The King of Pentacles tarot card is the master of material and worldly success and has plenty of wisdom to share. Like all the Court cards, the King of Pentacles can represent a real person in your life or a role you’re ready to play.
This card represents a man or woman who is a pillar of their community, like a financial advisor, business guru, doctor, or parental figure. When it doesn’t represent a real person, the King of Pentacles can stand for hard work, practicality, generosity, and common sense.
It represents being a prosperous and generous master of the material world. When you apply yourself with hard work and dedication, like the King of Pentacles, everything you touch will turn to gold.
When you see the King of Pentacles card reversed, it can show you’re not managing your wealth responsibly. You have a strong income, but your spending habits are irresponsible, so you often blow your money on expensive luxuries or risky investments.
You’ll need to learn to be more careful with your funds to secure the future you want while still living a comfortable life. This reversed card can also show that you place so much value on material gains that you’re willing to compromise your integrity. You look down on those who don’t have as much as you, and you’ve lost sight of what’s really important in life.
When not related to money, the reversed King of Pentacles can represent someone rigid, stubborn, and unyielding. It can also mean you have a damaged reputation or your work performance has been subpar.
Focus on treating others with kindness and respect and try your best in all you do. If others try to drag you down or smear your name, stand up for yourself, but also channel your energy into what you can control.
You can’t make everyone happy, but you can produce quality work and treat others the way you want to be treated in return.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Okay, so now let’s talk about how you can read the reversed King of Pentacles. First, you can use the “blocked/restricted” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning.
So for the King of Pentacles, this can mean something is blocking your material and financial success. What’s standing in the way of your security?
Say you pull the reversed King of Pentacles thinking about your second marriage. You got married about a year ago to an incredible woman. She’s beautiful, caring, and genuine, and after your first marriage, meeting her was like a breath of fresh air.
You fell head over heels right away, and you’re thrilled in your partnership. But she comes from a wealthy family and has some bad habits when it comes to spending. Even though you make a good living as a marketing manager, she seems to spend the money as quickly as it comes in.
She’s not selfish at all; instead, she buys things for both of you, makes donations, and treats your family to nice dinners and gifts. You admire her generosity, but it’s causing your savings to take a hit.
Here, the reversed King of Pentacles tells you that you just need to talk to your wife about her spending habits. Sit down together and go over your income and expenses in detail. Come up with a budget each month that both of you can stick to, and make sure she has full visibility to your accounts so she can keep an eye on things.
Once you have a discussion, you’ll be able to save for the future and make sure you’re not living beyond your means. But remember not to come down too hard on her generous spirit. You can always make more money, but finding someone with genuine kindness who wants to help others is a rare and beautiful thing.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
You can also read your reversed King of Pentacles card using the “opposite” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
With the King of Pentacles, instead of wisdom and discipline, you have ignorance and a lack of restraint. You might approach new projects with enthusiasm, but you need to learn to crawl before you can run.
For example, say you pull the reversed King of Pentacles thinking about your life as a single mom. You’re raising a little girl while living at home with your parents. They’re very helpful and try to give you as much time as possible to focus on yourself and make some money.
You didn’t go to college, but you have a lot of natural gifts and believe in yourself. You also have some active social media accounts with over 5,000 followers. But it’s been hard for you to decide on one specific career path.
Your latest idea is interior design, and you want to consult for people when they’re moving and help them set up a creative and welcoming space. You’ve started posting about it on your accounts and have gained some interest, so you’re putting all your effort into promoting yourself, even though you know little about the field.
Here, the reversed King of Pentacles tells you that if you want to do this properly, you’ll need to think things through. Before you book appointments, take a few weeks to learn more about the industry and come up with design ideas.
What styles fit well with your taste? Are there some Masterclasses or online workshops you can enroll in to learn more? If you jump right into taking jobs without know-how or experience, you might get some bad reviews and end up tanking the business before you even get started.
Make sure you also have a clear business plan in place and have worked out your rates before signing any contracts. This might be a great idea, but to do it properly, you need to complete all the steps. Pay attention to the details and consult with people who can help. This might just be the start of a whole new life for you and your daughter.
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
Another way to read your reversed King of Pentacles card is using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you take the card’s upright meaning and put it in a negative light.
For the King of Pentacles, this can mean you’re doing well in business and have material security, but maybe you’re missing the simpler things in life.
Say you pull the reversed King of Pentacles thinking about your past. You’re from a small town, and most of the people you grew up with never got out. But not only did you leave, you worked hard and became a leading oncologist in Chicago.
Your days are filled with meetings, consultations, and procedures, and you’re doing quite well for yourself. But you recently turned 50, and now that you’ve been away from your hometown so long, you’re thinking back to what you left behind. You miss a few specific people, and you have fond memories of the places you grew up.
Here, the reversed King of Pentacles tells you it’s never too late to reach out to people from your past. Are you connected with anyone on social media? If not, call one of your family members back home and arrange for a visit. Try to get a group together while you’re there so you can talk to lots of family and friends at the same time.
Things may not be as rosy as you remember, but it never hurts to explore. Always remember that money is easy to make, but genuine bonds may be once in a lifetime.
Reading this reversed card using the “no/not” meaning
Finally, you can read your reversed King of Pentacles card using the “no/not” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
So for the King of Pentacles, this can mean “no material success.” What you’re pursuing won’t make you rich, but if it makes you happy and fulfilled, that might be enough.
For example, you might pull the reversed King of Pentacles thinking about a new business idea. You have your MBA from an excellent school, and you’re from a powerful, highly educated, and well-respected family.
Everyone has always assumed you’d follow in your father’s footsteps, which means working on Wall Street. You did an internship back in grad school, but the hectic life of working in stocks and bonds just doesn’t appeal to you. Plus, you hated the idea of working in the heart of New York City.
Instead, you moved to rural upstate New York and want to open a pet grooming service. You love animals and are passionate about working with your community. You also know you can keep the books properly and promote yourself well. But your family is hesitant about your plans, and they’re not fully on board because this business means you won’t ever “make it” the way your father has.
Here, the reversed King of Pentacles tells you it’s your life to live. If starting a pet grooming service makes you happy and fulfilled, then that’s the path you should follow. Even though you won’t make as much money as your dad, you can still make a great living running your own business, and you’ll be content in ways that Wall Street can’t ever compete with.
Don’t give up on your dreams just because people aren’t supportive. Once they see how happy this career makes you, they’ll change their tune, and in the meantime, you’ll know you’re doing what’s right for you.