Alright, so today I decided to really spend some time with the Five of Pentacles. It’s a card that pops up now and then, and honestly, it’s usually not one you’re thrilled to see, right?
First thing I did was just pull the card from my main deck, the Rider-Waite-Smith one I use most often. Laid it out on my table. And just looked at it for a good few minutes. You know the scene – two figures, looking pretty down and out, struggling through the snow. One’s on crutches, they both look cold and miserable. They’re passing by this brightly lit church window, looks warm and inviting inside, but they seem totally oblivious, just focused on their hardship.
My immediate gut feeling, like always, was about loss, poverty, feeling left out in the cold. Financial worries are a big one that comes to mind straight away. Health problems too, obviously, with the crutches and the generally unwell vibe.
Getting into the feeling
I closed my eyes for a bit, trying to really feel what the card represents. That sense of isolation, of believing help isn’t available or that you’re somehow unworthy of it. It’s a heavy feeling. I thought back to times I’ve felt that way, maybe when I was between jobs or struggling with a project that just wouldn’t go right. That feeling of being outside, looking in at where you want to be.
Then I started thinking about readings where this card showed up. Often, it pointed to a period where someone felt really insecure, not just about money, but maybe about their relationships, feeling unsupported, or dealing with some kind of illness or physical limitation that made them feel separate from others.
Looking beyond the obvious
But here’s the thing I always try to remember, and what I focused on today. That church window. It’s right there. It symbolizes help, sanctuary, spiritual support, maybe even practical aid.
- Are these figures genuinely locked out?
- Or are they so caught up in their misery they don’t even see the potential help nearby?
- Is their focus purely on the material lack, the physical struggle?
This is where my practice went next. I started journaling some thoughts. Maybe the card isn’t just about being poor or sick, but about the mindset of lack. Feeling abandoned when support might actually be present if you just look up or knock on the door. It could be about spiritual poverty too – feeling disconnected from faith or hope.
I considered the possibility that sometimes, this card reflects a necessary struggle, a tough time you have to go through to get somewhere else. But the key insight I kept coming back to today was the perception of being alone versus the reality. Are they walking past help? Is pride stopping them? Or just blindness caused by focusing too hard on the problem?
Wrapping up the session
So after sitting with it, looking at the details, journaling, and just reflecting, my takeaway for today is layered. Yes, the Five of Pentacles definitely signals tough times – financial strain, health issues, feeling isolated. Can’t ignore that. But the practice really reinforced for me the importance of checking my perspective when this card appears. Am I missing available support? Am I letting hardship define my entire reality? It pushed me to remember that even in harsh conditions, warmth and help might be closer than they appear. It’s about remembering to look up and see the window, not just the snow at your feet.
