King of Pentacles Tarot Meanings

The Card of abundance, security, and leadership.

Last Updated: March 16, 2024.

The King of Pentacles is the fourteenth card in the suit of Pentacles (also known as the suit of coins, suit of disks, or suit of rings) and one of the fifty-six suit cards from the minor arcana. In divinatory tarot, the Suit of Pentacles represents the physical, material, financial and earthly aspects of our lives.

Divination practices such as cartomancy can help us make decisions, offer guidance, and help us tune into our intuition when we are at a crossroads in our lives. Understanding the meanings of each tarot card can help you sharpen your interpretative skills so you can get the most out of your readings.

The King of Pentacles is a court card that represents wealth both financially and materially, prosperity and abundance, and success. This card is all about confidence and manifesting wealth around oneself, it favours times of attracting opportunities that better yourself, and the King is also linked to advice, wisdom, and assistance when it comes to money-related or work issues/problems.

In this article, we will discuss the meanings of the King of Pentacles in various tarot reading contexts as well as the different symbols and nuances that can be found within this court card.

Pictorial Symbolism in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck

The artworks from the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck contain deeper esoteric meanings that tarotists love to decipher. The King of Pentacles depicts a King sitting upon a bull-themed throne, linking his association to the astrological sign Taurus, and in one hand he holds a staff or sceptre, and in the other, he holds a coin, these represent his power and material hold. The robe he wears is covered in a grape and vine design which is symbolic of his abundance and natural ability to manifest his own wealth and prosperity, and there are more grapes and vines around his feet and floor around his throne.

The throne sits ahead of his castle, the King is proud of his possessions and achievements, and looks on with great confidence as he is happy to show all of those willing to look.

The King of Pentacles key correspondences

Upright keywords	Success, empire, goals, stability, father figure, and wealth.
Reversed keywords	Instability, gambling, failure, unsuccessful, and greed.
Yes or No	Yes
Numerology	4
Element	Earth
Ruling Planet	N/A
Astrological Sign	Taurus (but also Capricorn and Virgo – the Earth signs)

What does the upright King of Pentacles mean in the Tarot?

If this card has shown up in your reading today, then know that this is truly such a good omen! This is such a positive tarot card when it comes to having your hard work pay off and reaping the fruits of your labour! So well done!

You should be proud of your achievements, and you should be comfortable in showing off your successes too – let the world see if you so wish! You’ve had the drive, stability, and willingness to fight for what you want and see things through to the very end.

This card can also represent a father figure, or an earth sign male (Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus), that is generous, knowledgeable, stable, and always willing to help those around him, especially with work and money-based matters.

When pulled in the upright position, the King of Pentacles is associated with Success, empire, goals, stability, father figure, and wealth.

What does the upright King of Pentacles mean in a love reading

If you’re in a relationship, then the presence of this card suggests that you are in a very comfortable position and that your relationship is the most stable it’s ever been right now. You’re in a very, very good place with your partner, and you’ve both worked hard to get the relationship to where it’s at right now – so enjoy it! And be proud of the work you’ve put in, you’re this close to your partner because of your willingness to work hard and put effort into this romance.

But it can also represent the male in a relationship, especially one that is grounded, family orientated, and takes care of those around him, as this is someone that works hard to benefit his family!

If you’re single then this card showing up suggests that you are very much ready for a serious relationship, and you’ve done a lot of work to get yourself into this position to be ready to welcome in love, and you know what you deserve and won’t settle for less – you know what you’re after.

What does the upright King of Pentacles mean in a career reading?

In the workplace, this card very much represents a successful business venture or the building of an empire! It’s a very good omen when it comes to work-related matters and suggests that you are going to be putting in all the hard work necessary to result in grand outcomes in your career! You thrive in the environment you’re in and are going from strength to strength due to everything you’ve done to get yourself there.

This can also represent a mentor-type figure within the workplace environment, someone that will take you under their wing and teach you everything that they know, this is someone that will help you go far, so it’s wise to heed their advice and listen to everything they have to say and teach you – they know what’s what, don’t take it for granted!

