Five of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning

The Five of Pentacles card depicts a bleak scene where two impoverished and hunched figures struggle through a snowstorm. It’s night, it’s cold, and the characters are enduring unimaginable hardships as they tread their sorrowful path to nowhere. In a bright stained-glass window, five coins beckon them invitingly, yet these blessings pass them by unnoticed. The impoverished figures feel unwanted—no friends or benefactors around, with nothing to rely on for help.

Elsewhere, people live their beautiful and prosperous lives, while these figures feel cast aside, rejected by society, as if they were outcasts. This tarot card embodies a deep-seated fear present in all of us—the fear of loss, illness, and poverty...

The upright Five of Pentacles tarot card carries a negative connotation during readings. Typically, this card indicates financial troubles, hardships, shattered plans, and gaining life experience in exchange for material losses. It represents a painful and unpleasant period in your life that you need to endure to become wiser and stronger, gaining motivation for further change and improvement.

Practically speaking, when the Five of Pentacles appears in a spread, you might expect various challenges—losing a job or being unable to work due to illness (incapacity), demotion and a decline in living standards, bankruptcy, unsuccessful investments, theft of a significant amount of money, loss of property due to fraudulent activities, or failing an exam. It feels like everything is collapsing, the ground is slipping away from under your feet, and inside there's a feeling of helplessness and resentment...

However, the card suggests that it's too soon to give up and despair! Perhaps the solution to your problem is simpler than it seems. Don't close yourself off with your worries and issues; look around—there's likely someone nearby willing to lend you a helping hand in difficult times.

Key Meanings of the Upright Five of Pentacles

• Unmet goals, instability in affairs, financial losses, failure of plans, impoverished existence, loss, despair.
• Serious illness, weakness, fatigue, loss of self-belief, lack of spiritual support, depression, powerlessness.
• Forced frugality, debts, help from others.

The reversed Five of Pentacles tarot card takes on a more positive tone, yet the core meaning of the arcana remains — life's path may still bring challenges, losses, hardships, and setbacks.

However, when the reversed Five of Pentacles appears in your reading, it indicates that you have the courage, strength, and self-confidence to rise above any unpleasant situation and withstand life's blows. Your victory lies in your hands; show resilience, and the world will bend to you!

Additionally, the reversed Five of Pentacles may signal that all difficulties and deprivations are now behind you, marking the start of a brighter phase in life that will elevate you to a new level of development. Ahead lies a promising future where financial issues will gradually be resolved, physical and emotional well-being will stabilize, business will strengthen, and relationships with family and friends will improve!

Key Meanings of the Reversed Five of Pentacles

• A turn for the better, light at the end of the tunnel, glimmers of optimism within.
• The end of unemployment and poverty, recovery from a prolonged illness.
• Reevaluating values and one's place in life, strengthening faith in oneself.

In love readings, the upright Five of Pentacles predicts separation and a sense of overwhelming loneliness. It's quite distressing to feel abandoned and unwanted, with the added burden of inner exhaustion and the powerlessness to change anything.

However, the closer one gets to despair, the more ready they become for great feats, which offers a glimmer of hope. This means a time is approaching when you can break free from old patterns and welcome new desires, hopes, and love into your life. The Five of Pentacles may also indicate a marriage of convenience, where partners are united not by feelings but by material interests.

In its reversed position, the card's meaning is much more positive, signifying the end of a "rough patch" in personal life.

When Reading for a Suitor or Beloved

When reading for a suitor or partner, the upright card suggests that your chosen one often struggles with material difficulties and problems. This is a significant obstacle for them in matters of love.

The reversed card indicates that even when your chosen one faces financial challenges, it does not affect their relationship with their loved one. They are adept at keeping work and personal life separate.

In career readings, the Five of Pentacles suggests challenging times in your professional and financial life—potentially even leading to severe setbacks or job loss.

However, poverty is often a matter of perspective. What feels like hardship to one person may simply be a temporary slowdown for another, requiring only some adjustments in spending. Regardless of your situation, it's wise to brace yourself for tougher times and avoid unnecessary extravagance. The Five of Pentacles also serves as a reminder to steer clear of frivolous and reckless spending that might lead to waste.

When reversed, the card takes on a more positive tone, indicating resilience and the ability to withstand life's trials and tribulations.

