Five of Pentacles

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 09 Apr 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

katie_here	09 Apr 2004
I'm confused by an explanation I read today for the 5 of Pentacles Quote: Lotus Tarot 5 of Pentacles - Material trouble - positive: none - negative: financial loss, unemployment, hard times A saying springs to mind, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction then surely there must be a positive side to the 5 of Pentacles. I always think of it as times of hardship and worry, anxiety..... but...... knowing this is the call to change and make a positive effort to turn around your fortunes. I would hate to tell anyone who got this card that they are in financial dire straits and there is no silver lining, no hope. What do you think?

ros	09 Apr 2004
Learn your lessons of your misfortunes, so you don't repeat them & move on with life.Figure out what you're out in the cold about & move on to a better place. Don't hang on to your mistakes. Just an idea.

Jewel-ry	09 Apr 2004
I think the secret with this card is that help is available if you look for it. If you look at the RWS deck, the couple have just walked past a church. Help is at hand they just cant see it. They are too caught up in their problems to see the help that is available to them. Even if you are reading from a deck which doesn't depict any thing like that I would still advise asking for help, or suggest that it was just a passing phase. I personally don't think any card is completely doom and gloom, they all have something positive and thats what I look for. J :)

Centaur	09 Apr 2004
I agree with what has already been said. Although this card does look miserable, there is a positive and hopeful side to it also. I think that it can be seen as a sign to inform the querent to look for help... the stained-glass window would suggest that help is available, but the two individuals in the card seem too focused on their misery to see it.

Umbrae	09 Apr 2004
Folks wonder why I hate LWB’s. Obviously someone looked at an RWS and said, “Oh! The 5 of P’s means destitution and hardship!” And they never ever thought for themselves. Pity. And those folks are allowed to create decks… So let’s take a second and just look at this card (from the RWS). We have two folks in the snow; both dressed in threadbare clothing, one on crutches with a bandage around his head and foot, bell around his neck. The other may be caressing a cross, worn round the neck. They are passing by a stained glass window. Now let’s pick up our copies of “The Pictorial Key to the Tarot” by Arthur Edward Waite, page 272…”This card tells of material trouble above all, whether in the form illustrated – that is destitution – or otherwise.” Thank you Arthur…that will be all. I’ve hated the simplistic approach that Waite begins us on…it locks our mind into that “Destitution” trap. Pollack, in “78 Degree’s of Pith” (page 252) does an even worse job, describing how the church has no door, or how the people DO NOT see the church - that sanctuary has failed…neither author gets a passing grade. Let’s back up the cart here. For starters, we do not know if the couple shown is headed to the church door. Perhaps they are arriving. Perhaps they are leaving. We only get a snapshot here, and we don’t get blueprints for the church…(“no door” ROFL…what a pompous idiot….). But we miss the point. We are not allowed to glimpse HOW these folks got to be in the place they are. We do not get the privilege to look over their shoulder (like in a reality TV show) and see the series of events that led to here and now. We cannot see if perhaps they are on the last leg of a journey to bring them here, to the church (whose doors are wide open…just around the corner). We do know this (or can infer it…we cannot infer the church has no door…but how did the workmen leave? How did they do the window installation? It’s a stupid concept!). The couple is in a state of movement from point A to B. Point B may or may not be the church. But there was a series of events that led up to this picture…and that in my worldview is what the card is about. How did they get here? Destitution does not ‘just’ happen. Another point… If you spend time in the woods, you learn to make noise, or wear bells, to keep certain omnivores away (Bears, Mountain Lions)…it just warns them off, and you may get to your destination alive. Notice the couple could conceivably have been traveling right to this spot! Enduring hardships! Whatever their story is…there was a series of decisions that got them here…alive. This card regardless of the deck has nothing to do with poverty, destitution, material troubles…it’s about how folks got there…and then made it here. Abbia il significato? Plagiarized from a previous post, and my journals.

