King of Pentacles
Custodianship
“The buck stops here.”
Harry S. Truman
King of Pentacles at a glance
Finbarre’s interpretation: The King of Pentacles represents material authority proved through stewardship, competence and durable results.
| Upright | financial mastery, stable leadership, business success, stewardship, long-term investment |
|---|---|
| Reversed | corruption, greed, materialism, misuse of wealth, stagnation |
| Linked card | The Emperor |
| Soundtrack | Money (That's What I Want) by Barrett Strong Open the full Tarot Interviews playlist on Spotify |
Upright meanings
- Financial mastery
- Stable leadership
- Business success
- Stewardship
- Long-term investment
- Reliability
- Practical intelligence
- Enjoying earned wealth
- Protecting resources
- Building institutions that last
Reversed meanings
- Corruption
- Greed
- Materialism
- Misuse of wealth
- Stagnation
- Unethical business
- Possessiveness
- Status without competence
- Financial risk hidden by display
- Power maintained through dependency
King of Pentacles in a reading
| Area | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Love | Practical support: Reliability. Reversed: Unethical business. |
| Career | Work: Practical intelligence; enjoying earned wealth. Warning: Possessiveness. |
| Money | Financial theme: Protecting resources. Warning: Financial risk hidden by display. |
| Feelings | Upright: Business success. Reversed: Materialism. |
| Advice | Prioritise: Building institutions that last. Watch for: Power maintained through dependency. |
| Outcome | Potential: Long-term investment. Obstacle: Stagnation. |
| Yes or no | Yes, particularly for business, property and long-term stability. |
Symbols in King of Pentacles
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The vine-covered robe | Prosperity has grown around the King until it becomes part of his identity. |
| The bull carvings | Earthly strength, appetite and persistence support his authority. |
| The castle | Material power has been converted into a durable structure. |
| The pentacle and sceptre | Wealth and formal command are held together. |
A. E. Waite's original description
The figure calls for no special description; the face is rather dark, suggesting also courage, but somewhat lethargic in tendency. The bull's head should be noted as a recurrent symbol on the throne. The sign of this suit is represented throughout as engraved or blazoned with the pentagram, typifying the correspondence of the four elements in human nature and that by which they may be governed. In many old Tarot packs this suit stood for current coin, money, deniers. I have not invented the substitution of pentacles and I have no special cause to sustain in respect of the alternative. But the consensus of divinatory meanings is on the side of some change, because the cards do not happen to deal especially with questions of money.
Waite's original divinatory meanings
Upright:
Valour, realizing intelligence, business and normal intellectual aptitude, sometimes mathematical gifts and attainments of this kind; success in these paths.
Reversed:
Vice, weakness, ugliness, perversity, corruption, peril.
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: Queen of Pentacles
- Next card: Ace of Wands
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.
