Card Meaning: V of Pentacles

Keywords:  challenges, hard times, difficulties, poverty, insecurity, physical need, loneliness, despair, worries, financial troubles, adversity, failure, obsessed with material, possessive, lack of spirituality

Reversed: passing hard times, easing of difficulties, finances looking up, confidence building, experiences over possessions, spiritual approach

Associated major card: The Chariot

The first thing to do when you see the V of Pentacles come up in a reading is to not panic.  Wringing your hands in worry is not going to help you get through the challenges that the V of Pentacles represents.  Remind yourself that life happens in cycles. Sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. If you didn't have these down cycles, you would not understand the concept of up.  Your life is not always soothe sailing, but you are strong and capable and will get through this hard time.

In fact, there are really important lessons to learn from these hard times that will shape and change you, allowing you to grow and flourish into your best self.  Remember, it is how we handle ourselves in a crisis that can define who we are the most. People who are good at weathering storms and dealing with the shit of life are said to have character. When the V of Pentacles shows up for you, believe that you are entering into a character building phase of your life.

The V of Pentacles, like all the V cards in the tarot, is concerned with difficulties and conflicts. Since the Pentacles represent earth energy, the conflict here is with all things connected to earth: money, home, security, and the body. The most immediate and often feared reaction to the V of Pentacles is money problems. It can indicate that you are short on cash these days for any number of reasons. It could be that you have lost your job or that you are underemployed or underpaid. You might have lost a lot of money on the stock market, or your home depreciated in value, or you have big medical bills to pay.

Regardless of the circumstances, you are feeling insecure financially and probably need to change your money mindset. Focusing on your lack actually attracts greater or continued hardship. Try focusing on abundance, for just one minute at a time, as often as you can throughout the day. What are you grateful for?  What can you afford?  What do you already have that you will never lose?  You will make it through.

If it's not money that is failing you, it could be your health. The V of Pentacles can indicate a time of illness or injury. It could be something as simple as the common cold or as terrible as a fall and a broken bone. Whatever it is, remember that you live in a physical body that is doing it's best. If you are feeling down and out about the state of your physical form, try focusing in on what you can praise about your body. Send that broken bone healing vibes and remind all your unbroken bones how much you appreciate them.

When you are sick, remember to rest and feed your body what it needs. There is a good chance you will recover from whatever is ailing you at this time. The V of Pentacles is not generally an end game card, it is a down cycle from which you can recover.  Allow yourself the time, space, and energy to heal instead of berating yourself or excessively worrying about what is wrong with your body.

In general, the V of Pentacles indicates that something is off about how you interact with the physical world. You may find that you are just putting too much emphasis on the physical and neglecting the other aspects of yourself. Remember you have a mind, heart, and soul which need care as well. Be sure you are allowing yourself to use your smarts and exercise your mind. Explore your feelings and figure out if you are stuffing them away or allowing yourself to express your heart's desires.

Mostly importantly, make sure you are in touch with your soul purpose and with your spirituality. Focusing too intensely on the physical world breaks our connection to the divine. We are not here on this planet to accumulate money and possessions. There is more to it than that and the V of Pentacles comes up for you as reminder to tap into that soul purpose and realign your actions with your core values.

V of Pentacles reversed: When the V of Pentacles comes up reversed in a reading it indicates your readiness and ability to move forward from hard times. You have fully experienced whatever difficulties you had to go through and are ready to move on.  So, if you have recently lost your job, it's time to stop feeling horrible about that and start putting together an awesome resume to send out with your cover letters. There is nothing wrong with letting yourself sink into the disappointment and hurt of being fired, or let go, or not getting a job in the first place. Life is tough and you don't have to be strong all the time. But the V of Pentacles is here to tell you that enough is enough, you've had a good cry, let's try to get back on the horse.

The same readiness is apparent when the V of Pentacles indicates a health issue.  You are mending, you are recovering, you are healing. Your body is ready to go from rest mode back into action mode. Get outside, get some fresh air, dust yourself off and get back in the game. Remember to be gentle with yourself, especially if your body has been considerably weakened by an illness. You are doing your best, you can't expect to be right back at your physical peak. It's time to set new expectations and goals to accommodate your new physical condition.

The V of Pentacles reversed is a good sign that you are valuing experiences and your spirituality over possessions. That old phrase "you can't take it with you" is really resonating with you right now. You feel a strong connection to the work you are doing, that is valuable to you and to other people. You feel safe and secure in the world, knowing that you have a roof over your head, food in the cupboards, and some money in the bank for the next rainy day. You are beginning to develop some confidence in yourself, your abilities and your life direction. You may still be getting out of the muck, but things are looking up and you can do more than just say what you are grateful for, you can really feel what you are grateful for in your whole body.