katie_here	09 Apr 2004
I agree with what's been said so far. In life, when you are down on your luck, no money, hardship etc it is hard to see a way out. People who get into debt and find it spiralling out of control with no way out can find at least one. I know bankruptsy is not an ideal solution but it is a solution. I think that no matter how hard things are it can't last forever and that each of us has the ability to look beyond ourselves to find to the answer. My card (the enchanted Tarot) has a couple struggling on a cold, snowy dark night. There is a light ahead but the man chooses to go for a distant light. The couple will struggle alone but will learn how to survive. I think the point of this card is that even if things look bad, its worth remembering not all journeys are meant to be happy light hearted affairs, we all have really bad days, troubled times, but we can use them as a positive learning curve, learn survival techniques. Learn from what got us there in the first place to how we are going to change the situation and not take it further on the journey with us. You may have to halt your journey whilst you get everything sorted out, but the journey will continue and you will have gained some knowledge and insight. I hope that sounds reasonable and not garbled rubbish. Its gone midnight here and I'm tired now. :-)

contrascarpe	09 Apr 2004
My take on the five of pentacles is one of cautious optimism. There was a discussion on this card early on in AT experience and I remember studying it - especially the RWS version. First, you don't know where these people are going. They may indeed be going in for shelter or maybe they are heading to a better place. Also, the woman seems to be leading her child. This shows strength and confidence. Finally, there is debate that the couple is passing the safety of the Church. However, how do we know that what is behind those windows will make these poor sould better off? I agree there is always some good to go with the bad.

miss_apples	09 Apr 2004
You should see the 5 of pentacles in the Gendron Tarot. Its depicts the backside of a naked woman standing in front of a waterfall holding her arms up like she is paying homage to it. The pentacles are falling down in the waterfall. It makes me think of a spiritual ritual. Doesnt seem like a negative thing to me at all. When I first looked at the 5 of pents in the RWS I didnt notice that one of the pair was wearing crutches and bandages, I just saw 2 people walking past a church in the snow. I personally see the card as meaning that no matter how down on your luck you are, dont forget who you are, where you came from, and where you are going...your faith in yourself should see you through the situation you are going through now.

jema	10 Apr 2004
I see it like this: Often we have a really hard time asking for help when we need it and this card is about daring to be needy. When you ask for help you are opening yourself up for critizism but sometime that is what we have to do! And maybe being critizised can actually help us too? This can also come up for me in a reading for someone struggling with addictions, they are on the road of recovery but it is a long and hard road, one they will walk the rest of their lives.

Myrrha	10 Apr 2004
This is part of why I've been trying to learn to read with pip cards, they don't lock in a specific interpretation like that. Even with the RWS picture it can be seen as a card of appreciating what you do have. The people still have each other, they are alive, they are heading somewhere. The Fantastical Tarot brings out this theme in its picture of people in patched and mended clothing enjoying friendship and wine in a shabby little room. --Myrrha

ncefafn	10 Apr 2004
Here's a description I wrote of the Halloween Tarot's Five of Pents, in a reading I did (it's just the card description, not the reading I gave): Here, we see two children, trick-or-treaters, trudging through the snow on a dark night. The little girl has dropped her bag of treats and looks back tearfully at the candy in the snow. Her big brother, though, leads her on by the hand, driving purposefully forward. In his free arm he carries a black cat which curls against his chest, looking sympathetically over the boy's shoulder at the little girl. Above them, shining in the dark night, is a stained-glass window depicting five jack-o-lanterns flowering on a strong green vine. The interpretation I gave was that even though you may be going through hard times, there are people in your life who are trying to encourage you to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and help is at hand. Kim

ros	10 Apr 2004
So... is this a card of survival?

Diana	10 Apr 2004
How can a card with a number 5 on it mean destitution? Five is the number of Humanity in its entirety! It's the Pentacle, or the Pentagram which is a magical and powerful figure. (The pentagram provides magical protection in certain circumstances.) Fives are also related to the pyramid - a powerful shape indeed. Of course, reversed, a five can be rather disorderly and messy. But destitution is a very strange way to interpret this number especially if it only makes mention of the "bad" side. Before reading with any deck, ask if it makes sense. If it doesn't, chuck it away or use it for an art project. Very few decks with scenes on them make sense, because most are copied from other decks that make no sense. Many many decks are often not Tarot at all, but Oracle decks with 78 cards. It is not easy to find a deck with scenes on it that is worth its salt. Non-scenic minors do not have this problem (which doesn't mean that they are all good either.)

katie_here	10 Apr 2004
what kind of cards do you think are best? Would an ordinary deck of cards suffice to do a reading? or do you mean cards with no scenes but abstract patterns? I'd be interested to learn because I'm fairly new to all this and don't know too many decks yet.

