​Alternative Names: Five of Pentacles

Number: 68/5

Element: Earth

Astrological Association: Mercury in Taurus

Key Meaning: A test of resources

The Five of Coins in Tarot stands for hard times, ill health, and rejection. The Five of Coins meaning in a Tarot reading is usually negative. The image on the Five of Pentacles card of two cold, hungry, and sick figures is self-explanatory. The suffering portrayed in the card is easily recognizable: people without life’s basic necessities. But there is also a spiritual component to all this. Remember that all setbacks are temporary, and comfort may be around the corner.

Upright Meaning: The traditional meaning of this Five of Pentacles is financial loss, so when it shows up in a reading, it can mean losing a job or a relationship or experiencing some other financial or emotional hardship. The positive aspect is that you find support from others in a similar position. These contacts may become good friends whom you may never have met in your usual circumstances. Consider new options, and you may discover another resource or approach that will help you see a way forward.

However, this card often comes up in readings to show a fear of poverty and isolation, rather than actual poverty. It also commonly shows a fear of losing the security of home and/or the aftermath of a relationship breakup, with one partner feeling alone and depleted. It occasionally reveals the impact of bereavement. While tarot cards do not predict death, the Five of Pentacles when in the present/situation position in a reading (rather than the future position) can reflect the feelings of sadness as a result of losing someone close.

Reversed Meaning: There’s a moral theme to the interpretation for the reversed Five of Pentacles, in that the card asks you to examine your values. If you’re clinging to objects, people, or money, what are you avoiding? Fear of change could lead you to ignore debt or become oblivious to growing tension in a relationship. Hoarding old possessions and memories shows you need to feel safe for now and don’t have the confidence or the faith that you will be supported in the future—at least, just at present. As with all minor arcana cards, though, this is a temporary influence.

In relationships, you may suffer due to a partner’s selfish behavior. This person doesn’t want to give to you emotionally, or he or she withholds money. The card can also show you being ill-treated by an ex-partner who doesn’t pay what is due.