Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell and got back up again.
Nelson Mandela
Hardship, insecurity, isolation, left out in the cold
Overview
Hardship and need
This is my least favorite card, but it can have a lot of meanings other than simply being too broke to function. The Five of Pentacles can show up not only in readings relevant to money, but also in our personal relationships.
Look at this card like a pariah, it’s an outcast, a reject. It’s a warning that you’re refusing to leave a table that you should have flipped. The people you are surrounded with are hidden enemies, isolating you and pushing you away. This card is heart breaking for those who struggle so hard to belong. You’re cutting yourself into pieces to fit in a box, but that box wasn’t meant for you. It will constantly shift its shape and size to make you keep trimming your edges until you lose yourself completely.
Symbolism
Two ragged, barefoot figures (a man on crutches and a woman in a shawl) trudge through deep snow past a brightly lit stained-glass church window depicting five golden pentacles. The window glows warm yellow and red against the dark, stormy night sky. The figures appear cold, impoverished, and excluded, yet help is visible just out of reach.
Meaning
Failed Systems
The system you built for your survival has failed you, and the pressure is mounting. There is a severe lack in what you need, can afford, and what’s available to you. This is the time of struggling and adversity. Be tight with your resources and dictate every bill and investment that come to you. Cut any unnecessary losses that can further ruin you.
Falling through
Something you relied on could have fallen thought, such as a job or a loan. Ask for help at this point from anyone available to you. If there is no one, ask the universe. Remember, eventually something has got to give.
Time may not be something you have, you could be lacking, or your health could be in question right now. Just hold fast and assess all your options, there may be institutions that you are not even considering as an option at the moment. There’s no shame in getting bailed out.
Hardship
You are down and out from the struggle of life. Something may have prevented you from working which cut too deep into your resources. Perhaps being sick, or dealing with something in your personal life. Perhaps you focused too hard at a side-gig which effected your professional life.
Insecurity
Regardless, it is pretty evident there is a severe lack right now. The cupboards are dwindling, you are cutting back on essentials at this point. Skipping bills that are not necessary /now/.
Isolation
Everything is at risk, it feels like; nothing is safe. It feels like you can lose everything at any moment. This level of poverty is putting your mental wellness at risk.
Left out in the cold
Due to your current status, you may feel left out in the cold as you face the hardships in life. Someone may have actually turned their back on you which left you in this state or detriment. There maybe a breakup, heartbreak or separation that put you here. This may even symbolize homelessness.
The positive way to look at this card, is you’re at a turning point. Things can’t be horrible forever and you can only hit rock bottom so many times until you’re on bedrock. Then there’s no where to go, but up.
The Five of Pentacles Reversed
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
-Albert Einstein
Recovery, support, gradual improvement, help becomes available or accepted
Overview
Meaning