Centaur	10 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by katie_here I'd be interested to learn because I'm fairly new to all this and don't know too many decks yet. Katie, I think that you should choose the deck which speaks to you... the one that you feel most connected with. I do not think that there is any such thing as the 'best' set of tarot cards. Go with what you are drawn to.

tmgrl2	10 Apr 2004
Hi katie_here.... I saw only what you are talking about initially....now, as I expand into the realm that all pictures can hold so many meanings....I feel so much more comfortable with the cards...and I am a beginner.... There have been a number of threads on 5Pents....Did a quick search in case you are interested in discussions on aspects of the card not mentioned in current thread.... By way...that card came up in a reading for a friend recently...she was quite down about where she was in her career....the 5 Pents in her reading, based on its position (without going back to my notes) actually meant that she was so "blinded by the snow of her current view, that she didn't notice the help --stained glass window with Pents...----that was right there along side of her" and that card led us to the "help" and "advice" and "outcome".... http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21201&highlight=Five+of+Pentacles http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24454&highlight=Five+of+Pentacles http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23105&highlight=Five+of+Pentacles I posted these links....re 5 Pents....they were earlier threads where the imagery was discussed.... I agree with Umbrae and Diana....I used to see only the poor people in the snow...and see the card as not good...now, I have a whole different set of readings that come forth dependent on Q, position of card, Rx or up.... I am just getting into the numbers as numbers...so I am searching out information right here at AT....there is so much here in the discussions to at least help us think out of the LWB... Umbrae, every time I see you post "78 Degrees of Pith" I ROFLOL.....do you use small "p".....??? This post helped me remember that my next search on AT is for threads on the numbers and their meanings.... terri...

Diana	10 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by katie_here what kind of cards do you think are best? Would an ordinary deck of cards suffice to do a reading? or do you mean cards with no scenes but abstract patterns? katie! I must say, it is nice talking to you again. :) You know, to do divination, one can use any deck. Playing cards, cards with scenes on them. One could even just write key-words on pieces of paper. Umbrae does readings with tooth-picks. However, if you want to be free to interpret the cards in a more individual way, without getting emotional when one sees pictures of desolation or pictures of great joy, then I really think a deck with so-called non-illustrated pips is the best way to find your own meanings and interpretations of the Tarot. It is a more impartial way of discovering the Tarot. A Tarot of Marseille is a wonderful deck to use, because it is ancient and it has the wisdom of many centuries encoded within it. And it has the advantage of being more and more used here on Aeclectic, so you would be able to learn about it right here and ask your questions. There are lots of newcomers to this deck lately so you'll be in good company! However, there are other very nice decks which have non-scenic minors (a better term than non-illustrated, because there is always some picture on the deck - cups, swords, batons, coins or discs; or flowers, plants......) A very lovely deck to use which is very inspiring but which leaves you to develop your own intuition and wisdom is the Crystal Tarot by Elisabetta Trevisan. If you do a search on this deck with the Search feature, you will find quite a number of threads which praise this deck. But of course, my own leanings are towards a Tarot of Marseille. You would see the Five of Coins (Pentacles) in a whole different light!

mysticalowl	10 Apr 2004
There are two comments I would like to make about this card. First, while this card does represent down and out times to me..I think we have to look at how can we allow ourselves to not get to this position or how can we help ourselves get out of this position. I dont' know about all of you, but I see too many people who could fit in the shoes of the two people in the 5 of Pentacles Robin Wood deck. Just walk around NYC for a day. My second point is that the church behind them is symbolic of the hope that is there for them. Whether or not you believe in a church or other house of worship is besides the point. If we look around for help it usually will be offered both spirtually and financially. This card always reminds me of A Christmas Story and Tiny Tim. He didn't choose to be handicapped or poor, but he was. However, with hope and prayer he and his family were able to overcome their problems.

katie_here	10 Apr 2004
I think you misunderstood me there a bit :-). What I meant to Diana was did SHE think cards without scenes were best. As I am new I haven't had a chance to see many decks and I didn't realise there were decks that didn't have pictures. Some I've seen on these websites that do free readings and the more gothic they are, the harder I find them to understand. I tend to like the light, gaily pictured ones at the moment and am looking for "pointers" in the pictures that will give me an indication of what the card is about. What I have found unusual is, that I've done so many readings, some messing about, some for my friends who have faith in my understanding!!! but I don't get to see a lot of the cards often and a lot of the same cards come popping out, hence if I come across a card that is "not that well known to me" I have trouble remembering what it means and have to look it up. I just really am interested in what other people think about the tarot and the decks they use.

