The King of Pentacles
Symbolism
This King sits on a strong dark throne, holding his Pentacle in his left hand resting on his knee. His left foot is propped up and visible, showing that he is grounded but also ready to move when need be. He holds an orb wand in his right hand, representing his connection to the spirit through his earth element.
His garments are loaded with grapes and leaves, which seem to meld with his environment. The fruit on his clothes shows the abundance he has accumulated. We deliberately don’t see where his robes end and the scenery begins. He is connected to his world.
His throne is ornate with the heads of bulls representing Taurus, the fixed earth zodiac sign. This shows his strength, power, and determination. In the background, there is a castle and more vines. This card is full, as is this King’s life.
Keywords
Upright: Grounded, stable, strong, abundant, reliable, manifester, doer, patient, earth guy, garden and nature lover, builder, common sense.
Reversed: Stagnancy, attached, addicted, greedy, slow, stubborn, impractical, lazy, overworked, materialistic.
Upright meaning
Here sits the mature, masculine King of the Earth. He rules our body, health, and work. He is a relentless doer, and incredibly practical and experienced. This part of us knows what to do and how to get the job done. He won’t cut corners when quality is at stake, and is patient enough to stick things through.
This king represents the classic protector/ provider role model. He is comfortable with abundance, and know how to manifest wealth. He is still very connected to the earth, simplicity, and nature, but his greatest gift is common sense. Patience is natural for him, and this card will call for us to work at our own pace and be ready for the long-haul.
The King’s connection to his body gives him a level of self-care to keep him strong and healthy. He isn’t stressed over time, and love organic, natural growth. He will choose safety and deliberate actions, over passionate desires. Reliability is synonymous with this King, and he asks us for slow determination.
Reversed meaning
When the ego grabs this King’s qualities, they become exaggerated. This king will often overwork himself and associate so much with doing and working, that he wont know who he is outside work. He will lose himself, and become afraid of change. His life may become boring and stagnant, even for him!
Being so intensely connected to the world around him, he feels responsible for his environment. This can be healthy, but he may take it to the next level, by becoming over-protective, and controlling. He is genuinely afraid of letting go and letting the world do its thing without him.
The role he plays, as a masculine figure, brings out our feelings of duty and responsibility. He can make this feel heavy, and he makes family traditions more important than growth and flexibility. Playing, and being frivolous and fun, is something he has forgotten.
Being focussed outwardly, this King loses his communication with his body and his emotional guidance system. He may become sick, and will blame the outer world for his own vibration. He can fluctuate between doing too much and not doing anything. The latter is less common, but in is his attempt to control everything, the pendulum may swing to extremes.
We are asked to be aware of our addictions, and attachments to this earth. We are asked to be grounded in common sense, over habitual doing. And as always, how can we love our bodies more?