As a reminder, the suit of Pentacles is driven by feminine energy and represents values related to stability, growth, and material aspects in the life of the Querent or subject of a reading. Scholars and academics have connected the suit of pentacles to the classical element of earth, and most of the cards from that suit embody the symbolic attributes of this element, one way or another.
The Page of Pentacles Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: study, practical matters, balancing needs and ideals, experimentation, and personal growth
Reversed: procrastination, dissipation, and turning your back on your dreams
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Modern Representations
The youngest of the four court cards in the suit of pentacles, the Page of Pentacles is an idealist that still tries to balance the utopian carelessness of a young mind with a more practical, realistic, and down-to-earth point of view. It usually represents the kind of people who will plan ahead and walk on a well-beaten path that will provide safety and financial stability, even as they try to cling to some of their more ambitious ideals, trying to make them fit in their new career plan.
The Mythic Tarot (1986/2008)
The Haindl Tarot (1990)
Osho Zen Tarot (1995)
Law of Attraction Tarot (2011)
Spellcaster Tarot (2016)
Ostara Tarot (2017)
Upright Page of Pentacles Meaning
In the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck illustration, the Page of Pentacles is a young and graceful man with a hat and shawl. He is looking up and away, in the distance, as if he were trying to find something on the horizon.
From the background, he seems to be standing in a kind of meadow, and we can notice a small bunch of trees on the left and a mountain on the right of the minor arcana card. Both are reminders that echo the connection of this card to the element of Earth.
Finally, the Page of Pentacles holds the symbol of the suit of Pentacles with both hands, but it isn’t a firm grip, the pentacle seems very light, balanced on the tip of his fingers, almost like a paper lantern about to fly away.
More modern versions of tarot decks derived from the original RWS deck usually have turned the Page of Pentacles into a girl, to balance the gender parity within the court cards.
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As usual for the court cards, the Page of Pentacles represents the initial spark triggering the themes of the element associated with the suit. Just like the illustration looking ahead, the Page of Pentacles is looking at upcoming opportunities, both financial and practical.
On a financial aspect, the Page of Pentacles represents new investment opportunities and a desire for material safety and security. However, this is probably the most balanced of the pentacles court cards in that the page does not turn his back on the more spiritual aspect of their being. The stability he craves is often meant to be the foundations of more immaterial aspirations.
On a practical and personal level, the Page of Pentacles represents the drive to better yourself, to acquire more skills and knowledge, and to end every day feeling greater and more experienced than you did when you woke up in the morning. The main difference from the Page of Swords will be found in the very nature of what is learned, as the Page of Pentacles will usually focus on more practical or physical skills rather than abstract theories and concepts.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
The Page of Pentacles often represents a driven young man, probably a student or scholar of some sort. Usually, he will represent someone in a state of transition from being a dreamer, with remnants of the idealism of youth or teenage years, into a more practical and down-to-earth person, with long-term goals and a clear vision of who they want to be.
The Page of Pentacles is a good Querent card to represent a young man or woman currently defining who they will be as an adult, as well as anyone trying to acquire practical knowledge of some sort.
In a Question about Career and Work
Career encompasses school and education if that is your current stage; work that is necessary, but not what you would consider a career path; and your actual career path. Regardless of your current stage of development, the Page of Pentacles represents what practical skills you need to acquire to succeed.
If you are a student and this is your card, then you need to think about the practical applications of what you study. What are your work or career opportunities after you complete your degree? What are the best classes to take on your way to completing your degree?
If you are doing work that is necessary, but not a career, then you want to find opportunities at professional development that will increase your skills, making you more valuable to the company and harder to dismiss or let go. Keep your skill sharp as a matter of practical survival and success.
If you are in your career, then the Page of Pentacles represents a new talent or new skills you need to acquire to stay relevant and even ahead in your industry. You never want to stop learning, so you need to pay attention to new innovations and changes in the economy that signal an “out with the old and in with the new” transition.
The problem of the Page of Pentacles is that too much youthful optimism coupled with larger than life goals often translates into a dizzying feeling that can be overwhelming. Faced with so many potential prospects and no way to define a clear priority can often turn resolve into procrastination and energy into apathy.
A reversed Page of Pentacles in a reading can represent this contradiction, and plague a potential project or endeavor with a depressing lack of progress, leading one to want to give up before they even tried. The way out of such a predicament is to design a structure and learn how to prioritize what needs to be done.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
Reversed, this card indicates worry or anxiety about the direction of the relationship, causing you or the other person to hesitate to change or take a needed action to help the relationship. Failing to act will be worse than acting in a way that does not yield the best outcome. Something needs to change for the relationship to remain healthy.
In a Question about Career and Work
When this card appears reversed in a question about school, work, or career, then you may realize that you are becoming obsolete, or your field of study is no longer as relevant as it appeared to be when you started studying. If you continue to “play it safe”, you will be looked over for promotions or first on the list to get furloughed or fired.
