6 of PENTACLES

The Rider-Waite version of this card depicts its meaning exactly, as you will see when you read the description below. Look at this card for a moment. Which of these characters do you associate with - the giver or the receiver? Which position would you prefer to be in? Which says the most about your outlook on life, your relationships, your character?

This card is all about charity and helping others less fortunate than yourself. Right now, I am identifying with the "less fortunate" element. I am somewhat broke at the moment, so maybe it's telling me to ask for a loan. Oddly enough, I've had a form sitting on top of the sideboard next to me for weeks - it's been filled-in for weeks too, but I've never got around to posting it. Maybe tomorrow is the day to do it.

Alternatively, the rich guy handing out the gifts could be my middle son. No, he's not rich, but he does have a one-year-old computer that I know he is sort of thinking about upgrading. Now, I would be more than happy with a one-year-old computer (has to be better than a 3 1/2 year old computer), so maybe he would let me buy it from him so he can get a better one? I've been meaning to ring him and ask him, so maybe I will do that tomorrow as well. If I tell him the 6 of Pentacles said he has to let me have his computer I'm sure he'll say yes, because he knows my tarot cards never lie. All my children have been/are being brought up to know that.

This card can also mean that at some point during the day I may find myself having to help someone out, although not necessarily in a financial sense. Some sources say that if you give freely of yourself when you draw this card, especially if in doing so you have to deprive yourself of something, even if it's just your free time, it will come back to you threefold. For that reason, the 6 of Pentacles is sometimes known as the 'Reward card'.

The main difficulty with the 6 of Pentacles when it comes up in a reading is working out which of the two extremes your subject falls into. Are they the person handing out the gifts or the one receiving them? Alternatively, the card may be telling them that they need to help someone out, or they need to ask for help themselves. Fortunately, the overall flavour of the reading and the information gleaned from nearby cards is usually enough to guide you to the right interpretation.

Occasionally this card can go quite deep, especially if it's in a prominent position in a layout. It can be asking you "Why are you in this situation?" "Who is to blame?" "What can you do to change it?" Do you want to change it?" This can apply particularly to someone who is having serious financial problems, especially if there are other Pentacles nearby. My finances may not be particularly inspiring at the moment, but hopefully they're not quite as serious as those sort of questions would suggest.

Results
I never got around to phoning my son or posting my loan application, so no connection with 6 Pentacles there! I didn't help anyone out either, but I have been helped out by others on two occasions.

The first instance involved someone running a cribbage tournament for me when I didn't turn-up (because I overslept ... not an unusual occurrence!). The second occasion was when a friend offered to use their credit card to pay for something for me online because the site refused to accept mine, even though it had more than enough money on it.

Neither of these was a biggie, but at least they do relate to the card.