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TL;DR: Waite wrote in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) that the Six of Pentacles means gifts, offerings, satisfaction, while another source says attention and vigilance; reversed, it means desire, greed, envy, jealousy, illusion. In modern Tarot reading, this card means generous giving and receiving, sharing resources, and reversed, conditional giving or excessive dependence on others. Nhật Nguyệt suggests looking again at whether you are the giver or receiver and how balanced the exchange is.
Where does the 6 of Pentacles (Six of Coins) sit in the Minor Arcana?
In the 78-card Tarot system, the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. Pentacles is often tied to the element of Earth, representing the material world: money, work, health, the body and tangible values. The number 6 in the 1 to 10 sequence of each suit is generally seen as the position of harmony after the opening phase and conflict.
The 6 of Pentacles (Six of Coins) is one of the rare cards in the Minor Arcana that directly depicts the act of giving and receiving between people. While most other Pentacles cards revolve around accumulation, labour or personal achievement, the 6 opens up a relational dimension: distribution, compassion and social fairness.
How does Waite describe the picture on the 6 of Pentacles?
A. E. Waite describes the Six of Pentacles in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) as follows: a person in the guise of a merchant weighs money on a set of scales and distributes it to those in need and distress. It is evidence of his own success in life, as well as of his charitable heart.
It should be noted that the Rider-Waite-Smith deck was printed in 1909, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith, while Waite's divinatory meanings were set out in the 1911 book. The divinatory meanings Waite gives in the 1911 book are often different from modern meanings.
Waite's original words (1911)
Waite writes the divinatory meanings for this card as: Presents, gifts, gratification; another account says attention, vigilance; now is the accepted time, present prosperity, etc. Reversed: Desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, illusion.
Close paraphrase: gifts, offerings, gratification; another source says attention, vigilance; now is the accepted time, present prosperity, and so on. Reversed: desire, greed, envy, jealousy, illusion.
Waite lists several meanings, including meanings that contradict one another (both gifts and vigilance), so the reader should know that he does not give a single meaning.
Modern reading
In today's Tarot reading, the 6 of Pentacles upright is generally understood as generous giving and receiving, sharing resources with those who need help. Reversed, this card is generally understood as giving with conditions attached, or depending too much on others. Common keywords: generosity, sharing, give and take.
This modern meaning is also the practical card-drawing meaning used by the site, and is not the divinatory meaning Waite gives in the 1911 book.
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the 6 of Pentacles is the card of conscious exchange. It asks about the reader's position in a relationship where resources are unequal: are you the giver, the receiver, or both at different times. The card does not assert destiny, but suggests looking again at motive and at the degree of balance in the exchange.
What do the symbols on the card say?
The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck, first released in 1909, designed by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, turned the pip cards from a form with only numbers and repeated symbols into fully narrative pictures. Thanks to that, the iconography of the 6 of Pentacles in the RWS deck became the standard for many modern decks.
Description of the picture according to Waite
According to Waite's description, the picture shows a person in the guise of a merchant weighing money on a set of scales and distributing money to those in need and distress. It is evidence of his own success in life, as well as of his charitable heart.
This description does not give details about clothing colour, the number of recipients, or a specific architectural setting, so the analysis below rests only on what Waite wrote and on what is commonly seen in the RWS image.
Analysing each detail
The scales: A symbol of balance and measurement. In Waite's description, the scales are tied to the act of weighing money before distributing it, suggesting that the giving may come with calculation, not entirely at random.
The merchant: Waite states clearly that this figure is in the guise of a merchant, and that distributing money is evidence of his success in life as well as his charitable heart. This shows that the wealth in the card is tied to responsibility and goodwill.
The recipients: Waite describes them as those in need and distress. This wording emphasises the difficult circumstances of the recipients; it does not describe their specific attitude or posture.
The coins: They are the object being weighed and distributed. Waite does not state a number in his description, so no specific number should be assigned to the meaning.
What is the in-depth meaning in a spread?
The balance between giving and receiving
In today's reading, the 6 of Pentacles is the card of considered exchange, not only of money but also of time, feeling and knowledge. The card appears when there is an inequality of resources between parties, and asks whether that inequality is being handled in a healthy way. The card should not be understood as a certain assertion about the future.
Generosity and sharing
In today's reading, this card suggests sharing what you have with others. However, a distinction is needed between giving out of compassion and giving in order to display power or control. Waite does not raise this question in his divinatory meaning, but it is a common understanding today.
Dependence and imbalance of power
In today's reading, the reverse side of the 6 of Pentacles is inequality: the giver may become self-satisfied, the receiver may become dependent. In a relationship spread, this card may suggest that one side is controlling the finances or the spirit of the other. This is a suggestion to look again, not an assertion about a specific situation.
A lesson about cause and effect
In both Eastern and Western philosophy, this card is often linked to the notion that you reap what you sow. However, this is a cultural association, not something Waite wrote in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911). If you are hoping for help, starting by helping others is a direction for reflection, not a formula that guarantees an outcome.
In the context of work and finances
In today's reading, the 6 of Pentacles in work often suggests recognition, a bonus, or the role of mentor and guide to newcomers. In finances, this card suggests loans, support, or balancing a budget. These are directions for reflection, not certain forecasts.
In love and relationships
In today's reading, this card in love suggests mutual care and protection, but also warns about one person giving more than they receive, or the reverse. If you are single, this card may suggest a relationship with a difference in social standing, and you need to define your boundaries clearly. This should not be taken as an assertion about who will appear.
How does it combine with other cards?
- With The Hierophant: Help of an organisational, religious or institutional kind.
- With The Devil: Giving and receiving that is distorted, possibly bribery, manipulation or material entanglement.
- With The Star: Giving that comes from faith and hope, bringing healing.
- With 10 of Pentacles: Prosperity shared within the family and lineage.
- With 5 of Pentacles: A difficult period that may improve thanks to help from outside.
A suggestion for today
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: when the 6 of Pentacles appears in a spread, ask yourself which role you are in, giver or receiver, and whether that role is bringing growth to both sides. Look again at whether you are giving wisely or only to please others, whether you are receiving help actively or becoming dependent. On work and finances, you might reconsider loans, support and how you balance your budget. On love, you might look again at the boundary between giving and receiving in the relationship. On health, if you are caring for others, pay attention to your own needs.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: this card does not encourage becoming a blind philanthropist, but a person who knows how to use their resources responsibly, and who also knows how to value what they receive.
Quick reference table: Six of Coins upright and reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Deck | Minor Arcana - Suit of Coins |
| Order number | 6 |
| Main keywords | generosity, sharing, give and take |
| Meaning upright | Generous giving and receiving, sharing resources with those who need help. |
| Meaning reversed | Giving with conditions attached, or depending too much on others. |
Overview article on the topic: Tarot Basics: The 78 Cards And The Meanings Of The Major/Minor Arcana
