Five of Pentacles card

Destruction.

Supporting / Blocking Tarot Card

support

A blocking card, one of the three most difficult cards in the deck, the Five of Pentacles represents a situation where the querent reacts harshly, destroying and breaking relationships to the point where the bridge is burned and there’s no way back. As a future card, it serves as a warning to the querent that they are currently at the Four of Pentacles stage, and they must carefully examine the situation, reflect on themselves, and respond with caution.

Relationships

Career

Finances

Relationships

Career

Finances

The Meaning of The Card

Five of Pentacles is one of the three most challenging cards among the seventy-eight Tarot cards. The individual is in a state of true loss, facing real difficulties. The most difficult aspect is that the person has caused this breakdown themselves. After feeling threatened about their position in the Four of Pentacles, they respond in an unbalanced manner, reacting to internal emotional distress and burning all their bridges.

Five of Pentacles card: The Meaning of The Symbols

Card Symbols	Symbol Meaning
Coins	Represents the element of earth; it is a grounded element, rooted in the physical, symbolizing success, conventions, and abundance.
Stained Glass	The colorful stained glass represents the church, which they cannot enter to seek the protection of God. It is a symbol of vision and transformation, depending on the individual’s perception and beliefs. It suggests looking beyond, foresight, and hope.
Black Background	Fear, danger, threat, negative traits, dark desires, but also sophistication, authority, power, and learning. It conveys an atmosphere of mystery, also linked to the cycle of death and rebirth. The black wall symbolizes darkness, depression, and the void, connecting with evil and representing nothingness, surrender, and disappearance.
Disabled Person	Disability, poverty, dependence. The gaze lifted to the heavens reflects supplication and prayer.
Pair of Beggars	A pair of beggars symbolizes insecurity and low self-esteem. The person does not feel deserving of what they want. A barefoot person represents weakness and the tendency to follow negative influences. The crutches emphasize the beggar’s miserable state and symbolize emotional or psychological dependence, the need for something to lean on to cope with problems.
Woman in Rags	Poverty represents inferiority, dependence, and inability to contribute. Her bare feet, symbolizing grounding and security, lack protection, and her clothing symbolizes a lack of resourcefulness and inner strength. It also represents the bleak objective situation she faces, as well as difficult events and circumstances in her life.
Bell	The bell hanging around the man’s neck symbolizes awakening, a reminder of the opportunities that exist.
Snow	The snow highlights their difficult situation but also symbolizes mental and emotional purification. The appearance of snow represents a harsh experience that the person endures, leading to purification and removal of negative thoughts and feelings. It is a symbol of isolation and exposure to harsh conditions but also embodies tranquility, peace, truth, purity, and spirituality.

Mythology

Daedalus, driven mad by jealousy, loses his senses and throws Talos off the roof to his death. In a single moment of losing control, Daedalus loses his status, honor, wealth, and even his family. He flees with his son to Crete. This card represents destruction and failure stemming from the actions of the querent. It symbolizes the destructive aspects present within a person’s personality.

Representation of the Card in a Reading

In a reading, while the Four of Pentacles represented the beginning of laying foundations, leading to feelings of restlessness and a sense of delay, the Fives represent the reaction to this delay. They reflect the individual’s communication with themselves and their surroundings. The person’s reaction in the Fives is unbalanced, resulting in an outburst that burns all bridges, leaving no way back from their response towards themselves and others.