TAROTPage of Pentacles
Upright
Following a plan towards financial stability. The beginning of making the idea real.
Learning, studying, or setting up to achieve something to do with future prosperity.
A new career or learning a profession.
The ‘discovery’ phase of putting a financial project or business idea into practice.
Addressing initial practicalities that create future financial success.
Intuition
The card shows a young man appreciating the world around him. The entire scene is the same golden yellows of the pentacle being held up, symbolizing the world around us is full of opportunities for prosperity. We just have to recognize them and create a practical plan to make it happen!
Reversed
Doubt, lack of concentration, or lack of self-belief in achieving future financial stability.
Failure to take up the challenge to make a financial plan workable
Lack of knowledge, training, planning, and belief to make a financial plan ready to start.
Impractical planning for the future, or wishful thinking.
Astrologia
A balanced and grounded personality that makes for a very dependable person. Strong work ethic and perseverance in adversity. Can be overly practical and ignore strong emotions. May be materialistic.
Page of Pentacles
The Page of Pentacles refers to setting a solid foundation for future prosperity.
The Page denotes surveying the environment to appreciate the potential wealth hidden in plain sight. Observing potential remains the domain of the Ace of Pentacles (the seed of an idea). The Page advances this by implementing a practical plan to create that wealth: in Tarot speak, manifesting.
This manifestation takes several forms: learning a new career or profession, identifying an early investment opportunity, or organizing people to begin work.
The card can also represent a state of mind: diligence and awareness of the work ahead. Unlike the creative, emotional or communicative Pages of other suites, the Page of Pentacles is very much a practical realist who will work steadily towards their goal.
The card shows a young man who is the ancestor of one of the wealthiest branches of the ancient Greek peoples.
Ion
The Ionian people were originally Greek, migrating from Attica (around Athens) eastward toward Anatolia (modern Turkey). They grew wealthy and highly educated, laying the foundations for major branches of knowledge, including Greek philosophy and the Homeric epics, alongside practical techniques like cartography. Ionic (also known as Koine Greek) became the standard language of Greek texts and many important texts were first written in it, such as the New Testament. The Old Testament was also translated into it (both books were re-translated into Latin by the Romans).
The mythological ancestor of this wealthy, rich and well-educated people is Ion, an illegitimate son of Apollo.
Abandoned by his mother, Creusa (a princess of Athens), Ion was saved by Hermes (The Judgment card). He was raised as a slave in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi (the ruins of which appear in the Justice card).
Creusa later marries a foreign king but remains childless. They visit the Temple of Apollo to speak to the oracle about this and are told the first person they see after the visit will be their son, and this turns out to be a slave working there, Ion.
The boy Ion went from slave to king, becoming the ancestor of the wealthiest demographic in the ancient world. His story forms the basis of the play Ion by Euripides, written around 500 BCE.
Description and Symbology
The card shows a young man in a field, looking at a pentacle (coin) in his hand. Both the pentacle and the background are the same general color, implying both are a source of wealth.
The background reveals perfect farming land or the ideal site for a village. The terrain is fertile and flat.
The man stares intently at the pentacle, attempting to learn from it. He calculates the skills required and the education he must undertake before he can manifest wealth and security from the surrounding earth.
The young man
The man looks intently at the pentacle in his hand, as if trying to study its secrets. This symbolizes the need to practice a profession or learn and practice before serious wealth will come your way.
The pentacle
The pentacle and the background are both shades of yellow, suggesting that the potential for wealth is often in plain sight, as it comes from the earth all around us.
The land
The land looks as if it can be used for farming, or building upon, and probably both. As the man – Ion – is the mythical ancestor for the Ionians (one of the most wealthy and intellectually successful ancient groups), perhaps this is their birthplace!
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
Although love can be at first sight, this card takes the road less traveled; slow, steady but building to great things, with a seriously sensual streak in the mix.
For existing couples, this will be a time to think about the future together, and may also involve a deepening of commitments and perhaps a rekindling of the sexual side.
For new relationships, it points to a career oriented and ambitious person who will over the years mellow into someone who is more about family. It is not all work though, there may be a lot of earthy adventure between the two stages, given that rich sensual streak!
Whatever the stage of the relationship, this card suggests loyalty and honesty.
A tendency towards safety and the future rather than the present may result in a slow, plodding relationship. Money problems may be an issue. Either too little or too much, and a descent towards money and status over love.
For new relationships, things may proceed too slowly for any spark, or an over-emphasis on career or related matters may do the same thing. Either way, the lack of speed may fizzle out any romance before it has any chance.
To avoid this, you either need to add some excitement or accept that there are too many distractions and competing priorities for it to work.
Now is a good time to consider taking up learning (either on the job or through courses and self-directed education) to further your career.
It is also a good time to consider moving job or a sideways promotion to something new.
Whatever you choose, there will be some hard work to get through, and the results may be slow to appear, but it will be worth it in the long run!
Either a lack of goals, poor planning or playing things far too safe is slowing your career down, or you are putting monetary gains and status over real growth. Either may lead to eventual failure.
There may also be a dissatisfaction in your career. You no longer find it interesting or fulfilling, and are instead just doing it for the paycheck.
