Six of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes or No

Upright meaning

Keywords: Sharing · Generosity · Gifts · Rewards · Investing in the future

A merchant holds a set of scales perfectly level in one hand while dropping coins with the other. This isn't careless giving. It's measuring first, then sharing fairly. In front of the merchant, one person is receiving and another is waiting, so the card asks which side you're on right now: giving or receiving. This is a time when what you give comes back to you, and it's okay to accept what you need.

Love

You're the one doing more of the caring and adjusting right now. If you're in a relationship, you may find yourself waiting because of what's going on in their life, and at times you might feel you're giving more than you get. If you're single, being the first to show you care is what brings a good person your way.

Relationships

This is a relationship where giving and receiving flow well. If you need to ask for something, don't hesitate. They'll be happier to help than you expect.

Career & study

Time you put into something with an eye on the future, rather than quick results, will pay off later. With exams, you could fall just a few points short, so stay careful and thorough right to the end.

Money

It's easy for money to slip away on unexpected expenses right now. On the other hand, money you've been owed may finally come back, so don't be shy about asking for what's yours.

Mind & wellbeing

That warm feeling after helping someone tends to last a while right now. Just don't put off your own meals and sleep while you're busy looking after everyone else.

As a person

Someone who gives quietly, without making a show of it. They're fairly well off and can't just walk past someone who needs help.

As someone's feelings

They really want to do something for you. They're trying to show how they feel through small gifts and thoughtful gestures.

What to do

Buy a coffee for someone who's helped you out lately. If there's a bill you never settled up or money you've been meaning to sort out, bring it up first today.

Watch out for

When you give a lot, it's easy to forget your own share. Like the merchant's scales, decide in advance how much you can comfortably give.

Reversed meaning

Keywords: One-sided relationship · Help with strings attached · Debt · Jealousy · Imbalance

This time, it's as if the merchant's scales have tipped to one side. One person keeps giving, or keeps taking, and the relationship has gone off balance. Like the person waiting in line, you may feel a pang of envy watching someone else receive. Now is the time to restore the balance of give and take.

Love

It's easy to end up in a relationship where only one person is really trying. If you're in a relationship, keeping score of who gives more can build up hurt feelings. If you're single, other people's relationships may look especially enviable. Try letting go a little of the need to get back exactly what you put in.

Relationships

Check whether the help in this relationship comes with strings attached. A favor you accepted back then could easily turn into a burden later.

Career & study

You may feel worn out because your efforts aren't being recognized. Rather than envying other people's success, get clear on exactly what your share of the work is.

Money

Debts or lending money can easily get messy right now. Hold off on lending or borrowing for the time being.

Mind & wellbeing

Comparing yourself to others can leave you feeling empty. If you suddenly want a lot of things, it's often a sign of how tired you are.

As a person

Someone who's comfortable taking but stingy about giving. Even when they're kind, they may expect something in return.

As someone's feelings

They feel like they're losing out in this relationship. The feelings are there, but they keep calculating whether they're the one giving more.

What to do

Think of one relationship that feels too lopsided. Just this once, try giving a little less, or taking a little less.

Watch out for

The more something looks like free help, the more you should check the conditions first. And watch out for overspending because you envy what others have.

Symbols in the picture

A well-dressed merchant holds a set of scales in one hand and drops coins with the other into the hands of a kneeling person. The giver and the receiver share the same scene, so this card asks which side you're standing on right now.

• The well-dressed merchant. In the center of the picture, a man in fine clothes stands up straight. He has enough to share with others. Waite also described him as a merchant who weighs out money and gives it away. If this figure is you, it means you've reached a point where you can afford to help others.
  Reversed: The man in fine clothes, standing so straight, now uses giving to build up his own power. If you're on this side, check whether you quietly expect gratitude after you help someone.
• The scales. The merchant raises one hand and holds the scales perfectly level. He isn't giving on a whim. He weighs how much to give and to whom. It's a sign that giving and receiving should be fair. Before you help someone, check first whether it's an amount you can actually handle.
  Reversed: The level scales aren't being used to share fairly anymore. They're being used to make sure you never come out behind. If you secretly count what you'll get back every time you give, stop that math first.
• The hand dropping coins. The merchant's other hand reaches down and lets coins fall. This is help you can actually hold, not just kind words. It might be money, or it might be time or a job. What's needed right now is practical help you can use straight away, more than words of encouragement.
  Reversed: The outstretched hand does give coins, but they come with strings attached. If someone offers to help you very readily, ask first what you'll owe them later.
• The person receiving coins. In front of the merchant, a person kneels and holds out both hands to catch the coins. This is someone who asks honestly for help when they need it, and accepts it. Receiving is nothing to be ashamed of. If you're on this side, it's okay to stop struggling alone and ask for help.
  Reversed: Holding out both hands has gone on too long, and what you've received is piling up like debt. If you've been on the receiving end, write down what you've been given and start paying back what you can.
• The other person waiting. On the other side, another person kneels with a hand held out, waiting. This person's turn hasn't come yet. It shows the reality that a giver can't give equally to everyone. Some also read this scene as a reminder of how much power the giver holds. If you're waiting for help, it simply means your turn hasn't come yet.
  Reversed: The person still waiting can't stop staring at the coins falling into someone else's hands. If watching others receive stings, that jealousy is clouding your judgment right now.
• Six pentacles in the sky. Six pentacles float in the sky above the figures. Six is the number of setting right what had tipped out of balance. Things flow from those who have more to those who have less, and balance returns. A relationship where one side kept giving and the other kept taking is finding its balance again.
  Reversed: The balance the six pentacles stand for hasn't been reached and has stalled. In a relationship where one person keeps giving and the other keeps taking, it's time to speak up and set it right yourself.
• The distant town. Behind the figures, a town with buildings stands in the distance. This is where people live together, work for each other, and trade. It means this sharing isn't a private act. It comes from living in a community. In the end, giving and receiving is about your relationships with the people around you.
  Reversed: The distant town starts to look less like a place where people help each other and more like a market where everyone counts gains and losses. If you've been treating everyone around you as a deal, try treating even one person with no strings attached.