The Seven of Pentacles is the 7th tarot card in the Minor Arcana suit of Pentacles, and it describes investing one’s time and energy toward a long-term goal and the potential for frustration with the slowness of the process. This card illustrates that sometimes, despite our best efforts, a crop doesn’t yield the harvest we hoped for, forcing us to learn patience and perseverance.
The Seven of Pentacles is associated with the element of earth and the third decan of the astrological zodiac sign Taurus (20-29 degrees), which is ruled by Saturn. One of Saturn’s primary mythic significations is as a god of agriculture, who teaches us that at certain times we must contend with forces out of our control that will slow our progress and compel us to develop qualities such as discipline, patience, and grit.
Where the key meanings of the Major Arcana focus on life’s overarching themes and events, Minor Arcana cards like the Seven of Pentacles explore and reveal the more subtle changes impacting one’s day-to-day life and near future. The Seven of Pentacles also bears similarities with its sibling cards the Seven of Cups, Seven of Wands, and Seven of Swords, in that all four deal with changes and adjustments that propel us forward.
Seven of Pentacles Keywords
Upright Keywords | Reversed Keywords |
|---|---|
patience, perseverance, long-term investments, frustration with slow results | reprioritization, fearing things won’t go as planned, trying to force growth, perfectionism |
Description of the Seven of Pentacles Tarot Card
Following the rebalancing of resources and the stabilization of material security depicted in the Six of Pentacles, the Seven of Pentacles describes the investment of energy into projects that take a long-term approach to success. In this card, one’s basic material needs have been met, and now the focus is on investing for increased rewards in the future.
In the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, a man leans on a hoe in the midst of his field, staring at his crops with an air of forlorn disappointment. His head and shoulders slump downward, signifying fatigue or dismay, as he takes a break from this physically demanding work.
Six pentacles sprout from the batch and one lies at his feet—perhaps it’s waiting to be planted, or perhaps, it represents a plant that fell off the vine. The crop, which appears abundant but is also possibly suffering from blight, may be a reference to the Irish Potato Famine.
Seven of Pentacles Upright Meaning
The upright Seven of Pentacles can suggest that you’re in the process of investing a significant amount of time, energy, or money into a long-term project and are wondering if you will see a return on your investment down the line. You could be coming up against setbacks or roadblocks that try your patience and bring up feelings of disappointment or frustration.
If the project is progressing more slowly than you’d hoped for, or if you’re encountering failures along the way, it may signal that you’d benefit from reassessing your priorities and ensuring that you’re maximizing your time and energy wisely. You may need to strategize contingency plans and reflect on any similar experiences in the past in order to glean lessons that you can carry into the present.
Through this process, you can strengthen your resolve to persevere through unexpected challenges that arise. If you can keep the bigger picture in mind, celebrate your wins thus far, and reprioritize tasks when necessary, you can find the stamina and patience to stick with it. Focus on taking it one day at a time, and your hard work and dedication will pay off in the long term.
Love and Relationships (Upright Meaning)
In a love tarot reading, the Seven of Pentacles upright may suggest that you’re feeling impatient with the progress or pace of a relationship and are questioning if it’s a wise investment of your time and energy. This card encourages a slow and steady approach that allows the connection to develop naturally and in its own time. It invites you to stay connected to the present to appreciate the gifts of the current moment.
This card reflects that your relationship can endure challenges that arise because you are both committed to your long-term growth and success. You know that setbacks, failures, and disappointments are an inevitable part of any long-term relationship and that learning to resolve these issues can strengthen your bond. It is an encouragement to focus on gradual but meaningful growth, which allows you to cultivate patience and maturity.
Love/relationships upright keywords | Career/finance upright keywords |
|---|---|
impatience with progress, slow and steady approach, allowing connection to develop naturally | long-term goals, frustration, reviewing progress, strategizing new approaches |
Career and Finance (Upright Meaning)
The Seven of Pentacles upright can indicate that you’re working on a long-term project or goal requiring patience, hard work, and dedication to overcome setbacks. You may be frustrated because you have yet to see the fruits of your labor, but this card invites you to reflect on and celebrate your accomplishments thus far. You’ve laid a strong foundation that can support future growth, desired results, and higher cash flow.
The upright Seven of Pentacles may also suggest the need to review your work up to this point and take stock of any adjustments you can make in order to maximize your time and effort. You may see that shifting your priorities, refocusing your energy on a different task, or strategizing a new approach can help you to break out of the feeling of stagnancy.
Seven of Pentacles Reversed Meaning
In the reversed position of a tarot spread, the Seven of Pentacles can indicate that you’re taking a short-term approach to a long-term project or goal, and this approach is creating a feeling of frustration with your lack of progress after so much time. You could feel disappointed that you’re not seeing the rewards you’d hoped for, but more patience may be needed. You may benefit from taking stock and doing a cost/benefit analysis to ensure you’re maximizing your energy.
The Seven of Pentacles reversed can also speak to a fear of things not progressing as you hope they would. You could be working through doubts and uncertainties as you try to craft a long-term plan for success. If you can focus on what you can control in the present moment, release any perfectionistic tendencies, and take it one day at a time, you can make meaningful progress and avoid aimlessness.
This card may also suggest that you’re trying to force something to grow or produce rewards before it’s ready. Out of a feeling of frustration and impatience, you could be trying to artificially speed something along that needs more time to develop and mature. This card invites you to consider the wisdom of plants that grow at their own pace and cultivate trust that your work will bear fruit when the time is right.
Love and Relationships (Reversed Meaning)
The Seven of Pentacles reversed in a love reading can suggest that you’re feeling disappointed or frustrated with the pace or depth of a relationship. You may feel like you’ve invested significant time and attention on someone who doesn’t reciprocate it or appreciate you. You may benefit from reassessing your priorities so that you are directing your precious energy toward more reciprocal relationships.
The reversed Seven of Pentacles love meaning may also indicate that you’re trying to rush the process of developing a relationship naturally and slowly. You may feel impatient to get to an imagined destination and are skipping over important growth steps in the process. If so, this card invites you to adopt a slower approach, which allows your bond to form naturally over time.
Love/relationships reversed keywords | Career/finance reversed keywords |
|---|---|
frustrated with the pace of relationship, reassessing priorities, rushing the process, impatience | not seeing rewards, contingency plans, fear of failure, perfectionism |
Career and Finance (Reversed Meaning)
In the reverse, the Seven of Pentacles may indicate that you’re struggling with frustration after putting a lot of effort toward a goal that has not paid off or delivered a lack of rewards. You may benefit from strategizing a different approach, contingency plan, or new plan of action.
This card can also indicate that you’re feeling fearful that a project won’t pay off in the long term and are struggling with the manifestation of ideas, doubts, and uncertainties about your potential for success. This card asks if you are letting perfectionism become a time waster that gets in the way of taking practical action toward your goals, or if you are allowing other self-sabotaging behaviors, such as procrastination or laziness, to keep you feeling stuck.