The King of Pentacles as feelings/emotions

If you are asking the tarot how someone feels about you, pulling the King of Pentacles suggests that this person is very sure of how they feel about you, and most likely sees you as part of their big future plan.

This is someone willing to go after their dreams and achieve all they have set their eyes on, and you are very much part of this vision of theirs. They most likely also see themselves as wanting to protect you, providing you with some sort of security, and making sure that you’re okay.

They are definitely in this for the long-term, whatever kind of connection and/or relationship you have, and most definitely have your best intentions in mind. But they will definitely be looking out for you in all of the best ways possible, both when it comes to physical and emotional aspects, and even spiritually.

The King of Pentacles as a person

As a personality archetype, the King of Pentacles represents someone that is a protector. This will be a father figure who seems all-knowing and extremely wise. This will be someone that offers the best advice, especially when it comes to working matters and even financial matters, they want to see you do your best in life and will always have the best intentions in mind for you.

They will be someone that’s open and honest, is always dreaming big about the future, and always seems to be able to draw those successes towards them! They have a natural ability to manifest their dreams into their reality through hard work, but they aren’t afraid to make their wins known.

They know what it takes to succeed, and they’re willing to put in the work. They’re very secure with themselves, who they are, and what they do, and will most likely have a sophisticated air about them. They offer stability to those around them and will be dependable, patient, understanding, helpful, and protective.

The King of Pentacles as advice

If you are asking the tarot for advice regarding a specific situation in your life, pulling the King of Pentacles means that it is time to take things slow and steady, there is no need to rush. This King is all about the long game, he knows good things come to those who wait and play the game right, so don’t rush forward – that’ll be your downfall.

Take the time to look at things, think things through, and don’t make any sort of decision in a split second. It’s okay to take a day or two, if not longer, to ponder over things, you don’t need to come to an immediate conclusion.

Try and create a safe, warm, and comfortable space around yourself to bring balance to your thoughts, this way you can be certain the conclusion you come to will be one from a stable and balanced mind.

Is the King of Pentacles a yes or no card?

This King is 100% a yes card due to his nature of welcoming success and prosperity, so this is especially a good sign if your question surrounds money in one way or another! This is definitely a good omen for anything financial-based, that’s for sure.

But regardless of money, whatever your question may be, this King is telling you that you will find success in what you’re aiming for. This card is all about excelling, propelling forward, putting in the hard work and reaping the benefits, all whilst remaining grounded, balanced, and in control.

Below are some of my interpretations based on different types of questions:

Question: “Will I get the job?”

Card Interpretation: On one hand, this could very much be a ‘yes, the job’s yours or it could relate to a figure stepping in to become a form of a mentor when it comes to your career, so if it becomes apparent that the job isn’t yours, then it perhaps means you need someone to step in to help assist you, to guide and teach you, and that’ll help you succeed in the future.

But don’t be disheartened, it could very much still mean that the success of a new job is very much coming your way and that all the hard work you’ve been putting in for this position (whether it be a promotion or a new job entirely) will pay off! It’s 100% possible for you to achieve those career goals of yours, this King is very much about succeeding and claiming those dreams of his, and those too can absolutely be yours for the taking. So carry on dreaming big about your career, or next career move at least, because it’s looking very positive indeed!

Question: “Is this new person in my life good for me?”

Card Interpretation: This will be someone that will nurture you in every which way you require, so yes! You have nothing to worry about with this person. This is someone that’s very caring, very grounded, very generous, and very thoughtful when it comes to those around them.

They have everyone’s best interests in mind and want to see everyone succeed in life to the very best of their ability, and this is no doubt what they’ll want for you too! You may even be able to learn a lot from this person with their approach to hard work and success, and they’ll definitely be a good person to turn to with assistance with anything relating to work and financial matters. Embrace the stability that they bring for this is someone you can trust.

Question: “Will I achieve my current goals?”

Card Interpretation: Seeing as this card is quite literally all about achieving one’s goals, it’s easy to say aaaabsolutely YES. Yes, yes yes yes, my dear, your goals are yours for the taking and you are 100% edging towards that end destination that you have in mind.

