Six of Pentacles

Quick answer

The core meaning of Six of Pentacles is Harmony in the realm of Material. Upright, it usually points to Presents, gifts, gratification; another account says attention, vigilance; now i; reversed, it may suggest Desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, illusion.

Card imagery

A person in the guise of a merchant weighs money in a pair of scales and distributes it to the needy and distressed. It is a testimony to his own success in life, as well as his goodness of heart.

Upright meaning

Upright keywords: Material: Harmony. Waite gives the upright divinatory meaning as: Presents, gifts, gratification; another account says attention, vigilance; now is the accepted time, present prosperity, etc.

Reversed meaning

Reversed keywords: Material: Harmony (blocked). Waite gives the reversed divinatory meaning as: Desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, illusion.

Love, Career, Money, and Growth

Love

Upright, the Six of Pentacles is the balance of giving and receiving: one supporting the other through a hard stretch, generosity and gratitude both present. Reversed, giving comes with conditions, the exchange is unequal, or money and resources are used to control the other person.

Career

Upright it is receiving funding, a mentor's backing, fair pay, or being in a position to help others. Reversed, unfair distribution, favours traded for obedience, or resources given that are not valued.

Money

Upright it often shows a loan going smoothly, a grant, charitable giving, or income fairly shared. Reversed, beware help with strings attached, the inequality that debt creates, or generosity that damages you.

Personal growth

The Six of Pentacles has you consider the posture of giving and receiving. Upright, be generous when you have spare and accept openly when you need; reversed, giving with conditions is not kindness.

Example question

You ask whether it is right to lend money to a friend and draw the Six of Pentacles. Upright says helping when you can spare it is kind, and stating the terms clearly will not hurt the friendship. Reversed says this gift carries hidden conditions or will not be valued, and an unequal arrangement will leave both of you uncomfortable.

How they feel

When Six of Pentacles shows how someone feels about you, the feeling shows up in where they place you in their daily life and how much responsibility they are willing to take on. Past moments with you color it, and part of them wants to reconnect. Upright it leans toward mutual aid, generosity, and a reasonably fair exchange; reversed, toward giving with strings attached, a sense of debt, or an unequal relationship.

Yes or No

Upright

Yes

Reversed

No

This is our own quick read, based on which way the card’s meaning leans. Traditions disagree about individual cards, and a “Maybe” needs to be weighed against the position in the spread and your actual situation rather than taken as a one-word answer.

Waite’s Original Text (1911)

Additional Meaning

The present must not be relied on. Reversed: A check on the Querent's ambition.

Quoted from A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. The text is in the public domain.