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King of Pentacles: Rider-Waite-Smith tarot card
Minor Arcana · Pentacles·K·Earth

King of Pentacles

King of Pentacles

The King of Pentacles sits on a throne carved with bulls’ heads, wearing a robe covered in grapes and vines, with a pentacle in one hand and a scepter in the other. He’s the master of the material world and a wise steward of it.

wealthenterprisesecurity
Arcana
Minor
Number
K
Element
Earth
Suit element
Earth

What the card means in tarot

Meet the successful builder, or that role in you. The King’s robe in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is thick with grapevines, a sign of fruitfulness, and his throne carries the heads of bulls, a nod to Taurus, the fixed earth sign tied to abundance. In a reading, he often appears as an established, generous person or a mentor in business.

King of Pentacles upright

Keywords: wealth · enterprise · security

Upright, the King of Pentacles means financial success, business skill, and stability. He’s the card of people who handle money and resources well, their own and other people’s.

King of Pentacles reversed

Reversed, the King of Pentacles warns about greed, corruption, or an obsession with status. Power starts to shade into misuse.

Tip: See whether King of Pentacles shows up in your own reading. Try a free tarot reading You get a daily card and detailed spreads based on traditional RWS symbolism.

King of Pentacles in love and relationships

The King of Pentacles is the archetype of the mature, secure partner. Single, it describes someone with a financial footing, a calm character, and a stable life. In a couple, it’s the provider role, the one who patiently builds a secure home over the long haul. Reversed in love: someone materialistic with nothing underneath, a relationship built only on money. Or you’re the one losing touch because of overwork.

King of Pentacles in career and money

In your career, the King of Pentacles signals someone at the peak of a financial career: a CEO, a founder, an owner of property and businesses. Tradition pictures a man, though the role is open. This is a card for building things that last. With money, it’s the height of prosperity and something to pass on to your children. Reversed: success without meaning, greed, a company that’s eating your life.

King of Pentacles and personal growth

The King of Pentacles is a reminder that the material mirrors the inner life. How you handle money tends to reflect how you handle everything else.

How to read King of Pentacles in a spread

In the advice position, the King of Pentacles says: build so that your wealth serves you instead of consuming you. In the past, a man with financial wisdom. In the present, a high point of abundance. In the future, an encounter with wealth that has grown up.

Symbols on the card

  • The robe of grapes and vines: a fruitful, well-tended material life
  • Bulls’ heads on the throne: Taurus, the fixed earth sign
  • The pentacle under his hand: material mastery
  • The scepter: power and authority
  • The castle behind him: a legacy already built
  • His crown: mature, earned authority

Common questions

What does the King of Pentacles mean in tarot?+

The King of Pentacles means financial success, business skill, and stability. He’s the archetype of the accomplished builder and provider: a wise steward of material things.

What does the King of Pentacles mean in a love reading?+

In love, the King of Pentacles is a stable, secure partner. Reversed, be cautious with a partner who judges the relationship by money and status.

What does the King of Pentacles reversed mean?+

In the reversed position, the King of Pentacles warns about greed, corruption, or fixation on status. Power and money get used as weapons instead of tools.

There’s a story behind how King of Pentacles was drawn. Read the history of the RWS tarot → Meet Pamela Colman Smith, Arthur Waite, and the 1909 deck that 80% of tarot readers use today.

Related cards· Pentacles

All Pentacles cards

More cards: Major Arcana, Wands, Cups, Swords

Try this card in a reading

King of Pentacles shows its full meaning only alongside other cards. Here are six of the most popular spreads where it can turn up:

Pull your own tarot card

A free daily card and 12 kinds of spreads, based on traditional Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism.

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For more on where the cards come from, read The 1909 tarot: the most famous cards in the world It covers how the RWS deck came to be and why 80% of tarot readers worldwide use it today.