When reading Tarot for a person, the upright Five of Pentacles indicates someone who is proud and going through tough financial times, yet is hesitant to accept the help offered to them — they believe they can handle their problems on their own.

In the reversed position, this card represents someone who has faced significant financial struggles that are now behind them, or soon will be.

When upright, the card advises you not to give up and to focus all your efforts on overcoming financial difficulties.

If the card appears reversed in a spread, it suggests being more careful and responsible with money. Don't bury your head in the sand when faced with problems—it's important to address them.

If the card appears upright, the forecast for your situation may not be very promising. You might encounter losses and other financial difficulties that could hinder your progress.

In a reversed position, the outlook for your situation is more uncertain. You can achieve your goals, but only if you learn to handle money responsibly and address financial issues promptly.

With card 0, the Fool - False hopes, a path to poverty, envy.

With card 1, the Magician - Unprofitable business, loss of property, unsuccessful marriage.

With card 2, the High Priestess - Showing off, hiding poverty, stalling for time with promises.

In combination with card 3, the Empress - Going bankrupt, losing a source of income, accumulating debts.

With card 4, the Emperor - Unprofitable enterprise, bankruptcy, state subsidies.

With card 5, the Hierophant - An unstable or office romance, a destitute fanatic, a nag.

With card 6, the Lovers - A romance immersed in domestic troubles, holes in the family budget, lack of prospects.

With card 7, the Chariot - Penalty sanctions, overdue credit, arrogant self-confidence.

With card 8, Strength - Political struggle, government competition, taxes.

With card 9, the Hermit - Envy of someone else's capital or property, inequality, including emotional, incompatible social circle.

With card 10, Wheel of Fortune - Living happily with a loved one even in a humble dwelling, renouncing materialism in favor of spirituality, true convictions.

With card 11, Justice - Official divorce, search or confiscation of property.

With card 12, the Hanged Man - Low reputation, gossip, a streak of failures or bad luck.

With card 13, Death - Confiscation of assets, bankruptcy, karmic setbacks.

With card 14, Temperance - The investment will be unsuccessful, losing some finances, a small risky bet.

With card 15, the Devil - Playing on pity, engaging in extortion or blackmail.

With card 16, the Tower - Poverty, losing housing or the means to afford it, an increase in rent.

With card 17, the Star - Feeling torn between wanting and being envious of others' savings, craving for easy money.

With card 18, the Moon - Losing support, difficult relationships with parents or partners, disputes over money.

With card 19, the Sun - Mortgage, credit payments, making ends meet, for a young mother - returning to work.

With card 20, Judgment - Uncertainty about the future, lack of savings, a failed family life.

With card 21, the World - Panic attack, unfounded fears, fear of change or pessimism.

With the Ace of Wands — Good intentions with a bad outcome, ineffective management, swift bankruptcy.

With the Two of Wands — A failed idea, the onset of a crisis, overwhelming debts, disappointment.

With the Three of Wands — Betrayal, difficult circumstances, the path to bankruptcy, or the arrival of "poor relatives".

With the Four of Wands — Unable to afford a mortgage, ending up on the street, relying on relatives for support.

With the Five of Wands — Dealing with authorities, seeking allowances or extra payments, making ends meet.

With the Six of Wands — A populist or self-proclaimed leader, informal organization, political movement, or advocacy for the oppressed, a human rights defender.

With the Seven of Wands — A losing position, the danger of bankruptcy, a crisis situation.

With the Eight of Wands — Deteriorating living conditions, an unsuccessful job change or forced relocation, natural envy.

With the Nine of Wands — Solving problems independently, a challenging situation, unpleasant life experience.

With the Ten of Wands — Problems with property, an overwhelming mortgage, loss of property.

With the Page of Wands — Restricted housing, living in a dormitory or communal apartment, lack of important news.

With the Knight of Wands — When actions have no effect, helplessness, unfounded optimism.

With the Queen of Wands — An unsuccessful investment, unpaid credit, overestimating one's abilities.

With the King of Wands — Doubt in one's abilities, defeat or miscalculation, loss of savings, accustomed to a low standard of living.

With the Ace of Swords — A hasty or foolish idea, a venture leading to ruin, a project that could result in significant losses.

