she has earned, knowing that she earned it, that it is something she could lose. Thus, this card is about enjoying what you earn in the moment you have it.

The Nine of Pentacles tells you that for the moment sit back and smell the roses. Enjoy what you’ve created and what you grew. It should be enjoyed precisely because it won’t be around forever, and delaying the moment means losing your chance.

The Nine of Pentacles can also mean that if you want to reap the rewards of something, you have to do it yourself. Don’t want for someone to hand it to you; victory is sweeter when you get it on your own. You’re willing to put in the time and effort.

When the nine of pentacles is Reversed:

When the Nine of Pentacles is reversed, the querent is waiting for someone else to make their lives happen for them. They’re relying on someone else’s hard work and talents to bring in fortune. They may be failing restrain themselves and avoid impulsive moves that would keep them from growing their own fortunes.

Regret, or future regret, is likely when Nine of Pentacles is reversed. This card reversed can also mean that the querent isn’t enjoying the fruits of their labor, and that they’re too focused on the possibility of future shortages to enjoy the moment they have right now. Thus, they could lose all the good things they have by the time they realize they have them.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent focused their energy and skills on cultivating something big, were successful, and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.

Present: The querent is currently enjoying well-earned success and the spoils that come with it.

Future: The querent is working hard and will soon be able to enjoy the material success that comes with a job well done.

Eight of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Eight of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A young man sits on a bench, chiseling a pentagram into a pentacle, six of which are fixed to a tree, already completed. There are two more to go, and he’s currently working on one right now. It seems that he’s not creating these pentacles so much as he’s fixing or perfecting them.

He sits alone, away from the city, as he focuses on his work. He wears a blue shirt, the color of serenity and the mind, and red stockings and shoes the color of passion, magic, and vitality. While he seems calm on the surface, underneath it is a fever for something. He enjoys what he’s doing, or at least, he doesn’t want to be doing something else. He’s engrossed in his work.

One wonders what happens next. Do the pentacles just sit there, affixed to the tree? Does he keep them? Does he give them to someone else? The focus is on the moment of labor, not on the moment of achievement. But if he keeps working like that, then chances are that he’ll succeed in whatever he’s doing. He just has to stay the course.

But what happens once he succeeds isn’t important here. In fact, it’s probably better if he’s engrossed in the moment and not looking ahead. His attention should be on the now, not on the future or the past.

The Eight of Pentacles indicates focus, hard work, attention to detail, and making things just right. This is about being proud of a job well done, because that pride was earned through the sweat of one’s brow. However, it’s not about the pride itself, but the pride that inevitably follows the labor.

This is about teaching yourself, or learning through experience. It’s possible that the man isn’t trying to make eight pentacles, but that he’s trying to make one perfect pentacle, and currently, he’s on his 7th or 8th try. This card has been associated with apprenticeship and learning through experience and immersion in the work, as opposed to book learning or watching someone else work.

The eight of pentacles can also mean perfectionism. How much work really needs to go into all those pentacles? Does it really require painstaking detail?

When the eight of pentacles is Reversed:

When the Eight of Pentacles is reversed, the querent is either refusing to learn from experience, or refusing to get their hands dirty and do the work themselves. They’re not actually learning anything in the practical sense, and when the time comes won’t know how to apply what they know, and they may not know how to stick things through.

When this card is reversed, it can mean that the querent is so bogged down in the details that they miss the big picture, and they don’t know when something is enough. Instead of perfecting something, they end up ruining it: they do one thing too many that takes it from perfect to irrevocably flawed. They have to learn to stop while they’re ahead so as not to undo their success.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was hardworking, paying close attention to detail, and trying to perfect something, which has brought them to this moment.

Present: Currently, the querent has their nose to the grindstone and is trying to learn how to or trying to perfect something.

Future: The future brings a time of painstaking attention to detail and trying to make something perfect.

Seven of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Seven of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A young man in orange and blue leans pensively on his hoe and looks at his crop, which appears to be seven pentacles growing on a vine. It’s uncertain whether the pentacles are ripe for the picking, or if they’re still growing and maturing.

From the looks of it, the young man has managed to grow this crop from seemingly nothing, because the land isn’t terrible hospitable. There’s a mountain in the distance, symbolizing stability and strength, but the only thing growing – or perhaps the only thing that matters – is the vine of pentacles. The fact that this looks like grape vines is no accident: wine symbolized blood, transformation, and abundance.

The young man watches his pentacles, but he doesn’t do anything. He wears orange, the color of enthusiasm, and blue, the color of serenity. They’re opposites on the color wheel, contrasts. He’s excited, and yet, patient. He may be waiting for the right time, whatever that is. Is this the right time? It looks that way. Is he going to miss his opportunity if he doesn’t act now? Will there be a better moment to act? It’s tough to say.

