Ten of Pentacles
Patrimony
“‘Ohana’ means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”
Lilo & Stitch
Ten of Pentacles at a glance
Finbarre’s interpretation: The Ten of Pentacles places wealth within family, inheritance, history and the systems that outlast one individual.
| Upright | legacy, family resources, long-term security, inheritance, established home |
|---|---|
| Reversed | family conflict over money, insecure inheritance, loss, gambling, exclusion from a legacy |
| Linked card | The World |
| Soundtrack | Celebration by Kool & The Gang Open the full Tarot Interviews playlist on Spotify |
Upright meanings
- Legacy
- Family resources
- Long-term security
- Inheritance
- Established home
- Intergenerational support
- Durable success
- Business continuity
- Belonging to a lineage
- Planning beyond the present
Reversed meanings
- Family conflict over money
- Insecure inheritance
- Loss
- Gambling
- Exclusion from a legacy
- Rigid tradition
- Wealth without intimacy
- Unstable foundations
- Disputes over property
- Change disrupting an old system
Ten of Pentacles in a reading
| Area | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Love | Practical support: Intergenerational support. Reversed: Rigid tradition. |
| Career | Work: Durable success; business continuity. Warning: Wealth without intimacy. |
| Money | Financial theme: Belonging to a lineage. Warning: Disputes over property. |
| Feelings | Upright: Long-term security. Reversed: Loss. |
| Advice | Prioritise: Planning beyond the present. Watch for: Change disrupting an old system. |
| Outcome | Potential: Established home. Obstacle: Exclusion from a legacy. |
| Yes or no | Yes for long-term security, provided the system is fair. |
Symbols in Ten of Pentacles
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The elder | The scene includes knowledge, age and wealth accumulated over time. |
| The family group | Material value is embedded in relationships and succession. |
| The dogs | Loyalty and continuity connect generations. |
| The archway and emblems | Private life sits within a larger history, institution or family identity. |
A. E. Waite's original description
A man and woman beneath an archway which gives entrance to a house and domain. They are accompanied by a child, who looks curiously at two dogs accosting an ancient personage seated in the foreground. The child's hand is on one of them.
Waite's original divinatory meanings
Upright:
Gain, riches; family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family.
Reversed:
Chance, fatality, loss, robbery, games of hazard; sometimes gift, dowry, pension.
Source: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, first published in 1910, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith.
Continue through the deck
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- Next card: Page 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.