Imagemaker	10 Apr 2004
As Tmgrls says, the more we use the cards--of any deck--the more we see bits that *in the moment* bring up thoughts that relate to the question--colors, numbers, shapes, stories, facial expressions. Marseilles decks DO have people on the majors and though I've not heard Marseilles fans recommend using some form of non-scenic majors, I'm sure that's possible and maybe even more convenient for anyone who wants to use cards with just the title. If I asked a question and drew the words "justice" and "tower"--I'd be able to read an answer quite clearly. No picture needed. However, I prefer RWS decks for the variety and creativity of the scenes to trigger my imagination.

katie_here	10 Apr 2004
Thanks for those links. I read them and found them interesting. It seems that the same theme runs through about the two travellers in the snow and the light on in the church window!. . What I found fascinating, which isn't in my deck, is the man wearing different coloured socks!! I can't see what's unusual in that. Its a very common thing in this house. My son doesn't care whether his socks match before going to school, just as long as he has two on, and I'm not that bothered if my socks are exactly the same either, as long as they are just quite similar!!!!!! lolol Anyway, about the Five of Pentacles: I can see this card in a new way now. Even though it looks forbidding, I was right to go with my instincts on "every cloud has a silver lining" I think I'll remember this, that even though its snowing and its dark, tomorrow might be bright and sunny and the snow's melted, and even though their clothes are tattered, they do actually have clothes to wear and they have each other. It reminds me of a saying: I stopped complaining about the horrible shoes I had to wear when I met a man with no legs.

tmgrl2	10 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by katie_here Thanks for those links. I read them and found them interesting. It seems that the same theme runs through about the two travellers in the snow and the light on in the church window!. . What I found fascinating, which isn't in my deck, is the man wearing different coloured socks!! I can't see what's unusual in that. Its a very common thing in this house. My son doesn't care whether his socks match before going to school, just as long as he has two on, and I'm not that bothered if my socks are exactly the same either, as long as they are just quite similar!!!!!! lolol Anyway, about the Five of Pentacles: I can see this card in a new way now. Even though it looks forbidding, I was right to go with my instincts on "every cloud has a silver lining" I think I'll remember this, that even though its snowing and its dark, tomorrow might be bright and sunny and the snow's melted, and even though their clothes are tattered, they do actually have clothes to wear and they have each other. It reminds me of a saying: I stopped complaining about the horrible shoes I had to wear when I met a man with no legs. Glad they helped....that's the amazing thing about Tarot...the meanings of the images just keep expanding as we grow with our practice and as we trust our intuition.... terri

Osher	10 Apr 2004
May I take a different take on the cards from everyone else: The 5 of Penticles is an interesting card (well, they are, to be frank). On on side you have the 4 of Penticles, on the other the 6. The 4 is often seen as miserly, it also often seen as meaning power. However, I see the 4 as drawing back, as pulling back because you have a position. From the 4 we get 5 then the 6. The 6 is generosity, it is giving, sharing, and so on. So, if this is a story (or stream, as I prefer to call it), what do we have? The answer is that from a position of strength one declines, before rising, and after the rise we are more generous. So, we could see the 5 as a card of learning. The couple are learning what it is like to be short of money, before having money again, and being more sympathetic to others. It could be seen as a temporary transition. One interesting fact of the modern world, to use a contempory example is that of the voluntary poor, such as businessmen starting a new business, or people like me who give up work to study, and who therefore suffer negative income. They (and I) do this in order to earn more later. Less extreme would be a new job, where you are without income for a short period. In other words, the 5 can be seen as the next step before the 6. Possibly I am just putting a nice 'spin' on a bad card, but I see the 5 as a card of possibilities. More interesting is it's position in a reading. With regard to deck choice, I prefer illustrated minors. I accept that the illustrations can be directional, however, I believe one should see the illustrations as an additional source of knowledge, not a hinderance. Although I do have the Marseille deck, and other pip decks, I would shy away from recommending them to anyone bar an experienced reader. I can't claim knowledge of the Lotus Tarot. The RWS is always a good Tarot deck (and is by far the most popular deck), and I really like the Tarot of the Old Path. It is one of those decks where the illustrations have been carefully considered, and greatly adds to the experience. However, decks are a very personal experience. Don't try and follow what is good for someone else. Some people have started on pip decks, especially the Thoth. Most start with the most popular deck, the RWS. I started with the Tarot of the Old Path. From what you have said, I think the Tarot of the Old Path would be quite right for you, but again, it is a personal decision.

tmgrl2	10 Apr 2004
Hap...love your discussion of 5Pent...moving away from comfort and security of 4Pent towards 6 Pent...very cool! terri

