3 of Pentacles rev

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alice23	04 Feb 2005
Hi everyone, was wondering if anyone could shed some insight on the reversal meaning of the 3 of coins? The upright meaning has always confused me too? Thanks again, Alice xx

RedMaple	04 Feb 2005
Of course the meaning of any card changes with the spread and the querent, but the three of Pentacles in the RWS deck usually indicates doing work that you are very good at. For an artist, I think of it as mature or master work, for business people or others, they have experience and skill and are sought after by clients. This can mean going professional (moving from the apprentice stage -- which might be the 8 of Pentacles, to a professional one.) Seeing this card reversed, might mean that work is not coming, that the person is being lazy about doing the best job possible. It might also mean a lack of clients or monetary support for the work. It can also mean the successful completion of a project, on a very mundane level. Or reversed, the inability to complete a project. Check out Thirteen's meanings of the cards. She is always brilliant. Hope this helps.

tarotbear	05 Feb 2005
The Three Pentacles/coins/whatever is a card that many don't connect with. (Could it be that person in the polka dot robe that some books claim is a nun? What order? Our Lady of Perpetual Motion?) It is the card of the Masterbuilder, which contrasts with 8 Pents - the apprentice. Some people feel these cards should be reversed and the three should be the apprentice (Connolly drew her deck that way) - young man trying to impress the onlookers who are not completely conviced of his ability. The Masterbuilder is someone at the height of their capabilities. They have already been there, and done that a long time ago. They are able to cope with anything that gets thrown at them with confidence. No more making endless samples or repetitious boring 'do it again' stuff for them! They have the postion, the prestige, and the salary that comes with their experince. In reversal, the Three pents tells you that perhaps you bit off more than you could chew, or perhaps you took on a challenge that was too much to handle. You may have strode in with confidence, but soon found you were in hot water way over your head. Also in reversal, it can indicate that you are wasting your talents on things that are worthless, boring, or so far beneath your capablities that you worked so hard or so long to achieve. It is telling you to pick yourself up and find something you like to do and want to do.

caridwen	05 Feb 2005
The Three of Pentacles can also be seen as referring to the first three degrees of Freemasonary: Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. In Freemasonry the initiation of a candidate is called work. It is suggestive of the doctrine that labour is a masonic duty. Together the three figures may signify that the best work combines both technical skill (air) and spiritual understanding (water) with energy and desire(fire). Also the three degrees of apprentiship, learning your craft and working with others and becoming the best you can be within your field. It is a three, suggestive of building on the one and two and the union of what came before - again the seed of starting out: the apprentice, adding to your knowlege and working with others and finally, being able to start out on your own, teach others and further your knowledge through experience. The Apron he wears - another Masonic symbol - yet his is yellow and should be white lambskin. It is a symbol of purity, and it derives this symbolism from its colour, white being symbolic of purity; from its material, the lamb having the same symbolic character; and from its use, which is to preserve the garments from dirt. The apron, or abnet, worn by the Egyptian and the Hebrew priests, has been considered the basis for the Masonic apron and was a symbol of authority. But the apron in Freemasonary symbolises work and labour: a derivation of the speculative science from an operative art. Anyway, reversals, examine the card and what you feel when you look at it. What sticks out as particularly pertinent? Then think about how it relates to you at this time and consider that it is: still in its early stages losing force and power blocked or restricted incomplete inappropriate being denied only present in appearance

Inana	05 Feb 2005
To me the 3 pentacles it’s about teamwork. It refers more to planning stuff together with others and sharing the work than to the quality of this work. I don’t see it as the mastery one has, but more as the process and the collaboration with someone else to make projects and ideas become real. Usually also refers to things do you want to last in time (something as working to achieve the ten of pentacles). As for the reversal, I don’t use them, but I would read it something like: wanting to do it yourself all alone, having differences with your co-workers, not being concentrated in the task at hand, or not having a good plan to make the project work.

HudsonGray	05 Feb 2005
Quite often the reversals show the downside of what the upright meaning was. So if the upright focuses on talents learned and used, the downside would be a waste of the talents, maybe not having learned all you needed to, taking them for granted, not being able to use them to the best ability, etc. My Robin Wood deck says the reversal for this card is: Sloppiness inworkmanship. Delay of recognition or recompense. Preoccupation with gain at the cost of the craft. Mediocrity.

The 3 of Pentacles rev thread was originally posted on 04 Feb 2005 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.