Five of Pentacles

Five of Pentacles is one of the 56 minor arcana of the tarot, in the suit of Pentacles; in the Golden Dawn tradition it corresponds to Mercury in Taurus.

The Five of Pentacles is two weary travellers outside a warmly lit window. Hard times feel lonely, but help may be closer than it looks.

Symbols on the card

The two travellers

Struggle shared, not alone.

The lit window

Support within reach, not yet asked for.

Five pentacles in the glass

Resources that exist nearby.

Number and suit

Fives disturb the balance of the four: challenge, conflict or loss that asks for change. Pentacles are earth: the body, work, money, home and what we build over time.

Upright meaning

A difficult time; look for the support that is within reach and ask for it.

Love　Feeling unsupported, or going through hardship together.

Work　Financial worry or job insecurity; seek practical help.

Inner life　Your worth is not your circumstances.

Reversed meaning

Things are improving; help arrives or you find your way in from the cold.

Love　Reconnecting after a difficult period.

Work　Recovery, a new opportunity after a loss.

Inner life　Accept help without shame.

In a three-card spread

Situation

Hardship or insecurity.

Challenge

Isolation and not asking for help.

Advice

Reach for the support that is near.

Tarot and astrology

In the Golden Dawn system this card is the decan of Mercury in Taurus: the themes of Taurus, expressed the way Mercury acts. Taurus →Mercury →

Questions to sit with

• Where is the lit window I have not knocked on?
• Who is walking beside me?

Through the suit

Tarot here is a mirror for reflection, not a prediction. The meanings follow the Waite-Smith tradition and the Golden Dawn attributions, in our own words.