The Seven of Pentacles is about long-term investment, patience, and waiting until the time is right. Delayed gratification is the key here. Good things come to those who wait, and now, great things are imminent to the one who worked tirelessly and diligently (and apparently, alone) to make them happen.

And the fact that the man is alone is important here: to do what needs to be done requires being alone. The Seven of Pentacles is a reminder that in order to make what is unknown possible, one may have to do it alone. Consider that when a seed is planted, no one knows where it is other than the planter, and that a young plant bears no fruit unless it matures. Thus, someone has to believe that this seed can grow to become a mighty vine that spreads and bears fruit.

However, this card can also indicate that waiting for the right time isn’t ideal, especially if that means losing your chance. The pentacles appear ripe now; will they still be ripe tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week? Or, will they rot on the vine?

When the seven of pentacles is Reversed:

When the Seven of Pentacles is reversed, it usually means that a lack patience and diligence causes things to never come to fruition. It can also mean that the querent isn’t focusing their energy on one thing so nothing works out. Usually, the querent lacks the discipline to focus on something and see it through, or circumstances keep them from seeing something through. They may also be too reliant on external validation to really create their own fortune.

But this card reversed can also mean that someone is letting an opportunity slip by because they’re too scared to seize it. They’re waiting for a better time or circumstance, and are letting the fruits of their labor rot away.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was cultivating their fortune, waiting for the time to be right to take it and claim it, which has brought them to this moment today.

Present: Currently, the querent is delaying gratification and waiting for something big to come to fruition, or it may be ready, but they’re not taking action.

Future: In the future, the querent will hunker down and focus their time, attention, and resources on a major project or personal goal that they’re not sure will be successful.

Six of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Six of Pentacles

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A man dressed in Tyrian purple, probably a merchant, gives money to two beggars. He does this willingly, even lovingly, and the men are grateful. Tyrian purple was a color that only the wealthy could afford. It was a color of status. The beggars wear the same colors as the beggars in the Five of Pentacles. It’s not winter anymore, and there’s enough to go around for everyone.

That the man is probably a merchant is significant, because it means that his wealth was earned through his own skills and talents, and not merely inherited or handed to him. He understands that nothing comes easy, and that times can be rough. Thus, he understands that the men on their knees before him now could rise up and do great things.

After all, they are equal. The merchant holds a scale in his left hand, symbolizing the balance of all things. Times of scarcity are balanced by the times of good. The scale is at equilibrium. The merchant maintains some equilibrium by giving some of his wealth to the beggars, who in turn look up to him. The merchant has earned this deference and respect.

The Six of Pentacles isn’t straightforward. It symbolizes balance, and it symbolizes charity. Moreover, though, it symbolizes that things can change, and that the possibilities co-exist. There are rich merchants, and there are beggars, and why a merchant isn’t a beggar is not straight forward.

This card also represents stability and the ability to be happy with what you have. The merchant is aware that there is poverty, but he’s not terrified of it. He embraces it as he embraces the beggars. It’s not where he wants to be, but he understands that in life, there are those that have, and there are those that have not. However, the merchant isn’t powerless to change it. In fact, he knows that the real value of his money is being able to control and change the world around him. After all, if he’s willing to give to those in need, who does he have to fear?

When the Six of Pentacles is Reversed:

The Six of Pentacles Reversed can mean a few things. It can definitely mean an imbalance of power, but it’s more than that: it means the imbalance of power that causes material imbalances. The querent may be doing all the earning while someone else is doing all the spending. Or, the querent is supposed to share resources with someone, but one of those people is always getting more than their fair share.

This card reversed could also indicate that the querent may find their fortunes changing while someone close to them is seeing their change in the opposite ways. Instead of causing feelings of charity and compassion, it makes the parties untrusting and stingy.

The Six of Pentacles reversed can also mean feeling out of control of one’s environment, or not having the resources to help others or to change their world, even though they hate the status quo.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was in a good financial or material position, having everything they needed and appreciating it.

Present: Currently, the querent is enjoying having earned all they need and the ability to share the joy with others.

Future: In the future, the querent will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor and share the wealth with those around them.

Five of Pentacles

June 4, 2017

Five of Pentacles:

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A very sick man and a very poor, underfed woman walk past the pristine and glowing stained glass window on a church. The man wears a bell around his neck, reminiscent of a leper, and hobbles around on crutches. Neither have shoes and they trudge through the snow on cold night. Oddly enough, they have one of the most colorful wardrobes of the tarot. She wears orange, the color of life and zest. They both wear blue, the color of serenity and spirituality, and yellow, the color of the higher mind.