Osher	11 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by tmgrl2 Hap...love your discussion of 5Pent...moving away from comfort and security of 4Pent towards 6 Pent...very cool! terri Oh! Thanks! It's just the way I see the 5 Penticles, that's not to say I am right or wrong though.

tmgrl2	11 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Happiness Oh! Thanks! It's just the way I see the 5 Penticles, that's not to say I am right or wrong though. I love it...I've just been re-reading Umbrae's articles in beginning of AT...and working with the birthday numbers to look at year one is in, year one is moving toward, and year one is moving away from.. this is really an important feature of a apread, so why not an individual card.... terri

Dexter	12 Apr 2004
The 5 of Pentacles to me does not mean destitiution but that better times are at hand, moving on to the 6, but that you have to look for the way to this, in a more unorthodox manner. Like the walking past the church. Look for resources in places that you haven't looked before. Sometimes help is in the least likely place, you just keep overlooking it. Dexter

smleite	13 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Happiness So, we could see the 5 as a card of learning. The couple are learning what it is like to be short of money, before having money again, and being more sympathetic to others. Quote: Originally posted by Dexter The 5 of Pentacles to me does not mean destitiution but that better times are at hand, moving on to the 6, but that you have to look for the way to this, in a more unorthodox manner. Like the walking past the church. Look for resources in places that you haven't looked before. Sometimes help is in the least likely place, you just keep overlooking. I just got the Five of Pentacles for myself. Done a lot of thinking about it. I agree with what’s been said – and very much with Happiness and Dexter. It is a card of learning – maybe learning to endure and to trust, but mainly learning to seek help (and this can be understood in several ways), and to look around. I use a Marseilles deck, and the graphic image of five pentacles forming an X points in two directions: pay attention to the centre, focus yourself, concentrate, meditate, pray, but don’t forget to raise your head and “expand your mental horizons”, because the solution might be just around the corner… or even closer. Another image that comes to my head with the TdM card is that of the Five Wounds of Christ. Suffering and Hope. In the form of an X, it stands for a signal: this is the Way and the answer. Meditate on the card itself, because it bears the solution to its own problem. Is there really a problem? Material destitution can be spiritual empowerment. And spirituality is a path of abundance, as I strongly believe! So, Happiness, I agree that this is a card of learning (sometimes, we have to learn a hard lesson just because we are stubborn…). And, Dexter, better times are at hand. Also pointed by Dexter is the position of the Five of Pentacles between the Four and the Six. Wonderful insight! We are moving from our fears of losing, and our “grasping” to material resources, and learning to be really prosper. Prosperity is not about having money in a bank account, or having ten times what we need, or even having any kind of false safety and material assurance: prosperity is all about trusting, letting it flow, understanding our needs as part of the Universe’s needs. We don’t need a box full of apples hidden in our cellar; we just need to take that one apple we crave for, directly from the tree, when we are hungry. It even tastes better. I hope I learn the lesson.

katie_here	17 Apr 2004
I just wanted to share this with you. In a magazine that I buy (Take a break's Fate and Fortune), they pick out tarot cards for each of the sun signs. Mine is Taurus and in the money part the Five of Pentacles is chosen. it says: Be more generous with your cash - You're becoming a bit of a scrooge! There's money in the bank, so surprise your mates and treat them to a night out!!! Isn't that strange, the card is all about having nothing, being in poverty and destitution (or at least it being hard times) and here is a magazine telling you you're rich so splash it all about!!!! anyway, I've done the lottery today so maybe there will be money in the bank soon!

ncefafn	17 Apr 2004
Katie, I think whoever wrote that column stopped at the wrong page in his LWB -- that's a description for the 4 of Pents if I ever heard one! :) Kim

Osher	17 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by ncefafn Katie, I think whoever wrote that column stopped at the wrong page in his LWB -- that's a description for the 4 of Pents if I ever heard one! :) Agreed!

katie_here	17 Apr 2004
I didn't win the lottery, so I'm not sharing my cash out!!!! mind you, it was for May, so there's a hope yet. Even so, it will be my birthday so I'm sure I'll have to get the beer in somewhere. lol.

