The Ten of Pentacles shows ten pentacles adorning an older man’s home as he sits in his garden with his spouse, pets, and children. Tens in the Minor Arcana show the very end of the journey. There is finality in the meaning of all ten cards, and this is also true for the Ten of Pentacles, which displays a scene that reveals what happens with the querent and his family after they have made the decisions required to fully retire after the Nine of Pentacles.
This can be a card of complete achievement where the goals have all been fulfilled and there is no longer anything left to fret about or toil for. All tens represent completion and the end results of all of the drama, work, soul searching, and conflict the querent has had to endure in order to earn his rightful place in the home after years of hard work and business ownership.
When more than one ten appears in the same spread, there is more to reveal to the querent. Pairs of tens shows that there are long-lasting, almost permanent losses or gains in the querent’s vicinity while three of them points to ending in terms of a final letting go of past loves, past friends, and property that the querent no longer needs to hold onto. This can imply a move into a new forever home or distancing oneself from the people he no longer wants to give his energy to. This seems to be some social housekeeping of sorts, but it does need to be accomplished in a fit and delicate manner. Having four tens in a spread indicates, unfortunately, a massive collapse of the present circumstances. It is like the floor has fallen out from under the querent in this situation, and he is called upon to have a major rebirth and new outlook on life.
The Ten of Pentacles in an Upright Position
An upright Ten of Pentacles indicates that the querent has become a man of position and has finally attained everything he set out to do. There has been a great deal of success, and the querent is able to put a lot of money away in the bank. There is no longer any reason to live in fear of financial collapse. The querent can also feel comfortable with being set up for the rest of his life from his hard work and commitment. He may receive professional accolades or rewards of some kind that cite his determination and skill. The projects he has started have come to close, and there is nothing left to do but lay back and enjoy the returns on the querent’s investments of time, energy, and money. The querent will find that he has built the most stable foundation possible for retirement and can feel secure in himself for what he has accomplished.
The meaning of all Minor Arcana cards can be modified by the cards that surround it. Court cards from the Minor Arcana (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings) all represent people. They have corresponding physical characteristics as well as their own astrological correspondences. The Ten of Pentacles shows ultimate success in business and finance after years of hard work. Court cards that fall here will show who the people are that are present to celebrate the querent’s retirement. This may also show who the querent is retiring with or who will take over for him when he’s gone. Major Arcana cards will help to redefine the interpretation of the Ten of Pentacles. The inclusion of any swords shows danger for one’s finances, and the Fool shows how the querent focussed too much on his career and has no one to share the benefits of this work with him.
The Ten of Pentacles in a Reversed Position
The reversed position of each card of the Minor Arcana is really as it states: an inversion of the card’s meaning. The reversal of the Ten of Pentacles heralds a loss of all that was earned. There may be issues with debt, addictions, and other expenses that are frivolous but still make it so the querent spends it all away. The business itself may dwindle away due to mismanagement by the successors, and the children will probably spend their inheritance on foolish things. There may be a large amount of credit card debt that was not revealed until very recently or was hidden, or there could have been a case where the querent made unsound business decisions and followed poor investment advice. There may also be a great deal of conflict surrounding money or that which is meant to be left to others. The querent may be one of the participants in the conflict or the one leaving the legacy.
The reversed Ten of Pentacles shows the querent or his family arguing over inheritances or other matters surrounding the dividing up of assets after the business tycoon passes on. The querent will find that there are fewer people interested in carrying on the business, and more of them are interested in the proceeds instead. The difficulty lies in keeping the business going instead of closing the doors and splitting everything into four parts as an alternative. The querent would rather leave the business going, but on some level he must know that his children aren’t interested in finance and business, and if they were, they would probably be more interested in spending the money than spending time to make money. There is a feeling that all that has been worked towards will be lost when the Ten of Pentacles appears reversed in a spread. There are very few ways that this can be avoided aside from leaving the querent’s business to an outsider interested in keeping things going on longer than the children could.
Key Terms
- Leaving a legacy
- Completed goals
- Inheritance
- Arguing over inheritances
- Ultimate success with finance
- Financial abundance
- Debt
- Financial ruin
- Bankrupted estates
- Top Salary
- Large bank accounts