With the Two of Swords — Suffering losses due to incompetence or lack of knowledge, poor administration, unqualified assistance.

With the Three of Swords — Harassment from banks or collectors, higher interest rates on loans, inability to repay debts.

With the Four of Swords — Hospital conditions, public housing or deteriorating living conditions, worsening health, deep depression, and isolation.

With the Five of Swords — Losing a lawsuit, property confiscation, wasting time and energy on futile resistance.

With the Six of Swords — Choosing the wrong course, deprivation or self-restriction, the danger of losing property.

With the Seven of Swords — Illegal property schemes, unscrupulous realtors, dishonest deals.

With the Eight of Swords — Losing property due to a loan, legalized fraud, fear of being financially incapable of handling important matters.

With the Nine of Swords — Pity for oneself and one's dire situation, suffering due to lack of means or housing, mourning the loss of property.

With the Ten of Swords — Losing health, being left with nothing, a dire situation, losing the means of subsistence.

With the Page of Swords — Destroying one's own prosperity, reckless behavior leading to dismissal or heavy loss, dangerous overconfidence.

With the Knight of Swords — A failed business, the wrong course of action, a risky young man, legal problems.

With the Queen of Swords — Poverty, rigid ideals that interfere with peaceful living, severity and abstinence.

With the King of Swords — A wrong decision, experiencing financial losses due to someone's bad influence or interference, a bad development path.

With the Ace of Cups — A plea for help, hurt feelings, a good person in difficult circumstances, the ability to see injustice.

With the Two of Cups — Lack of emotional attachment, intimacy for pleasure without considering the future of the relationship.

With the Three of Cups — Becoming a victim of an organized group of scammers, investing in a foolish project, poor organization of affairs.

With the Four of Cups — Finding oneself in constrained conditions, underestimating the problem, ignoring what is happening.

With the Five of Cups — Financial failure, being financially incapable, sorrow and deprivation.

With the Six of Cups — Having a poor spirit, lack of prospects, incorrect or superficial conclusions.

With the Seven of Cups — Becoming bankrupt due to foolishness, not noticing inevitable problems, immaturity and unpreparedness to live in the real world.

With the Eight of Cups — Preparing for the worst, extreme pessimism, loneliness.

With the Nine of Cups — Maintaining one's composure in difficult circumstances, unfavorable conditions, a cunning maneuver involving property.

With the Ten of Cups — Sudden bankruptcy, an illusion of a favorable outcome, extreme poverty.

With the Page of Cups — Going bankrupt due to gullibility, making a bad decision, hasty conclusions.

With the Knight of Cups — A bad business decision, going in the wrong direction, losing savings or property.

With the Queen of Cups — A restless period, needing to tighten one's belt, emotional instability.

With the King of Cups — An unsuitable environment, people who pull you down, experiencing difficult times.

With the Ace of Pentacles — Financial assistance, a charitable fund, work in the social sphere.

With the Two of Pentacles — Bankruptcy due to one's own foolishness, overdue credits, accumulating debts, financial insolvency.

With the Three of Pentacles — Overworking at the job, becoming disillusioned with one's profession, manipulations in the workplace, delays in salary payments.

With the Four of Pentacles — Being miserly leads to paying twice, missing opportunities, losing health, being restricted in mobility, destructive stubbornness.

With the Six of Pentacles — Receiving subsidies, finding caring people, experiencing need, envying more successful individuals.

With the Seven of Pentacles — Waiting for what was promised, living in constrained conditions, relying on a pension or allowance.

With the Eight of Pentacles — Striving for something greater, working diligently to acquire an apartment, renting accommodation or paying off a mortgage.

With the Nine of Pentacles — Improving the life situation, finding unexpected support, having hope in seemingly hopeless situations.

With the Ten of Pentacles — Settling in with wealthy relatives, receiving help from parents, returning to the family.

With the Page of Pentacles — Landing a job, receiving the first paycheck in a long time, taking the first steps towards improving the situation, the end of a dark period.

With the Knight of Pentacles — Working and living on-site, making a down payment for real estate, social housing.

With the Queen of Pentacles — Profiting from others' misfortune, lack of moral principles, mercenary behavior, a cruel woman.

With the King of Pentacles — A man with a rich life experience, a difficult past, pragmatism, and lack of principles.