King of Pentacles
Suit: Pentacles
Element: Earth
Function: Possessions, riches, material things, practicality
The King of Pentacles sits on a black throne, with a scepter in his right hand and a pentacle resting on his left knee. He looks down at it with a watchful eye. He’s up on a high ledge of a building, and behind him are the mountains, symbolizing stability, and a castle, symbolizing wealth and security.
It’s hard to say whether the plants are coming from his throne, or coming to his throne. It’s also hard to say whether the grapes on his robe are attached to the vines around him. That’s intentional. He doesn’t want you to know. He wants you to think he’s one with them. His black throne and black robe symbolize seriousness but all the darkness where all things originate and go back to at death, and he’s not afraid to go into the shadows to do what he needs to do.
The King of Pentacles is ruthless and as stubborn as the oxen of silver and gold decorating his throne. He hears a read scarf, symbolizing passion, and there are flowers in his crown, symbolizing fertility. The King of Pentacles is a captain of industry. He has spent a lifetime accumulating wealth for the sake of it because he enjoys it and what it can do for him. He will never retire. He’s too stubborn for that, and he will go to great lengths to stay active. His armored foot rests on the head of a lion, the symbol of pride. Even the King of Pentacles will not get in the King of Pentacle’s way.
The King of Pentacles is reliable, practical, strong, stubborn, and steady. He doesn’t get riled up. He doesn’t get angry. He just keeps going. However, if he must, he will change in order to stay on top. After all, his riches are not his own ego, but real life riches. He may seem to be arrogant, but his sense of self comes not from who he thinks he is, but what he produces and gathers. Thus he’s almost humble in a way, even if his goal is to create wealth at every turn.
This card is about doing what needs to be done in order to be a leader and a success. It’s about what a person has to be in order to gain material wealth, and to remain wealthy.
When the King of Pentacles is Reversed:
When the King of Pentacles is reversed, the querent lacks stamina and confidence. They may hold onto rigid ideas of what they think is right instead of change in order to solve the problem. They value their intellect and their ego above all things and don’t understand why the world judges them based on what they produce instead. They may be afraid to actually try doing anything, and may instead be big talkers, even braggarts, but without any evidence to back up their claims of greatness.
This card reversed can also indicate dramatizing emotions to distract from their failures and shortcomings to identify as a lifelong victim.
In a three-card reading, this card means…
Past: In the past, the querent was enterprising, and perhaps trailblazing, with real world accomplishments, likely in business.
Present: Currently, the querent is achieving and succeeding, outmaneuvering the competition and producing good things.
Future: In the future, the querent will become a captain of industry and produce things that will create not just security, but wealth, for them.