He looks up to Heaven. She prays. With nothing on earth to cling to, they look up for support as the snow falls without seemingly stopping. Theirs is a desperate situation, and yet, not all hope is lost. Could they possible go into the church and get help? After all, that is what churches are supposed to be for, in part: helping the needy.

The stained glass window is interesting in itself. The pentacles are arranged as if on a tree, symbolizing fertility and wisdom; towers, symbolizing stability and strength, and red flowers surrounded by green leaves, symbolizing magic and the renewal of life. All in all, however, this is all part of an image, and what are real is the snow, the cold, and the destitution of the man and woman walking barefoot in that snow.

The Five of Pentacles is different from the preceding Pentacle cards in that it’s the first one that means to go without any material comforts or riches. Thus wherever this card shows up, there’s not just a lack of material comforts and riches, but a severe loss and need of them. It can indicate a crushing financial or personal blow that becomes or became a major setback.

It can also indicate a crushing blow to the ego. One can’t rely simply on themselves anymore, and they charity and perhaps even divine intervention to get them out of their rut. They may not, however, have people close to them to rely on; the people around them may either shut them out or be in the same place. They may be struggling to make ends meet, and one or more person is going without. It’s not even luxuries, but the things they need, like sleep, adequate food, rest, and hygiene.

When the Five of Pentacles is Reversed:

When the Five of Pentacles is reversed, the querent is coming out of us or has come out of a period of deprivation and heading into a new era of prosperity. They may not be out of the woods yet, but they’re getting close.
However, it can also mean that the querent is holding onto a feeling of deprivation and scarcity even though there’s no reason for it, since things are okay now. They’re still in the mode they were in when things were tighter, and they’re not relaxing or learning to enjoy what they have. They may be forcing their family members or loved ones to endure these now imaginary hardships.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent went through a series financial or material setback that left them going without, and that has brought them to this moment.

Present: The querent is currently dealing with serious financial and personal setbacks of a material nature and having to go without.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to have to brace for hard times; this may be a warning that they should conserve and prepare now.

Four of Pentacles

June 3, 2017

Four of Pentacles:

Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality

A rich man looks out at the querent, either warning them or daring them to take his four precious pentacles. He has one under each foot: one is both his arms, and another on his head. He wears a small crown, indicating that he’s had some relatively small material success.

He’s alone. The city is behind him, and he sits hunched down on a stone stool, him and his pentacles. Perhaps the weight of the one on his head, or the need to balance it, keeps him from standing up. Perhaps he’s afraid to get up because then the pentacles under his feet aren’t protected. Perhaps it’s easier to wrap his body around the one in his arms if he doesn’t get up.

He‘s weary. He may not be happy. Chances are, he doesn’t sleep because he’s guarding his four measly pentacles. He’s alone, and he will probably remain alone. Perhaps he wants it that way, because he’s not sharing either the bench or the pentacles.

Either way, he’s a slave to those four little pentacles. He thinks he’s in control and that he’s the one who has the power. But it’s actually the pentacles that have the power, or rather the desire for them. It keeps him lonely, paranoid, and trapped in place.

He wears red, the color of magic, and black, and the color of despair and of shadows. Few people in the minor arcana actually wear black, so when it shows up, it’s good to take note. Black is the color of shadows, the absence of light. It represents the dark side of humanity, the place where our baser emotions, like greed, hide from the light. We justify these emotions. The man here probably thinks he’s simply protecting his wealth from thieves. Of course, his wealth is everything to him, but it’s not much, is it?

He’s not so much greedy as he is possessive. He doesn’t take a risk to get more wealth. He just clings to what he has and is vigilant to keep others from taking it. He’ll neither spend the pentacles nor invest them. He won’t even go back to the city and trust them near other people.

When the four of pentacles is Reversed:

When reversed, the querent is stingy, but actually losing what they have because of it. They may under- or overestimate what they have. Or, the querent may actually not have much. Poverty is probably a problem, and the response is to try to hold onto what keeps slipping away. The querent falls into despair.
It’s also possible that the querent has put chasing the dollar about all other possible riches, including love and relationships. They’re alone with their money, with no one to share it with, and not quite ready to share it.

The querent may actually see their own personal worth in dollars and cents, and actually think that how much money they make is the main or only indicator of their worth and worthiness of love. They may try to buy love.

In a three-card reading, this card means…

Past: In the past, the querent was territorial and stingy with relatively little, and while they may still have it in the present, it hasn’t grown into more.

Present: Currently, the querent is just trying to hold on to what little they have, and are afraid to take risks; they may think they have more than they actually have.

Future: In the future, the querent is going to become insecure about their resources and cling to what little money, possessions, or valuables they have.

Three of Pentacles

June 3, 2017