Suit: Suit of Pentacles
Card Type: Minor Arcana
Tarot Element: Earth
Star Sign: Taurus
Planet: Mercury
Angel: Archangel Uriel
Key Meaning: Hardship
The Five of Pentacles represents hardship, struggle and worries.
Number Five Meaning In Tarot
All fives, including the Five of Wands, Five of Swords and Five of Cups are associated with change. As pentacles refer to the material side of life, that is money, possessions and health, this card represents unwelcome change in one of these areas. It feels like everything is becoming worse.
The number 5 is also associated with the point where aspirations meet reality. It is the point where you start to recognize what you really want. However, if you are not in the right frame of mind to help yourself, you end up feeling the world is unfair and people are out to get you.
The greatest danger here, is that you quit on yourself.
A to Z: List of Tarot Cards
Five of Pentacles Description
This description is based on the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. A man on crutches and a shabbily dressed woman trudge through snow, past the stained-glass window of a church. Neither character looks at the window which is decorated brightly with five coins, representing a source of hope. While there is hardship here, we can’t help but wonder why they are failing to notice this source of hope? Perhaps they feel the world is so unfair, that there is no point even trying to go inside. Or maybe they are too proud to ask for help. Alternatively, they may simply be in too much pain to notice much.
As such, this card indicates unpleasant circumstances that might take some time to escape, typically grief, unemployment, illness, financial loss, anxiety or depression. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it may be some distance away and require some faith, endurance or patience to reach.
Five of Pentacles Keywords
😒 Upright: Poverty, illness, struggle, worries
🥰 Reversed: Recovery, turnaround, redirection
What Feelings does This Card Represent?
This card can represent hitting ‘rock bottom.’ It is at this point, when we face utter despair, that options come into view. Buddhists call this state Saṃvega – where you feel a spiritual urgency to turn your life around. Sometimes we have to reach this point, before we believe we truly have a choice.
This card is associated with:
- Grief, after the death of a loved one
- Financial loss
- Loss of self-worth due to redundancy, unemployment or a relationship breakup
- Feeling like a leper amongst your peers, discrimination or being ostracized
- Illness
Key Lessons
- Give yourself time.
- There is always light in the darkness.
LOVE: What does The Five of Pentacles Mean when You Ask About Love?
When the 5 of Pentacles turns up in a love reading, the meaning will depend on whether or not you are in a relationship.
💖 If you asked will I find love? – this card is associated with loss of hope. It also means you were probably looking for love in the wrong places.
💖 If you asked how does someone feel about you – the answer is, not especially positive. It’s probably nothing to do with you, however. More likely they are not a good place and have little to offer anyone at this point.
💖 In a relationship, this card can mean that a relationship is draining. You are putting in more than you are getting out.
💖 Money, health or some other concern is affecting your ability to be happy in your relationship; or it is impacting your confidence and hindering you finding love.
CAREER: What does This Card Signify when You Ask About Work?
If your question relates to work, business, career or study and you receive the 5 of Pentacles, then it may mean:
⭕ Unemployment, or working at a job or business which does not pay the bills.
⭕ You are finding it difficult to motivate yourself in work or your studies. Draw another card for guidance on what to do.
Careers associated with this card include: Counseling, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, medicine, life coach, preacher, financial advisor, social work, charity work, labourer and psychic medium.
MONEY: What is the Meaning of The 5 of Pentacles in a Money Reading?
If you asked the Tarot about money and finances, and you receive the 5 of Pentacles, it means:
💲 You are worried about debts or paying your bills. There may be unexpected bills or bills that come at the wrong time.
💲 You don’t have the financial resources at this time to buy a home or rent nice accommodation.
💲 You are changing your lifestyle to live more freely and spiritually.
Tarot Card Combination Meanings
“5 of Pentacles combined with 9 of Cups” – Something lucky happens which changes everything
“Combined with the Devil” – Not accepting responsibility for your situation
“5 of Pentacles combined with Tower” – One misfortune after another
HEALTH: What does The 5 of Pentacles Mean when You Ask About Health?
In a health reading, the 5 of Pentacles signifies a health condition, which could be physical or mental. This card is especially associated with depression, stress and anxiety. Or you may just be feeling generally run-down and exhausted; or recovering from a medical procedure. The guidance here, is to be gentle with yourself and rest.
YES/NO: Does The Five of Pentacles Mean Yes or No in a Reading?
❓ When you ask a Yes or No question and this Tarot card turns up, then the answer is NO.
TIMING: Does The 5 of Pentacles Predict any Particular Timeframe?
🕔 This card is only a timing indication when you specifically asked a timeframe question. For example, if you want to know if something will happen, and when, then you need to draw two separate cards. These are in fact, two separate questions. This is a fundamental principle to understand if you want an accurate tarot reading – and it is core to my teaching in my book Tarot in 5 Minutes.
🕔 Using my timing method, the 5 of Pentacles is about 5 years. If the card is reversed, timing will be slightly longer – so up to 7 years.
Karina’s Timing Method:
Swords are days. Wands are weeks. Cups are months and Pentacles are years. Please note this is my personal timing method. Feel free to adopt it (or not).
What is the Meaning of The Five of Pentacles Reversed?
This is one of the few cards in Tarot where a reversal is serious cause for celebration! It means:
✔️ A situation which worried you, finally improves. You can see a better future now.
✔️You hit rock-bottom and the only way is up – possibly with the help of others.
✔️Moving on from an unhappy relationship; or moving on from the issue which made you unhappy.
✔️Employment after a spell of unemployment.
✔️Your health and well-being finally improve.
✔️Other keywords associated a reversal include: Surviving, beginning fresh, hope, patience, perseverance, faith, turnaround, turning a corner.
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Five of Pentacles Symbolism
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Complete List: Tarot Card Meanings
Karina, author of Tarot in 5 Minutes.
