King of Pentacles tarot card meaning: upright, reversed and symbols

The King of Pentacles sits on a throne decorated with bull heads, his robe covered in grapevines so thickly that he seems to grow out of the garden. He holds a scepter and a pentacle, and a castle stands behind him.

He is the master of the earth suit: wealth, stewardship and practical leadership. This page covers what the King of Pentacles means upright and reversed, the symbols in the 1909 card and how to read him as a person or an energy.

Here is the King of Pentacles at a glance.

Waite’s King corresponds to the Golden Dawn’s Prince. The Prince of Pentacles is the Prince of the Chariot of Earth, Air of Earth, on Tiphareth, ruling 20° Aries to 20° Taurus. The bull heads on Smith’s throne point to Taurus, which falls within that span. Crowley also calls him a Prince.

The card: what Pamela Colman Smith drew

Waite wrote that “the bull’s head should be noted as a recurrent symbol on the throne”, and explained that the pentacle is engraved with a five-pointed star, “typifying the correspondence of the four elements in human nature and that by which they may be governed. In old Tarot packs this suit represented money.”

The bulls. Bull heads decorate his throne. The bull is the sign of Taurus, an earth sign, and a symbol of strength and fertility.

The grapevines. His robe is covered in grapes. He is wealthy, and his wealth grows.

The castle. The castle behind him is what he has built and must protect.

Upright meaning

Upright, the King of Pentacles is abundance and success. He sits on a throne decorated with bull heads, his robe covered in grapevines so thickly that he seems to grow out of the garden. He holds a scepter and a pentacle, and a castle stands behind him. The card speaks of wealth, leadership, security and generosity.

He has built something lasting and he enjoys it. He is a provider, a successful businessperson, a generous patron. In readings he asks you to take responsibility for your resources and to use them wisely.

He is rooted. His abundance grows from the ground he has tended.

Reversed meaning

Reversed, the King of Pentacles can show greed, materialism or control through money. He may value status over people, or become stubborn about change.

Ask whether your success serves others. A reversed King often needs to remember why he built what he has.

In a reading about an employer or a parent, the reversed King may describe someone who gives generously but expects control in return. You can be grateful for what was given and still set limits on what you owe for it.

In love, work and spirituality

In love. Upright: A stable, generous and reliable partner. Reversed: Controlling through money, or materialism.

At work. Upright: Business success, leadership and wealth. Reversed: Greed, or rigid management.

With money. Upright: Wealth, security and generosity. Reversed: Materialism, or financial control.

In spiritual practice. Upright: Grounded spirituality, and gratitude for abundance. Reversed: Spiritual materialism.

As feelings. Committed and protective, wanting to provide.

As a person. A successful, generous and reliable person.

As advice. Use your resources wisely and generously.

Reading the King of Pentacles: positions and yes or no

In the past position: A reliable leader or your own stewardship built this. In the present position: Manage your resources well.

In the future position: Stability and success are ahead. As advice: Be a good steward.

In modern yes or no readings, the King of Pentacles leans yes. Stability points to yes.

The king in the tarot court, and the history behind the card

Kings hold the outward mastery of their suit. In earth, that mastery is abundance shared.

Here is how the King looks across the four suits:

• King of Wands: leadership, vision, determination
• King of Cups: emotional balance, diplomacy, wisdom
• King of Swords: authority, truth, intellectual power
• King of Pentacles (this card): wealth, abundance, leadership

His robe is covered in grapes and vines, so that he almost seems to grow out of his own garden. Bull heads are carved on his throne. The bull is the sign of Taurus, an earth sign, and it ties the King to steady, stubborn strength.

A castle stands behind him. Every detail on the card says the same thing: this is someone who has built a solid, abundant life over many years and now uses it to support others.

When A. E. Waite published The Pictorial Key to the Tarot in 1910, he listed these divinatory meanings for the King of Pentacles: “Valor, intelligence, business, mathematical gifts, and success in these paths.” Reversed, he gave: “Vice, weakness, perversity, peril.”

Common questions

Is the King of Pentacles a yes or no card? Yes. He brings stability.

Who is the King of Pentacles as a person? Often a successful, reliable, generous provider. Court cards can describe any gender.

What does the King of Pentacles mean in love? Stability and commitment. Reversed, control through money.

Try this

Try this small spread for the King of Pentacles. Use it for money and responsibility.

Affirmation: I manage what is in my care with fairness and accountability.

Reversed affirmation: I examine my use of power and correct what I can.

If you keep a tarot journal, take one of these questions to it: What am I responsible for? How do I use my resources well? What is wealth for?

What next

Cards that sit close to this one are The Emperor (the Major Arcana card of structure), Queen of Pentacles (his partner) and Ten of Pentacles (lasting legacy).

The King of Pentacles is part of the lesson Meet the court in my free Tarot for Beginners course. To see the whole suit on one page, go to the suit of Pentacles. To keep walking the suit, read the card before it, Queen of Pentacles, or go back to all the card meanings.

For more on the court, see Tarot court cards without confusion. For every card with keywords, affirmations and examples, see my book The Novice’s Guide to Tarot. If you would like a printable cheat sheet for all 78 cards, my 45-page Tarot Workbook is on Etsy.

Sources

• A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (London: Rider, 1910), Part III, sections 1 and 2.
• Pamela Colman Smith and A. E. Waite, the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot (London: Rider, 1909).
• Nicolas Conver, Tarot de Marseille (Marseille, 1760).
• Lauri Mukkala, The Novice’s Guide to Tarot, entry for the King of Pentacles.
• Aleister Crowley, 777 (London: Walter Scott, 1909), columns of the decans, the Minor Arcana and the court cards.
• Israel Regardie, ed., The Golden Dawn (Chicago: Aries Press, 1937 to 1940), “Book T”, titles and attributions of the small cards and the court.