Keep working hard, keep focused, don’t make any rushed decisions, and keep a stable outlook, you’re on the right path. Keep doing what you’re doing, and let that ambition continue to drive you, this card is here to add fuel to that fire! Keep going!

Question: “Should I start my own business?”

Card Interpretation: This King has very much built his own empire, and he is incredibly proud of that, so if your question today is all about starting your own business, then it’s safe to say that that venture of yours would very much be favoured right now. You have the focus, drive, stubbornness, and tenacity to unwaveringly go after this idea of yours, so go for it.

Now is a great time to do so, this card very much favours the success of anything relating to business and work-related means, so trust in your decision. You have the means to build something that’s the equivalent of your own empire, so why hold back?

King of Pentacles as Timings / Timeframes

Tarot timing involves assigning precise timeframes or durations to the events and transitions indicated by the tarot cards in a reading. Personally, I use the tarot decan wheel, an astrologically-based method that aligns each Minor Arcana card with a distinct segment of the zodiac calendar. Based on that, I determined the timing of the King of Pentacles to be from April 21st to May 20th.

What does the reversed King of Pentacles mean in the Tarot?

This reversed King is all about not achieving goals, giving in, and losing the will to see things through to the end. You’re failing at things, you’re making too risky of a decision about things you shouldn’t be, you’re rushing, and you’re consistently having very poor judgement about things. You aren’t doing yourself any favours at all.

As a person in a reading, this can represent someone that’s greedy, a risky gambler, someone that’s corrupt and is typically someone that doesn’t give two craps about hurting those around them. Very selfish, very uncaring, and only cares about themselves. If this truly represents a person in this reading, then this is someone that makes you, and those around them, miserable.

When pulled in the reversed position, the King of Pentacles is linked with instability, gambling, failure, unsuccessful, and greed.

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

You aren’t in the position you wanted to be in in this relationship, you aren’t feeling as happy, secure, and comfortable as you wanted to, and this is potentially causing you and your partner to fight, or not see eye to eye on things, bringing about arguments, and potentially throwing blame about with how insecure you feel in your position with this person – whom you expected more from in this relationship by now.

If this is representing your partner, then this is someone that’s controlling, manipulative, hurtful, and obsessive over their material gain. Emotionally they are very shut off, very cold, and very selfish. This is someone that holds no loyalty to you. Their wants and their ego come above all else them.

If you’re single then this could mean you will encounter someone that isn’t going to be good for you, so keep your wits about you as this is not someone you will want to engage with. This is someone that doesn’t have your best interests in mind, and will very much look to use their position and/or power to manipulate you. Be wary of this.

What does the inverted King of Pentacles mean in a career reading?

This isn’t the best card to have when it comes to career related questions, as it typically suggests business failure, something once great coming to an unceremonious collapse, and there will be no stability for you in the workplace currently.

You aren’t where you want to be with your career, things just aren’t going right, and you aren’t achieving the work goals you set out to do. You have a severe lack of commitment to what you’re doing and it shows, and this is massively affecting the trajectory of your career right now.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the King of Pentacles tarot card is a powerful symbol of success, empire, stability, and wealth. When this card appears in your reading, it is often a sign that you are about to achieve great things. You are on the right path to success, and you have the potential to achieve your goals.

Despite its association with mysticism and occultism, the tarot has grown to become much more than a simple “fortune-telling” tool. For many tarot practitioners, it is a complex system made of symbolic imagery and psychological considerations (Jungian archetypes for example) that can be used for self-exploration, meditation, and personal transformation.

The 56 lesser arcana cards relate to the day-to-day events of our lives, the more mundane aspects of our existence. Even though that part of the tarot is about the “smaller picture”, it symbolizes the constant choices we make that shape our lives, our characters, and ultimately our destinies.

Have you ever had a reading where the King Of Pentacles appeared? What was the outcome? What does that card mean to you personally? How do you interpret this card in your own tarot practice?

Share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments below. Additionally, If you want to know more about the different tarot cards, feel free to check out my complete list of all 78 tarot cards and their meanings.

Written by Amy

Outside the weird and wonderful world of my craft, I like to cosplay and fully dive into the fantasy genre across all forms, from books to video games and everything in between.