Elements of the Tarot Minor Arcana: Pentacles

If you’re addicted to life in the fast lane, it can take some persuasion to come round to the pentacle point of view.  Ruled by earth, pentacles are slow, steady and grounded.  Notice that the Knight of Pentacle’s horse is the only one shown standing still. There are no accidents in the design of the Tarot.

The pentacle cards mainly talk about work, the fruits of our labour, or those things that flower after years of careful nurturing. Deeply in touch with the slow rhythms of nature’s seasons, you can no more rush a pentacle than you can yank a tree out of its seed. You just have to plant things in the right conditions and watch them grow. Don’t underestimate the power of pentacles.  Remember, the pentacle itself unites two magical symbols- a five pointed star contained in a circle, representing infinity.  Pentacles ground the magical energy in our lives in a process of alchemy that leads to transformation and growth.

All things have to be kept in balance, however, and, taken to the extreme, pentacle energy can become literally bogged down in the mud. This is when we hold on to things too tightly or for too long, when we get stuck in the past or resist change, or when we shut down the creative potential of the new. Too few pentacles in a spread can suggest that we need to get down to earth, but too many can be a gentle hint that we could do with mixing things up a bit.  Otherwise, like the woman shown enjoying her garden in the nine of pentacles, we could find ourselves overtaken by a snail!

Pentacle meditation 200

With the forced haste of modern life, slowing down to pentacle time can be hard to do.  Pentacle time arrives on day five of a holiday, when you’ve caught up on your sleep and get into the rhythm of siestas and long, lazy days in the sun.  You can connect with pentacle energy by doing anything that slows you down.  Plant something in your garden or in a window box and watch it grow. Take a course of study that allows you to learn a new skill or craft.  Try a class in Tai Chi where you’ll learn the importance of rooting and grounding. Devote a day to the kitchen where you can knead bread and slow cook something to tender perfection.

Each morning, spend a few moments standing or sitting still, focusing on your energy reaching deep into the ground and drawing up waves of solidity. If you can, sit and lean your back against a tree.  Close your eyes and tap into the sensations of what it’s like to have deep roots that connect you to the earth.

Take walks in nature where, over time, you can watch the seasons turn. Open your eyes to see that, even when it looks like nothing much is happening, there’s always a lot going on.  See this as nature’s own promise that all things must and do eventually change.

Article written by Michele Knight – first published in Spirit and Destiny Magazine