cormac	14 Apr 2005
Umbrae wrote: Folks wonder why I hate LWB’s. Obviously someone looked at an RWS and said, “Oh! The 5 of P’s means destitution and hardship!” And they never ever thought for themselves. Pity. And those folks are allowed to create decks… So let’s take a second and just look at this card (from the RWS). We have two folks in the snow; both dressed in threadbare clothing, one on crutches with a bandage around his head and foot, bell around his neck. The other may be caressing a cross, worn round the neck. They are passing by a stained glass window. Now let’s pick up our copies of “The Pictorial Key to the Tarot” by Arthur Edward Waite, page 272…”This card tells of material trouble above all, whether in the form illustrated – that is destitution – or otherwise.” Thank you Arthur…that will be all. I’ve hated the simplistic approach that Waite begins us on…it locks our mind into that “Destitution” trap. Pollack, in “78 Degree’s of Pith” (page 252) does an even worse job, describing how the church has no door, or how the people DO NOT see the church - that sanctuary has failed…neither author gets a passing grade. Let’s back up the cart here. For starters, we do not know if the couple shown is headed to the church door. Perhaps they are arriving. Perhaps they are leaving. We only get a snapshot here, and we don’t get blueprints for the church…(“no door” ROFL…what a pompous idiot….). But we miss the point. We are not allowed to glimpse HOW these folks got to be in the place they are. We do not get the privilege to look over their shoulder (like in a reality TV show) and see the series of events that led to here and now. We cannot see if perhaps they are on the last leg of a journey to bring them here, to the church (whose doors are wide open…just around the corner). We do know this (or can infer it…we cannot infer the church has no door…but how did the workmen leave? How did they do the window installation? It’s a stupid concept!). The couple is in a state of movement from point A to B. Point B may or may not be the church. But there was a series of events that led up to this picture…and that in my worldview is what the card is about. How did they get here? Destitution does not ‘just’ happen. Another point… If you spend time in the woods, you learn to make noise, or wear bells, to keep certain omnivores away (Bears, Mountain Lions)…it just warns them off, and you may get to your destination alive. Notice the couple could conceivably have been traveling right to this spot! Enduring hardships! Whatever their story is…there was a series of decisions that got them here…alive. This card regardless of the deck has nothing to do with poverty, destitution, material troubles…it’s about how folks got there…and then made it here. Abbia il significato? Plagiarized from a previous post, and my journals. i'm reviving an old thread i know but i was just studying the 5 of pentacles and came upon this enlightening thread :) first thanks for all of the insight and info i was going to ask about the bell around the neck and i do like your view on it Umbrae -- i'd actually read that once and forgotten it -- very interesting point i see the card as a new comer and so the first impression from the RW deck is of two 'unfortunates' in the snow -- bare foot on top of it it seems -- the glow of the stained glass could be a church -- the person on crutches seems to be looking up at it -- perhaps about to suggest to the other, who appears to be leading, that they might find comfort there -- perhaps a warm fire at least but then i have not been one for asking for help ever in my life -- i'm not one certainly after studying nietszche to absolve themselves of responsiblity by laying my troubles with god -- 'god will provide' etc ... one might get pretty damn hungry on that schedule -- so i suppose i look at things practically but as i look and think of the card, i really don't see pain and misery nessecarilly ... they seem to be pressing on ... sometimes that is the best thing to do ... perhaps poor but not saddled with the worries which beset others ... poor, on crutches, worn clothing -- these are not reasons to pity someone or ourselves to my mind ... it is really what is within that counts and this card is really heavy on the 'judging two books by their covers/clothing' to me -- so i'm just rambling -- lol -- but i really don't see this card as a complete negative -- the point of being halfway is a good one -- the middle of a job or task is always tedious, when your strength, attention, energy, etc, first start to wane and perhaps there is apprehension at completing the task -- i like the midpoint impression thanks again for all the input :)

mysticme	14 Apr 2005
I read in one of my Tarot books that this card can mean "lovers unable to find a meeting place" ... I like to think of it that way... at least when doing a spread on love. but then again I'm a hopeless romantic. :)

Julien	14 Apr 2005
I agree with a lot of what's been said... Maybe it's all the years I spent as a poor student, but the 5 of Pents always seems to me about those moments when you don't have a lot, but there's still something special in that moment. Friendship (two figures together); a warm place to go to if they can find it (and certainly in let's say less than flush moments it's hard to ask for help and/or see the help that's available -- but it's almost always there somewhere); and that sense that this moment is going to pass, that there's movement here even when it's a bit lean on the wealth. So I've never seen the card in a negative way, but rather as a description of a moment that won't last but has both its easy and difficult parts.

cormac	15 Apr 2005
mysticme wrote: I read in one of my Tarot books that this card can mean "lovers unable to find a meeting place" ... I like to think of it that way... at least when doing a spread on love. but then again I'm a hopeless romantic. :) that is a very nice thought and you can go many directions with it :)

The Five of Pentacles thread was originally posted on 09 Apr 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.