The card asks you to consider your real goals and what you want from life, as this may not be in tune with your current career direction. Be prepared to lose a little in the short term, or the need to put in some work to move yourself to the right path.
You can achieve whatever you want so long as you are prepared to put in the work and learning, and this card suggests you have the self-confidence and practical mind to do both.
Applying this to your health will work wonders.
Outdoors sport where your feet hit real earth may help, as will anything involving competition that gains you prestige or recognition on winning.
Money and wealth can be great for your health, but they can also lead to bad habits, overindulgence, or either a sedentary lifestyle or the stress of overwork and micromanaging everything.
This card suggests at least one of the above is in play.
It is time to consider your future, and whether you are cashing in your health for something far less valuable in the long term…
Although aiming for wealth and security does not sound particularly spiritual, there is an inner joy in work well done, progressing towards a goal, or simply being proud of the exactness of your plans and the progress you are making.
There is also the sense of drawing on your roots to move upwards, using a lifetime of growing and learning to reach for the sky!
All of these things should lift you as you rise towards a future financial or career goal.
The search for fulfillment through career, wealth, self-improvement and hard work can take a turn for the worst if it is ultimately all about status and wealth as a means to its own end.
The card suggests this may be your goal, and if so, it is time to reconsider this
There will be an opportunity coming your way soon, but you will have to be ready for it, as it can easily pass you by unless you recognize it.
Being ‘ready’ means getting down with the numbers and practicalities and working out if this is the one to go for. This may not be easy, and the task may require a significant amount of work and learning about the investment, but the opportunity will be worth it in the long term.
There may be a number of problems on the horizon, and all of them relate to finances and investment.
Either you are not doing the research and placing trust on chance and wishful thinking rather than doing the work, or you are letting chances pass you by because you are taking the safe route and simply plodding along.
A lack of income may also be an issue, or unexpected expenses and costs to do with your education or an investment plan may come up.
It is definitely a time to be wary of your finances and watch all aspects closely!
Yes, but expect the results to be some time coming, but worth the wait!
No, through not being ready to pick up the practicalities, or going for the money rather than the growth and pleasure.
Reading the Card
Like all Court Cards, the Page of Pentacles represents people or things outside yourself:
- Study: Learning a profession, subject, or skill set with a view to future wealth and security.
- Insight: Possessing the curiosity and vision to spot wealth-making ideas hidden in plain sight. This points to the dawn of entrepreneurship and a talent for converting the fruits of the earth into future security.
- The Planner: A pragmatist who initiates momentum through practical insight and organization. This person is no 'bean-counter'; they execute plans, producing tangible value, aka manifesting.
- The Student: A youth learning a new subject to secure a future salary. This person is neither greedy nor materialistic. They recognize the responsibility to provide for themselves and others through their own hard work.
- A New Connection: A love interest whose aims rest on long-term security and wealth. This individual possesses a business sensibility, proving highly career-minded or focused on building a 'family home'. They view their role as a provider, believing happiness requires both love and stability. As with all Earth-based archetypes, a sensual undertone defines the relationship: a deeply sexual and emotional bond.
When reading the ‘upright card’ and ‘reversal’ sections below, note that although the text refers to you, it could actually be any of the above. The question being asked (or your first thoughts when you see the card) will suggest who or what the card refers to.
The Upright Card
The Upright Page of Pentacles represents the hardworking and insightful learner, person, or idea possessing the ability to create long-lasting wealth and security. It represents:
- A deeply practical mindset. A will to get one’s hands dirty.
- Someone studying to change their future prospects.
- A project that looks to be a good financial earner for the future.
- Moving to a new environment that has more financial opportunities.
- Seeking personal connections that will be mutually beneficial for future business or professional growth.
- A deeply sensual aspect in relationships that comes from a deep trust and understanding… and lots of sex.
This card commands you to look to the future in everything you do. Hard work performed now to create a fruitful future transcends merely getting your hands dirty. It is a noble cause your loved ones will thank you for.
While other Page cards appear more exciting, the Page of Pentacles transforms the environment through the power of a long-term vision. The wealth of the Earth fuels greed and self-aggrandizement if unchecked, but used properly, it proves spiritually and socially transformational.
The Reversal
The Reversed Page of Pentacles points to a failure to build firm foundations for the future. In a reading, it refers to:
- Missed opportunities to further oneself financially or professionally.
- A failure to move forward, cocooning yourself in a womb of safety too early. The Page of Pentacles looks for eventual security and prosperity, but confuses security with the 'safety of the familiar'. This manifests as sticking with a stagnant job, or plodding along slowly through fear of the unknown, letting the fast and nimble light the darkness ahead.
- Self-doubt or remaining unskilled for the task ahead. Hard work takes you only so far. You must admit your failings and ask for help from a teacher or guide.
- A fall toward materialism for its own sake. Wealth hoarded, rather than spent on self-growth, education, and better living, inevitably fails. You lose sight of the meaning of 'enough', replacing it with pure greed.
Card Design Process
The design notes for this card read: 'look for a young mythological founder of a rich ancient people that was not a god'. Ion was a candidate. Deeper research proved him the ideal fit.
Final Words
The Page of Pentacles represents learning and growth in practical matters like finance and career. The actions and decisions made establish (or delay) the foundations of wealth and security for yourself and those close to you.
