Six of Pentacles
The Six of Pentacles is the sixth numeral card of the Pentacles suit. It is associated with generosity and the balance between giving and receiving.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Historical fact
In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), the Six of Pentacles shows a well-dressed man holding a balance scale in one hand while distributing coins to two kneeling beggars before him. In decks predating the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, the card showed only six pentacles arranged decoratively, without human figures. The specific scene of giving and weighing is a creation of Pamela Colman Smith for the 1909 deck.
Interpretation — Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn
In the Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn tradition, the Six of Pentacles represents generosity, charity, and the balance between giving and receiving — present prosperity that is shared with others. Reversed, it can indicate an unequal exchange, generosity with strings attached, or financial dependence on one side.
Interpretation — Thoth (Aleister Crowley)
In the Thoth deck, the card carries the title 'Success,' associated with the Moon in Taurus. The reading emphasizes tangible material gain and achieved prosperity, though the Moon's association also suggests this success may be transient or subject to fluctuation, rather than a permanent state.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Six of Pentacles mean in Tarot?
- It represents generosity and the balance between giving and receiving material resources — present prosperity that circulates among the people involved.
- Is the scale on the card related to the sign of Libra?
- There is no established connection between this object and the sign of Libra in either the Rider-Waite-Smith or Thoth traditions. In the traditional reading, the scale symbolizes assessment and balance in the act of giving, not a direct astrological reference.
Sources
- Michael Dummett. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980).
- Arthur Edward Waite. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910).
- Aleister Crowley. The Book of Thoth (1944).
- Stuart R. Kaplan. The Encyclopedia of Tarot (1978).