Ace of Pentacles
Endowment
“It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this.”
The Legend of Zelda
Ace of Pentacles at a glance
Finbarre’s interpretation: The Ace of Pentacles offers a concrete beginning whose value depends on what is built from it.
| Upright | a practical opportunity, new income, a useful resource, physical wellbeing, a sound investment |
|---|---|
| Reversed | a missed opportunity, poor investment, greed, insecure foundations, delayed income |
| Linked card | The Empress |
| Soundtrack | Gold Lion by Yeah Yeah Yeahs Open the full Tarot Interviews playlist on Spotify |
Upright meanings
- A practical opportunity
- New income
- A useful resource
- Physical wellbeing
- A sound investment
- A job offer
- Material stability beginning
- A gift
- A viable plan
- Planting for long-term growth
Reversed meanings
- A missed opportunity
- Poor investment
- Greed
- Insecure foundations
- Delayed income
- Material obsession
- A gift with conditions
- Bad planning
- Resources wasted
- Comfort without purpose
Ace of Pentacles in a reading
| Area | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Love | Practical support: A job offer. Reversed: Material obsession. |
| Career | Work: Material stability beginning; a gift. Warning: A gift with conditions. |
| Money | Financial theme: A viable plan. Warning: Resources wasted. |
| Feelings | Upright: A useful resource. Reversed: Greed. |
| Advice | Prioritise: Planting for long-term growth. Watch for: Comfort without purpose. |
| Outcome | Potential: A sound investment. Obstacle: Delayed income. |
| Yes or no | Yes, particularly for work, money, health or a practical start. |
Symbols in Ace of Pentacles
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The hand from the cloud | A material opening is presented before ownership or outcome is guaranteed. |
| The pentacle | Value is concentrated into something tangible and measurable. |
| The garden path | Opportunity requires a route of sustained action. |
| The mountain arch | A larger challenge lies beyond the attractive beginning. |
A. E. Waite's original description
A hand, issuing, as usual, from a cloud, holds up a pentacle.
Waite's original divinatory meanings
Upright:
Perfect contentment, felicity, ecstasy; also speedy intelligence; gold.
Reversed:
The evil side of wealth, bad intelligence; also great riches. In any case it shews prosperity, comfortable material conditions, but whether these are of advantage to the possessor will depend on whether the card is reversed or not.
Source: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, first published in 1910, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith.
Continue through the deck
- Previous card: King of Swords
- Next card: Two of Pentacles
Written and interpreted by Finbarre Snarey, tarot researcher, founder of the British Tarot Archive and coordinator of the UK living heritage submission for Rider-Waite-Smith tarot reading practice.
These interpretations reflect Finbarre Snarey’s understanding of contemporary Rider-Waite-Smith tarot practice. They are provided for education, reflection and entertainment only and should not be treated as medical, legal, financial, psychological or relationship advice.
