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 Two of Pentacles Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: balance, flexibility, time management, ebb and flow, and the constant of change
Reversed: stagnation, mismanagement of time, stubbornness, and imbalance
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Modern Representations
Usually, a positive card, the Two of Pentacles represents a kind of flexible joy and the skillful art of balancing several priorities in life without neglecting any of them. In a more generic kind of reading, the Two of Pentacles is usually a good sign that the Querent finds a way to equally balance all the important aspects of their life, like love, family, material stability, and professional achievements.
Keep an eye out for a reversed Two of Pentacles though, that might wreck that careful balance like the “straw that breaks the camel’s back”.
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 Two of Pentacles Meaning
The traditional figure depicted on the Two of Pentacles (in the Rider-Waite Smith deck and various derivatives) is a dancing young man obviously happy with what he is doing. He is holding one pentacle in each hand as if they were juggler balls.
Another crucial detail of this card from the suit of Pentacles is the deliberate shape drawn around these two pentacles, connecting them together, like a large number eight. In the actual scene itself, it might represent a thread or rope, used for some trick or another, since the character is obviously making a spectacle of himself. In context, it might also be a more arcane symbol on the card meant to echo the usual symbol used for infinity, something boundless and endless.
The main character on the Two of Pentacles card is obviously juggling with his two pentacles but manages to do it without dropping either of them. As such, the main meaning of the Two of Pentacles in a reading is usually one of balance and equilibrium.
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This minor arcana card encourages finding the sweet spot where two concepts or priorities that have vastly different requirements reach some kind of balance regarding time management and commitment.
Finally, the Two of Pentacles lets the Querent keep a smile on their face and keep their cool when such a situation arises, ensuring that the decision they make and how they balance it will be done fairly, taking every requirement into account.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
A love-based tarot spread that features the Two of Pentacles will usually mean one of two things. Combined with other positive cards, it can simply suggest a particularly happy time in your romantic relationship, where you manage to balance the requirements of your love life with the other requirements in your life.
Combined with cards with more deceptive meanings, the Two of Pentacles in a love spread could represent the Querent or subject balancing two relationships at the same time, splitting his time and attention between a spouse and a lover. Combined with positive cards, it might represent a successful polyamorous relationship.
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 Two of Pentacles represents the need to adapt to changing circumstances.
If you are a student and this is your card, then you need to be flexible with your course of study. You may not be able to get the courses you want when you want them, so adapt accordingly. Also, you want to focus on the day-to-day efforts to make sure you are keeping your grades up.
If you are doing work that is necessary, but not a career, then you need to remember that work should not become stagnant; there always needs to be a flow of energy. Keep your work ethic at a high level and you will be rewarded.
If you are in your career, then the Two of Pentacles represents the attention you need to pay to the smallest parts of your business. Make sure you not “mailing it in”; it is important to see the trees and the forest on your career path, especially when this card appears.
The balance and harmony usually channeled by the Two of Pentacles are completely broken when the card appears reversed in a tarot reading or spread. In that situation, it is a sign of disorganization and poor time management skills, wasting a lot of time in the process. This usually represents someone moving from one project to the next, in a kind of scheduled Ponzi scheme that will eventually catch up with them.
The other meaning of a reversed Two of Pentacles might refer to someone making a spectacle of themselves, or putting on a show to hide their true feelings and emotions. In that way, the skillful juggler on the illustration is replaced with the archetype of the sad clown, putting on a show for other people and hiding the distress and pain they feel inside.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
Reversed, this card indicates that small frustrations can be building to a larger problem. Efforts to get things done as a couple could be thwarted or prove to be monumentally annoying. A good act gets interpreted negatively or a planned event gets derailed. Nothing is going smoothly when this card appears.
In a Question about Career and Work
When this card appears reversed in a question about school, work, or career, then you will likely face small, but annoying obstacles. Reversed this card represents spilling coffee on your shirt on the way to work or having your dog barking in the middle of our online meeting. If you drop toast with jelly today, it will land jelly side down.
