Five of Pentacles
The Five of Pentacles depicts a solitary polar bear stranded on a melting ice cap, symbolizing vulnerability, loss, and eroding security. Upright, it points to poverty, struggle, and despondency, urging the querent to seek perspective and recognize help that may be hard to see. The card emphasizes hope and resilience—the bear can swim until new ground is found—and encourages looking inward for positives to begin recovery. Reversed, it signals the end of major hardships, incoming opportunities, and gradual healing while warning against becoming overly fixated on material security.
Keywords
Title
Five of Pentacles
Animal
Polar Bear
Fun Fact
Despite first assumptions, polar bears are not actually white. They have black skin and hollow, colourless hair. Their hollow fur reflects light and traps the sun’s heat to help keep them warm. They are excellent swimmers and have partially webbed toes. Polar bears are under threat from hunting, habitat destruction, and worst of all, global warming.
Keywords
Poverty, Struggle, Despondency
Reversed Keywords
Triumph, Recovery, Security
Meaning
A lone, solitary polar bear stands on a rapidly melting ice cap beneath the blistering sun. It stares anxiously ahead as the ground disappears beneath it, unaware of the land nearby. The polar bear was once a symbol of strength and majesty, but as its habitat disappears, the future becomes murky and bleak. The Five of Pentacles reminds us that help is out there, even if it’s hard to see. Even if the ice melts completely, the bear can swim until new ground is found.
Affirmation
There is always hope. Always.
Upright Meaning
When upright, the Five of Pentacles signifies the user is struggling to keep their head above water as their hardships compound. Hard times have hit, and it feels inescapable. You may have lost a job, a relationship, financial security, or something material. Whatever you’ve lost, you’ve taken hits to your pride on top of it all. Try to keep things in perspective, and don’t let yourself succumb to despair. Despair can make everything seem like an enemy, even yourself. Look inside yourself for the positives of the situation. It may be hard to find them, but they are there. The sooner you find them, the sooner you can move on from this.
Reversed Meaning
When reversed, the Five of Pentacles is the harbinger of an end to major hardships. New avenues of opportunity are incoming, be it a new job, a raise, or even just a helping hand from someone who cares. The knocks and bruises you took in your fall are beginning to heal. It may take time to recover completely. Wounds to the spirit always strike deep, and it will take conscious effort to work through the hits to your self-esteem. You may feel like you’re lacking something, and it can lead to you becoming fixated on material wealth or objects. This can be healing, but also very easily damaging. Take note if it starts to become a problem, and seek comfort in family or friends to make up the difference. Put some faith into the universe to provide. You’ll be surprised how often it answers back.
Visual Description
A lone bear stands on a small purple rock rising from dark water beneath a starry night sky. Five circular pentacles appear in the sky: a large central one set within an eight-pointed sun-like star and four smaller pentacles arranged above and below. Wisps of green aurora drift horizontally across the heavens and low rolling hills or snowy ridgelines form a distant horizon. The water around the rock is calm with faint luminous ripples, and the scene is dominated by deep blues, greens and violet tones.
Oriens tarot
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