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TL;DR: According to A. E. Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), the Ten of Pentacles carries divinatory meanings of gain, riches, family matters, lineage, and the dwelling place of a family; his reversed meanings include both loss and gifts, dowry, and pension. In contemporary Tarot reading, this card represents lasting legacy, long-term prosperity, and a solid family foundation, while reversed it indicates financial instability within the family and disputes over wealth. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: look again at what you are building for the long term and what you wish to pass on, rather than only looking at immediate results.
What is the 10 of Pentacles card in the Minor Arcana?
The Minor Arcana in Tarot consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. The Pentacles suit is tied to the element of Earth, governing the material aspects of life such as money, work, the body and security. While the cards from Ace to 9 in this suit describe the journey of building wealth and skill, the 10 of Pentacles is often seen as the final destination of that journey: fulfilment and lasting stability.
This card is also known by the name "The Lord of Wealth" in the Golden Dawn tradition, suggesting that it speaks not only of personal assets but also of wealth inherited and preserved across many generations.
How is the 10 of Pentacles described and interpreted in Waite's 1911 book?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck was printed in 1909, with artwork by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite. The divinatory meanings Waite gives in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) are his own set of meanings, often different from the meanings common today. Below is Waite's original text for the Ten of Pentacles.
Original text. Waite writes: the picture shows a man and a woman beneath an archway leading into a house and a piece of land. They are walking with a child, who looks curiously at two dogs approaching an older man seated in the foreground; the child's hand rests on one of the two dogs. As for divinatory meanings, Waite lists: Gain, riches; family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family, that is, gain, riches, family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family. He gives the Reversed meaning as: Chance, fatality, loss, robbery, games of hazard; sometimes gift, dowry, pension, that is, chance, fatality, loss, robbery, games of hazard; sometimes gift, dowry, pension. So Waite himself set out two opposing groups of reversed meanings, both loss and gift.
According to how Tarot is read today, what does the 10 of Pentacles mean?
According to how Tarot is read today, this card is one of the most auspicious cards for matters of material life and family. The meanings common today are also the practical card-drawing meanings the site uses, and differ from the set of meanings Waite gave in 1911.
- Upright: lasting legacy, long-term prosperity, a solid family foundation.
- Reversed: financial instability within the family, disputes over wealth.
- Keywords: legacy, prosperity, family.
It is worth remembering that Tarot is a tool for reference and reflection, not an absolute prophecy, and it makes no certain claims about the future.
What do the details on the 10 of Pentacles card suggest?
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the details in Waite's description can be read as prompts for reflection, not as certain assertions.
- The archway: the entrance to a house and a piece of land, suggesting a private space with clear boundaries.
- The older man seated in the foreground: someone who was already there before, evoking the preceding generation and one's roots.
- The man, the woman and the child: three generations appearing together in one scene, suggesting continuity between generations.
- The two dogs: the child looks at them curiously, hand resting on one, suggesting closeness between a small child and the animals kept within the family grounds.
- The ten pentacles: in this deck they are arranged in rows, suggesting the fullness, the completeness of the number ten.
What is Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion for today?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: when this card appears, you might take a little time to look back at what you are building for the long term, instead of looking only at immediate results. With work and finances, consider what is a lasting foundation and what is only temporary luck. With family and relationships, you might try asking yourself what you are preserving from the previous generation and what you want to pass on. As for health, this is not a card for diagnosing or predicting illness; if you have concerns, ask someone with professional expertise.
Quick reference table: Ten of Pentacles upright and reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Deck | Minor Arcana - Suit of Pentacles |
| Number | 10 |
| Main keywords | legacy, prosperity, family |
| Meaning when upright | Lasting legacy, long-term prosperity, a solid family foundation. |
| Meaning when reversed | Financial instability within the family, disputes over wealth. |
| Waite 1911 divinatory meaning (upright) | Gain, riches; family matters, archives, extraction, the abode of a family. |
| Waite 1911 divinatory meaning (reversed) | Chance, fatality, loss, robbery, games of hazard; sometimes gift, dowry, pension. |
Overview article on the topic: Tarot Basics: The 78 Cards and the Meanings of the Major/Minor Arcana
