Six of Pentacles?

[Aditi]

I keep stumbling into this card, and have been looking up different interpretations of it. I apologise if this has been covered here. I tried to find but couldn't locate it.

 

For me, this card kinda signifies giving. Like feeling the sense of abundance and sharing it with people. I always read this as material giving or sharing, since it's pentacles. But, I see people read this as sharing of anything- love, knowledge, perspective, guidance. Was I being restricted then? 

 

One very interesting interpretation: The reader used the card from the RWS deck and read it as a spirit guide helping the person and the soulmate, and bringing and keeping them together. 

 

Would love to read more perspectives on this one!

[LogicalHue]

I don't see this card as positively as I've generally seen other people describe it. To me its about the haves and the have-nots and unbalanced relationships. I do generally focus on practical issues, like you say - its pentacles, but I can see it applying to other areas.

 

This is one of the cards I think of as very much reflective of the makers/the times it was made in. The rich white man holds his scales and decides what's fair and who should get what. For me, I can't see that and think "what a nice card about giving".

[Aditi]

Oh that's an interesting interpretation. I never thought of it this way. 📏

[Rswords]

I am a newbie but a little experience I had with this card is : It is about both giving & taking , querent can be in both the positions. It doesn't have to be money but can be other things of value such as time, energy and friendship. I pulled this card as one card reading for some-one and as I was trying to interpret for them, it made complete sense for them. A friend had asked them to do some daily shopping during this covid era as they were stuck at home. Although the friend was paying them money to run errands but demands outweighed the little extra money they received. Although the querent was getting a lit bit of money but they were doing it to keep the friendship and help some-one during a tough time. Giver here had decided how much was fair to give not realizing the receiver was in-fact being generous here.

[Aditi]

Oh that's interesting! I never considered this card for taking. I always read this as giving or sharing. 

[gregory]

I've often seen it as signifying an unbalanced relationship. One partner giving more and the other taking more from it. (Not necessarily bad, but both partners need to recognise the imbalance.)

[DanielJUK]

I always wonder when I get this card, who am I in the card? or who represents the person I am reading for? are they the beggar in the ragged old clothes kneeling for money and support or the rich guy in the fine clothes giving the coins? Also the weighing scales shown in the art of most cards, it's perfectly balanced. Is one person taking too much? Can one person share more to others? There is a give and take feel to it. In relationships I agree with gregory, I think most relationships have someone giving something and the other giving something else, relationships work in harmony when there is a balance. I know a relationship where one person gives security and love and the other gives them emotional healing (their partner vowed to never date again after previous hurt) and support. That relationship balances perfectly, they both fulfil different needs of the other. But it won't work if one person only gives and one person just takes, there has to be a reciprocity there.

 

If we have had help and support and charity and now we don't need it, perhaps we can give it to someone else, pass it on. But if this card becomes unbalanced, perhaps we need to correct the scales, getting support and then reclaiming our power afterwards sometime is tricky. This card is all about support and balance. It's not always financial, the pentacles represent the support dynamics which has power attached. Resources, support and power can be given and taken just like wealth.

[TheLoracular]

20 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

I always wonder when I get this card, who am I in the card? or who represents the person I am reading for? are they the beggar in the ragged old clothes kneeling for money and support or the rich guy in the fine clothes giving the coins?

For me, its always been easy to know based on how the month/week/day is going if I'm the giver or receiver in the situation.  Typically the kind of question that I'm asking also provides the context for which role I play in the exchange.

And for me, this card always talks about an exchange freely made between someone who has something to offer and someone who is in need of it.  It doesn't have to be money, but it is always about something that fills a need and provides some kind of emotional or material security.   And both the giver and receiver want to make an exchange- they may not yet have met and connected though.  

[Aditi]

Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful inputs. The points about balance and exchange makes a lot of sense. 

 

[celiaak]

I agree with the opinions expressed. I would like to add also that the question is important. It will lead our answer to any theme, like love, work, spirituality and so on.

For example, giving or receiving knowledge can be shown in pentacles on a material form, like offering or receiving books, paying for a course, or receiving it, and others. Receiving guidance can be also material, if the guidance you receive or give is not on the mental plan, but it is on material, like a person making a speech, guiding another, or acting in a correct way, setting an example for others. This is all material, as it happens on this world by matter or acting on matter.

Important also is the position of the card. Is it on a negative position? If so, It can be hard to receive help, or give help, for example.

 

Also I would find hard to read as "...as a spirit guide helping the person and the soulmate" unless other cards around tell how this is materialized.

 

[Jesus_]

This card usually indicates having resources- having knowledge or power. It could mean giving/ recieving, taking care of something, support, rewards, following, acting with authority, deference and or doing all the talking/listening. You probably are seeking a mentor from getting that card alot it's what it usually kindv means..

[gregory]

That's pretty much quoted from learntarot, isn't it ? I've never seen anything to do with seeking a mentor or the like - it's more the dichotomy between having and not having/ giving and holding back or receiving.

[fire cat pickles]

If I'm going to be unoriginal, I would say this card is "Moon in Taurus" blah blah blah. It is a very "comfortable" or "comforting" card. But it can also be a card of condescension, pity, and excess.

 

Profligacy.

 

But put yourself in the receiving person or persons' position. Who likes to be in a situation where you need someone's money or help, especially if you're the independent type? I mean, sure, if you're desperate; we've all been there. But usually, as a habit? No one. And judging by the dress of the characters, this is something that they are used to. They are making a living off of it. you can tell by how they're dressed. 

