The 5 of Pentacles is one of those cards that isn’t always the most welcome card to find in a reading, but like all cards, it has its positives and negatives.
In most Tarot decks, a lone figure standing out in the cold depicts this card and carries similar themes of rejection, loneliness, and destitution.
It is a card that highlights hard times, and even though it is Pentacles and associated with the physical world (money, career, sex, physical health), it can also apply to hard times linked on a more spiritual and emotional level.
Ready to learn more about this Tarot card? Read on!
What Does the 5 of Pentacles Mean?
There are several meanings associated with the 5 of Pentacles:
- Losing income
- Falling on hard times
- Struggling to make ends meet
- Struggling with ill-health
- Neglecting your physical needs
- Being rejected
- Standing alone
- Being excluded
- Taking an unpopular opinion
What Does the 5 of Pentacles Mean in Love & Relationship?
In a love and relationship Tarot reading, the 5 of Pentacles can differ quite drastically, and in some cases, it can be a very positive card – it depends on surrounding cards and, of course, your own intuitive reading.
In the position of feelings, the 5 of Pentacles card indicates that someone feels rejected by you or they are rejecting you themselves. It could be that this person has too many worries going on at this time to have any feelings.
However, this card can completely flip over when it comes to feelings. It could mean that someone feels you are out in the cold with them and that you will stand by them – or they will stand by you – while the world is against them.
This card can have a “us against the world” vibe attached to it in this type of context. Look to surrounding cards to see if this is the meaning in this context. If surrounded by positive relationship cards such as the Page of Cups, the Sun, or the King of Cups, this could be the meaning of this type of reading.
This could relate to how someone sees you; someone may see you as being in poor health or that you are going through financial struggles.
Regarding what they want to happen between you, the 5 of Pentacles indicates that they want to help you if you are struggling, or they want to understand why you are shutting them out.
Read this next: What is the Tarot Trying to Tell You in a Love Reading?
What Does the 5 of Pentacles Mean in a Career Reading?
For a career reading, the 5 of Pentacles is not the best card you can get.
It indicates hard times and financial struggles. You may have been laid-off and are struggling to find work.
You may feel opposed to accepting goodwill or charity at this time, but this card indicates that may be exactly what we need during such troubling times.
In this type of reading, the 5 of Pentacles often bodes as an ill omen for troubled times ahead and advises us to tighten our belts.
What About the 5 of Pentacles as an Obstacle?
As an obstacle card, the 5 of Pentacles indicates that there are financial struggles standing in your way, and changes are necessary to help improve your situation.
The 5 of Pentacles can indicate hard times in relationships. Money concerns may be negatively affecting your relationships. If surrounded by cards like the 7 of Swords or the Moon, there may be some deception involved. Someone may not be being honest about their finances.
This card as an obstacle indicates that there may be bills and debts getting on top of you, and it is important to deal with them sooner rather than later to avoid them piling up.
There can be spiritual poverty associated with this card. You may have everything you need in the material sense, but as an obstacle, this card can indicate that spiritually you lack wealth.
What About the 5 of Pentacles in Reverse?
Reversed, the 5 of Pentacles takes on a more positive meaning. It indicates that hard times are coming to an end.
You may receive a new job offer or an opportunity to make more income. You may experience goodwill from another, leading to the 6 of Pentacles.
You may discover that you have been too immersed in the material world, and you begin to discover a sense of spiritual richness that money cannot buy.
Read this next: How to Maker Reversed Tarot Cards Work for You
How to Make the 5 of Pentacles Work For You
To make this card work for you, try the following methods:
1. Use Positive Affirmations
As this card often represents the struggle and challenging times, it is beneficial to associate positive affirmations with the 5 of Pentacles as this helps to challenge the negative meanings that can come with it.
Affirmations such as:
- I will make it through these hard times.
- I will stay positive.
- I know things will work out.
These can be very helpful when going through struggles. Repeat them to yourself morning and night, and keep believing that things will get better!
2. Meditate on the Card
Sometimes, spending a little time meditating on your Tarot card can help you connect with it at a deeper level.
Set a quiet space out for yourself where you won’t be disturbed. Burn some incense and play relaxing music if it helps you to unwind.
Stare at the card for a while and let the images, words, and meanings flow into your mind. What comes into your mind when you look at this card?
3. Use a Tarot Journal
Writing it down in your Tarot journal afterward can be a great way of connecting to the 5 of Pentacles.
The 5 of Pentacles – Things Can Only Get Better
When you are at the bottom, there is only one way you can go, and that’s up. The 5 of Pentacles represents a sense of poverty of all kinds – physical, emotional, and spiritual.
However, it also provides us with the opportunity to better ourselves. We can choose to sink into the negativity of our situation, or we can pull ourselves up, keep our eyes fixed on the light at the end of the tunnel, and believe things will get better.
All hard times come to an end. As the 5 of Pentacles transcends to the 6 of Pentacles, we are reminded of the kindness and generosity that exists in this world and how the best of human nature shows its face when we experience the worst times.
Let this card be a reminder to you, not just of your own abilities to pull yourself out of troubling times but of humanity’s ability to stand together through its greatest struggles.
Related article: You Pulled the World Card – Now What?
