Feb 09 | 2023 — V of Pentacles
Today’s card is the V of Pentacles. Fives in Tarot are usually about transitions of some kind, and it seems the transitions are usually more negative in nature. Cups sees a period of meditation leading to thoughts of disappointment and dwelling on the past. Swords sees a period of rest leading to a falling out of disagreement. Wands sees a happy homecoming or wedding that leads to a fight for dominance. Pentacles sees a period of frugality and selfishness leading to hardship and poverty. Pretty sucky all around.
The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith illustration of the V of Pentacles shows two figures walking through the snow in front of a church with a warm, glowing window, seemingly uninterested or unaware of the opportunity for shelter and warmth. One of the figures has been hurt or is sick, while the other struggles to keep warm in threadbare clothes. The card is generally viewed as a period of hardship, poor health, hard-headedness, or poverty. More positively, it can also represent that helpful resources are available if you’ll take a look around.
However, this is a minor arcana card, indicating that the situation is only temporary and not a life-uprooting event. So yah, there’s that.
Message of the Day: The V of Pentacles is really a downer kind of card. Even looking at the lighter side of the card, it still represents that SOMETHING shit is happening that isn’t all smiles and rainbows. It’s probably even more of a downer when we turn the V of Pentacles inward and look at it through a lens of self-reflection.
To me, the V of Pentacles is about low self-esteem and refusing to see the positive aspects of yourself, even though there may be others who are trying to make you aware of them. I could see this as body dysmorphia (something that is negatively reinforced by social media) or having a strong aversion to some physical trait (thinning hair, small/uneven boobs, body hair, height, fat distribution, physical scars, etc.) It’s so frustrating when we step outside of ourselves and say “dude, this is STUPID. So many of these things are out of my control,” but then we step back in and all we want is change. Finding acceptance of your physical self, imperfections included, is a life-long struggle, mostly because our bodies constantly change (and decline/go to hell) as we age. It can be hard to love ourselves when we dislike what we see. It requires a change of perspective and a willingness to see yourself as whole.
Another side of the V of Pentacles is the refusal to accept the help of others because of pride. There are few things in life as aggravating as people who suffer in silence. I can appreciate the idea of not wanting to be a burden. And I know some are afraid that they will appear as if they are taking advantage of a situation. But if you need help, ask. As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The amount of work (physically, financially, emotionally) that has to go into a solution could be so much less if you buck up and ask for help when it’s needed instead of waiting until the world is falling down around you. And we’re not just talking about material things around you.
Remember that while the V of Pentacles is a bit of a Debby-Downer, the card exists to enlighten us and help us improve. It helps us to see the areas where we falter. Failure to recognize the V of Pentacles in your life may just be a V of Pentacles moment in of itself.
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