Like all the Aces in the Tarot deck, The Ace of Pentacles card represents new beginnings and opportunities. Because it’s in the Pentacles suit, these opportunities relate to the material world, so this card often stands for financial gains or physical improvements to your body or environment.
The Ace of Pentacles might show a new job or source of income, and it can also point toward a major investment or purchase. You might also see The Ace of Pentacles associated with your health and fitness goals, standing as a positive sign that you’re on the right track.
When The Ace of Pentacles is reversed, it can mean you’re in for a hardship related to your finances or career. Something you’ve been counting on, like a promotion or a raise, might fall through, or maybe you made a poor investment.
This reversed card can also show that you’re feeling hesitant to move forward with a new financial or career opportunity. As always, trust your intuition and don’t make any major decisions until you fully understand the situation and feel prepared.
The reversed Ace of Pentacles card serves as a reminder to be careful with your money and may encourage you to be more frugal. To gain stability, you need to find ways to enjoy managing your money and make value-led choices with the future in mind.
This reversed card can also show instability in other areas, such as your love life. Seek a balance in your relationships and be wary of people who are selfish or encourage you to be reckless with your money.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Okay, now let’s talk about how you can read your reversed Ace of Pentacles card. First, you can use the “blocked/restricted” reversed card meaning.
When you read your cards this way, you look for an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning. For The Ace of Pentacles, this means something is blocking your prosperity, or new opportunities. What’s keeping you from achieving your goals?
Say you pull the reversed Ace of Pentacles thinking about your health and fitness. It’s been a long, stressful year, and you’re at the heaviest weight you’ve ever been.
Even though you say you want to make a change, you’re just not getting started. Going to the gym and working out in front of others makes you self-conscious, and you worry the people you live with will comment or judge you when you work out at home.
This reversed card is telling you that your own mindset is what’s blocking you from moving forward. Maybe now isn’t the time for you to commit to radically changing your sedentary lifestyle – but if it is, you’ll first need to change your negative thought patterns.
Be proud of yourself for wanting to get fit and healthy and love your body at every stage. Don’t let your own negative thinking stand in the way of living a healthier, more comfortable life.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
Another way to read your reversed Ace of Pentacles card is with the “opposite” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you’re looking for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
So for The Ace of Pentacles, instead of prosperity and abundance, you have hardship and depletion. Times are tough right now, so you might need to buckle down or make a change to prepare for the future.
For example, say you pull the reversed Ace of Pentacles card thinking about your financial situation. You’re finally getting serious about your money after years and years of pretending your financial habits didn’t matter.
After looking over everything, you’re faced with just how much credit card debt you’ve racked up. It’s a lot, especially combined with your car note, student loans, and all the other bills you have to pay.
You’re feeling overwhelmed and like you can never dig yourself out. Here, the reversed Ace of Pentacles tells you to make some adjustments to get this weight off your shoulders.
Look over your spending for the past few months and be honest with yourself. How much of your money went towards feeling good at a soul-level, and how much of it went towards trying to cover up feelings of unhappiness?
Reducing the amount of money you spend on immediate pleasures that may not be what you truly want allows you more money and energy to spend on things that you really value – like feeling centered, connected, and in control. And once you align your money habits with your true values and desires, you’ll be able to work on your debt with focus and intention.
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
You can also read your reversed Ace of Pentacles card using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you put the card’s upright meaning in a negative light.
For The Ace of Pentacles, this means you have abundance and prosperity, but you might be sacrificing other important things for your material gains.
Say you pull the reversed Ace of Pentacles card thinking about your job. You work in research and development for a company that makes flight simulators. You love your work and spend long hours at the office every day.
Even at work, you do little socializing and sit in your cubicle eating leftovers instead of connecting with others when they go out to lunch. When you were a kid, you didn’t have much money and sometimes your folks even struggled to put food on the table. As a result, you’re now obsessed with maintaining financial security.
Working hard and saving every penny are your top priorities in life. Here, the reversed Ace of Pentacles card shows it’s important to maintain a balance. You’re doing well financially, but your personal life is hurting.
Are you enjoying your life or just living to make money? You don’t need to change your spending habits if you enjoy saving, but try to make time for relaxation and family and connecting with others.
While brown-bagging it is nice, you don’t want to come to the end of your life sitting on top of a pile of money, with no friends to share it with. Make your financial decisions from a place of wholeness and love, not scarcity or fear.
Reading this reversed card using the “no/not” meaning
Finally, you can use the “no/not” meaning to read your reversed Ace of Pentacles card. When you read your cards like this, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For The Ace of Pentacles, this can mean “no stability” or “no abundance.” Are you investing in something that might hurt you in the long run?
For example, you might pull the reversed Ace of Pentacles card thinking about your girlfriend. You’re dating a girl who’s beautiful and fun, but she’s also high maintenance and asks a lot of you.
She wants to go out to nice dinners every weekend and often hints at things she’d like you to buy for her. To keep her happy, you usually do these things, but you’ve noticed it’s adding up and making a big dent in your bank account.
You haven’t ever brought this up because you don’t want to seem stingy, but it’s getting to where something needs to change. Here, the reversed Ace of Pentacles card encourages you to shift the dynamic and talk to your girlfriend about your concerns.
She might have no idea how you’re feeling, and maybe she’s happy to eat at home and go without those presents. She might even offer to chip in or treat you for a change. If she doesn’t understand where you’re coming from, you might need to have a more serious conversation. In the long run, this unequal partnership isn’t healthy, so it’s important to address your concerns now before they get worse.