 

Perhaps there's a warning here. And it is Moon in Taurus, we can't forget that, either: habits, home life, day-to-day, what you're used to, etc.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by fire cat pickles

[katrinka]

I think the guy handing out the money has been there - he IS the beggars, in a way, or he once was. That's why he's giving them money. If he never had a hard day in his life, he'd keep his money and rationalize that they need to bootstrap their way out of that, or that they "like living that way." When I worked tipped jobs like waitress and bartending, some of my best tips came from women who had done that same work and knew what we had to go through. People who have never done it have no idea.

It's a card of success, but the guy is a realist and he knows it could all be gone tomorrow. He knows that money isn't the be-all, end-all and the important thing is to keep it in perspective and not be an a-hole.

 

And no, there's no mentoring going on there.

[Aditi]

Thank you all for your thoughts! It helps me a lot.

[Grandma]

I saw this card once in a situation where someone was conning another person.  I can't remember the details, but the giver was giving under false pretenses.

 

 

[katrinka]

It could definitely point to something like that, if there were other cards to support it.

[Pretzel]

I saw this once described as someone giving to another person, while you're the one that is deserving - and it was incredibly spot on.
I wish I could remember which deck it was, but the image had the person who isn't receiving, looking out a top floor window and down at the other two people.

[Talulah]

I dont see this as a positive card at all. In my experience is represents a situation where one person has the upper hand! When I look at the card I see a very wealthy person giving crumbs to the less fortunate who are on their knees begging! To me this shows someone who has an ego & looks down on others, gives enough to keep the unfortunate person coming back for more and just enough to keep them in their place. 

It reminds of the type of people who do something good and then tell everyone about their good deed, they intentions of their positive act are all wrong and only done to make themselves look good or to manipulate someone else. 

Theres a strong element of unbalance in this card. 

[Aditi]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful insights! Lots to mull over.

[Silk]

I've been seeing this card lately.  I'm a gamer, not a very good one at that. lol  Lately another gamer (much more capable, higher level, better geared, more experienced) has been offering to do things with me sometimes, things where his expertise and his skills basically "carry me" through what would otherwise be impossible or at least much more difficult for me to do on my own.  And some times it's not that I would need his skill, but seems to be more about just supporting me by coming out when I want to do something with someone else and don't currently have a partner in game to do it.  He did this the other day, even though he was sick.  I asked the cards after he left, how he felt at the end of of doing the event with me and I got 6 of Cups clarified by 6 of Pentacles.  It might be more but I just interpreted it as basically feeling good about doing a good deed.  Then the next day, I inquired if he was feeling better and I sensed that he was thinking first before he responded to me.  Out of curiosity, I asked the cards why he was hesitating to respond and I got 2 of Pentacles and felt he was trying to make a decision... asked what he was choosing between and got AGAIN the 6 of Pentacles  and the other option being the Ace of Cups.  I felt like he was trying to decide whether to do something once again to help me in game or to basically tend to himself since he was ill (I saw the Ace of Cups in this instance as self-care, refilling himself after having spent energy on me the night before.)  Lo and behold, a few minutes later he invited me to go with him in dungeons to level my character... so he seemingly chose the 6 of Pentacles option.  That's my take on why it's been showing up anyways...  

This is the 6 of Pentacles (Coins) in the deck I've been using...

Edited June 11, 2023 by Silk

[TekkieTarot]

OK so for me, I like to see the 6 of pentacles in general readings because it has shown a person that’s willing to help out. So I’ve seen this card pop up for someone needing to borrow money and the person was loaned it. I seen this card pop up when someone caught a flat and they needed a ride to work and some gave them a ride. 
 

I just recently seen this card for my friend who is trying to start her trucking business and it popped up to show someone helping her and fast forward to now it’s a lady who is mentoring her and showing her the ropes of the trucking business.

 

also, I like to see this card for birthdays and valentines because it shows someone who is going to gift you with something and they’re not gonna expect anything in return. 

What I don’t like to see this card in is love readings because like others have said it just shows a unbalanced relationship. One person is doing more in the relationship than the other or it also shows 2 people with two different feelings. One person is in love the other person not so much.

 

I also saw this card one time for a woman I did a reading for and she was a stay at home wife. She relied on her husband for pretty much everything and she would have to do things the way he wanted them done, and he would always tell her he who makes the money makes the rules and their relationship was definitely shown as the 6 of pentacles him being superior to her and her being inferior to him.

[Silk]

Thanks @TekkieTarot for your experience with the card.  I definitely have seen it showing up when someone is offering me help and in this case it's unbalanced in the sense that he's a lot more skilled than I am.  I used to have it show up repeatedly with a past companion also when I was better off financially and had sent them a few gifts/helped them out in a tough spot.  Both friendships also involved age differences which might also have been part of the picture as far as not being 'balanced' age-wise.  Interestingly enough, the fellow I posted about above ... it doesn't show up with him much now, I more often get 3 of Pentacles because I believe he's begun to see me as a partner/companion in the game now and not just someone he helps out.  It was interesting to see the change.  Occasionally I might get 6 of Pentacles in some situations but much much more infrequently than in the beginning! 😉

Edited August 15, 2023 by Silk

[Guest]

I never liked this card. In the RWS you can see the person that is given the coins don't look at bad as the other one begging. I always interpret this card as someone doing all the giving and someone else all the taking. Very unequal. The person taking is not truly in need. Their clothes is nicer and they don't look in need compared to the other beggar. I do see this card as someone is being used and taken advantaged of because of their generosity.

[Silk]

I had a flash of insight just very recently on this card coming out in my readings.  I suddenly began seeing how it can signify "neediness" and also potential co-dependency in relationships/situations.  Sometimes I also feel it's coming out when someone is trying to make others (or one other) feel sorry for them or beholden to them...which in itself could be a type of manipulation.  While I think it does have the potential to also be a positive card, I have begun to associate it with situations where one person is always in need and dependent.  It was an eye-opening moment for me when I realized what the card was saying in my recent readings.