Five of Pentacles

The Five of Pentacles often shows two weary figures moving past a bright window, usually a church or sanctuary. Cold snow or bare ground makes the scene look hard. This card speaks about struggle, loss, and feeling shut out. It is one of the most challenging cards in the Pentacles suit.

When I teach tarot, I use my  P.E.N.S.I. method. That stands for Position, Element, Numerology, Symbolism, and Intuition. Each layer adds context. We are not working with a spread here, so Position is only touched lightly. The other layers bring out the deeper meaning of the card.

Five of Pentacles, 1st Layer: Position

In a spread, this card often lands where a questioner feels hardship. Even alone, the card points to a time when resources run thin. You may feel cut off from help, even when support exists nearby. The Five of Pentacles shows where someone feels most exposed and most in need.

2nd Layer: Element

Pentacles are tied to Earth. Earth is steady, but here it feels cold and scarce. The element points to money, shelter, health, and material concerns. Earth reminds us that spirit and body are linked. If one suffers, the other feels it too. This card highlights where Earth feels like a burden.

3rd Layer of Context for Five of Pentacles: Numerology

Five represents change and challenge. It breaks the balance of Four, often in rough ways. With Pentacles, the number five can mean job loss, debt, or health struggles. It is movement that feels hard, not easy. Yet five also holds the seed of growth, because change forces new choices.

Remember the first P.E.N.S.I. lesson? With Five, think “sorrow, loss, regret”.

4th Layer: Symbolism

The classic imagery shows two figures outside in the cold, passing stained glass windows. This symbolizes exclusion, lack, or feeling abandoned. The window glows, reminding us that help is near, though not always seen. Bandages on the figures show pain, yet they still move forward. The snow underscores hardship, but also purity and lessons learned.

It’s interesting to me the figures are outside a church, they are not begging, but nor is anyone inviting them in. To me, this speaks to being ostracized, pushed out because of financial difficulty and hardship and sometimes by folk of similar faith. Everyone is a friend until you don’t have money.

But also, there are two figures in this image. You could read this as (and I often do) as one person alone, struggling and pushed out, and new friendship is struck. Almost as if the new figure comes along and says “you too?” Someone else in a similar situation comes along and new relationships are borne.

I would also have you consider the four of pentacles too. Were they not hanging on so tightly over fear of loss? Does that not suggest that to hang onto money, we can push others away? Stop socializing? So, when things go south with money, it seems natural that our usual circles withdraw from us, having withdrawn from them.

5th Layer: Intuition

When I read the Five of Pentacles, I sense it asks us to face loss without shame. Everyone goes through periods of lack. The card warns against pride that keeps us from seeking help. It also suggests that support is closer than we think, and our anxiety is greater than warranted. Intuition often brings the question: “Where am I refusing aid?”

In a spread, (position) can tell you a lot, we haven’t got to spreads yet, but we will.

Five of Pentacles: Reversed Meaning

Reversed, the Five of Pentacles can point to recovery. It signals help arriving, resources returning, or finding hope after despair. It may also warn of ignoring lessons learned, slipping back into unhealthy patterns. Still, reversed is often softer, showing that the cold is beginning to lift. I find the anxiety is still overblown, disproportionate.

Sympathetic Decks

The Rider–Waite deck  symbolism is similar with some older decks, however it can vary greatly compared to many modern decks.

With regard to the Rider-Waite symbolism, my Witches’ Tarot, shows a barren tree in the middle of a bleak winter landscape. The tiny flower in the corner of the image reminds us that things green again. The anxiety is disproportionate.

As with the Rider-Waite, the individual may feel isolated or shut out, and sometimes by people of similar faith. I advise people to not lose faith in themselves. Tighten the budget, let go of what you can.

In  P.E.N.S.I. if you read the first lesson, we know that coins/pentacles are always “social, family, money … always money”. So, this card agrees with the Rider-Waite, it looks like bleak times with social, family and money. But “spring” comes again.

Correspondences

Astrology: Mercury in Taurus
Element: Earth
Planet: Mercury
Number: 5

Five of Pentacles: Reversed Meaning

Reversed, the Five of Pentacles can point to recovery. It signals help arriving, resources returning, or finding hope after despair. It may also warn of ignoring lessons learned, slipping back into unhealthy patterns. Still, reversed is often softer, showing that the cold is beginning to lift. I find the anxiety is still overblown, disproportionate.

Tarot Spell: Five of Pentacles

Use this spell when you want to shift from scarcity to steady resilience. Place the card upright on your altar with five coins circling it. Add a bowl of salt nearby and light a brown candle. Speak aloud what resources you seek, then name one step you will take in the real world. Hold one coin and breathe slowly, then return it. This working calls in support and helps you claim it. If you are uncertain on enchanting, read my article on how to enchant.

Tarot Spell: Five of Pentacles Reversed

Use this spell when you want to call recovery energy into your life. Place the card reversed with a green stone and a small key on top. Write one burden on paper and slide it beneath the card. Say, “I unlock relief, I welcome renewal.” Visualize warmth filling your space. Keep the bundle for a week, then move the key to your doorway and carry the stone for continued healing.

Closing Reflection

This card is not a verdict. It is a weather report. Cold now, warmer soon. The lesson is to look up, knock, and accept. I remind myself that asking for help is a skill. It grows with use. The Five of Pentacles invites that practice and promises a lighted door.

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