Two of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning

The image on the two of pentacles tarot card is a very accurate representation of what this card is all about.

The card shows a man holding a pentacle symbol in each hand, around which loops the sign of infinity -- no beginning and no end. He looks as though he is hopping from one foot to the other while keeping everything in motion.

In the background there are ships riding the waves as they go up and down. It is a card of constant movement, and being part of the pentacles tarot suit it is about juggling the earthly matters of day to day living.

This is the card that shows you are capable of dealing with anything and everything that is thrown at you.

The pentacles suit aligns itself to the element 'earth' and deals with day to day matters of security in material concerns. In this case we are not talking about being 'materialistic' but more about the tangible manifestations of prosperity and wealth -- which is why the pentacles suit is also sometimes referred to as 'coins'.

Pentacles also cover our relationship with the natural world and how attuned we are with nature and our own physical bodies.

Simply put, the tarot cards within the pentacles suit deal with down to earth, day to day living.

When looking for the meaning of the 2 of pentacles you'll find that all you need to know is shown on the card itself.

The figure in question is keeping everything in motion through the ups and downs of everyday life. The symbol for infinity shows that it doesn't matter how many things are thrown at him, he can keep all the balls in the air. This is the most immediately apparent meaning of the card.

Another underlying meaning can be found in the way the figure seems to be dancing from foot to foot while keeping everything in motion. It's this fluidity that is key to the further meaning of the card -- which is all about flexibility.

If our figure stood still he wouldn't be able to react to what is going on around him, and he would soon drop one of the coins he is holding. By being flexible and moving with his surroundings he is able to keep everything in motion.

The two of pentacles card reminds us that if we are too rigid in our actions we risk losing grip of what's important. By being flexible we can step where we need in order to achieve our goals.

This could be anything from being willing to change last minute plans to taking a sideways move at work. This sort of flexibility has nothing to do with not being in control, it's about recognising that the most direct route isn't always the right one.

Take a maze for example. The most direct route to the centre would mean breaking through all the walls or hedges in your way. You might get there but you'd arrive battered, bruised and with a trail of destruction in your wake. Better to be flexible and find your way be exploring different paths in order to arrive safe and having learnt something on the way.

As a card of energy it also represents fun and good times and can be a sign that things are heading towards a better place.

If the 2 of pentacles is reversed it means that the cards energy is being blocked in some way, or isn't as strong as it should be.

It could be a sign that you are doing to much, and although you are managing to juggle everything you are doing so at the expense of having fun and feeling full of energy.

A reversed card could also mean you are not being as flexible as you need to be to deal with everything that is coming your way.

Reversed cards are difficult to interpret at the best of times, so if you're just starting out with tarot reading it's fine to read the card as though it were the right way up. You'll find that when read in combination with other cards the correct meaning will come through, and over time the 'reversed' meaning will come to you.

Intuition is the most powerful tool a tarot card reader can use, but a good book is a great back up, and 'Learning the Tarot' by Joan Bunning is highly recommended.