Knight of Pentacles
Caution, focus, realism, invention
Range of meanings
Light: Spending money wisely. Saving for a rainy day. Paying close attention to physical or financial details. Knowing where every dollar goes. Having safe sex. Preferring facts to “good feelings.” Finding creative ways to “make do” with resources on hand. Completing a new invention.
Shadow: Throwing caution to the four winds. Spending without regard for consequence. Spending on luxury when necessities are lacking. Escaping stress by spending money. Obsessing on tiny physical or financial details. Perpetually chasing after some new bauble. Copying another’s work and claiming it as your own.
Questions to ask
- What’s the difference between caution and fear?
- How can I evaluate the practicality of my own ideas and methods?
- How realistic are my goals?
Advice
Personal Growth: There’s a fine line between caution and pessimism. Believe in yourself and what you hope to achieve; at the same time, be sure to attend to the “doing” that leads to “having.” Encourage progress by keeping a physical reminder of upcoming rewards close at hand.
Work: Keep an eye on the bottom line. Some times call for penny-pinching. At other times, growth many depend on generosity. There’s satisfaction in delivering a final, physical product. Keep an eye on the goal. Keep your commitments. Tackle big projects one step at a time.
Relationships: Relationships, like investments, should pay dividends. Your investment of time, attention, and affection should be returned by your friends and partners. Taking care of others is admirable; take care of yourself, too. Watch for creative ways to enjoy time together without spending money.
Spirituality: Avoid taking a guru’s claims at face value. Weigh any guidance received on the scales of your heart. Take spiritual advice (including advice from this book) with great caution and deliberation. Find practical, physical, creative ways to express your spiritual insights.
Fortune-Telling: A stingy person may chide you for spending money. Be prepared to defend an economic or sexual decision.
Associations
Element: Air
Planet: Earth
Fool's Journey: The main character takes a tentative first step toward a new solution.
Knight: Knights embody extremes. The Knight of Coins could be a miser or a spendthrift, depending on which way his energy flows. The Knight of Cups could be emotionally-intelligent or overly sentimental. The Knight of Swords rushes towards insight, but might skip over important facts in the process. The Knight of Wands is motivated to rush to action, but might never be able to build something that lasts, like the pyramids behind him.
Coins: One of the four suits of the tarot. Also sometimes called pentacles or diskc. Coins suggest health, wealth, practicality and physicality. Their domain extends beyond money and finance to all physical things, including the human body. Coins explore your attitude toward resources of all kinds: what you’ve been given, and what you do with it. In RWS-influenced decks, Coins are often called Pentacles. A pentacle’s design (with the upright star in the middle that represents the human body) reminds us that physical blessings, from possessions to our bodies, are to be used for higher purposes. In your own life, how often do you focus on “the star in the coin”?
Adoration of the Coin: The RWS Page, Knight, and Queen of Pentacles seem to romanticize the giant coin in their hands, holding it like a beloved treasure. There's something a bit silly and superficial about this level of reverence for money. As the court cards progress you can see how once you’ve attained the object of your quest, caution is increasingly required to protect, maintain, and preserve what you’ve won.
Unmoving Horse: In many decks, the Knight of Coin’s horse stands as rigid and still as a statue. There’s a difference between proceeding with caution and allowing yourself to become paralyzed by pessimism.