The Three of Pentacles represents understanding and context on the bodily level of human expression. Three of Pentacles upright: collaboration. Three of Pentacles reversed: confrontation.
On this level, context means external circumstances.
The Three of Pentacles represents the right, creative, and understanding side of the brain, which enables situational awareness.
To succeed with an action plan, we should have a working strategy (Two of Pentacles) and an organized approach (Three of Pentacles).
Organization implies collaborating with circumstances and people. This is where the secondary meaning of teamwork comes from.
Those who understand the value of organized work respect circumstances, boundaries, rules, and other people. That’s where the secondary meanings of nobility, dignity, and tactfulness come from.
The Three of Pentacles signifies situational awareness, respect for circumstances, and collaboration.
In the case of undertakings, the Three of Pentacles calls for patient and organic expansions that take circumstances into consideration. This is where the secondary meanings of gain as a result of growth, buildup, construction, increase of assets, the building up of favorable conditions, and the beginning of matters to be perfected later come from.
An inauspicious Three of Pentacles may indicate that impatience tempts the querent to bulldozer through her difficulties. Bulldozing is the opposite of collaboration.
An inauspicious Three of Pentacles may also signify that the querent is tempted to manipulate situations. Most Wall Street crises resulted from the manipulation of economic growth that backfired. This is where the secondary meaning of shrewdness comes from.
If the querent’s question pertains to adversity, an inauspicious Three of Pentacles may indicate that the querent tried to accomplish things on her own and failed. Or she lacks conflict management skills. Or she fails to understand the circumstances of her challenge. This is where the secondary meanings of narrowness and prejudice come from.
In extreme cases, an inauspicious Three of Pentacles may indicate war, which happens when organizations or societies are at each other’s throats. The opposite of warring is parleying, which is a function of collaboration.
Three of Pentacles Symbolism
The arrangement in the picture symbolizes the triangle relationship between the intention to act (Ace of Pentacles), a chosen strategy (Two of Pentacles), and the circumstances (Three of Pentacles) in which a plan (Ten of Swords) shall come to fruition.
Triangles are stable, like tripods. In architecture, triangular structures distribute weight. Think of the triangle as distributing the intent to act (the weight) to a strategy and the understanding of circumstances.
However, the design suggests an equilateral triangle, with all three angles measuring sixty degrees, giving equal importance to each pentacle.
The Five Psychological Core Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
We derive the psychological meanings of Tarot cards from their position on the Tree of Life. In the Enlightenment Tarot framework, the Three of Pentacles represents Binah of Malkuth, i.e., context and understanding on the bodily level of human expression.
Every Tarot card represents a faculty or power of consciousness. We can use faculties of consciousness constructively and destructively, which produces either a fortunate or an adverse state of mind. Hence, every Tarot card has five core meanings.
These are the five core meanings of the Three of Pentacles:
- Power of consciousness: Organization
- Constructive use: Collaboration
- Unconstructive use: Confrontation
- Auspicious state of mind: Solidarity
- Inauspicious state of mind: Dissension
Reflective Questions
If the Three of Pentacles appears in your spread, it may be beneficial to ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I keep track of my goals and tasks in an organized fashion?
- What helps me join forces with others and find win-win situations?
- Where do I resist support from others, and why?
- How do I handle tension when interests conflict?
- What prevents me from having an open dialogue during conflict?
- What values guide my actions within a team?
- How do I restore harmony when I drift toward dissension?
Three of Pentacles Summary
The Three of Pentacles calls you to evaluate circumstances, look for win-win situations, and collaborate with others to bring about your plans.
Where Do Tarot Card Meanings Actually Come From?
The meanings of Tarot cards come from various sources. The most common are:
- The position of the Tarot cards on the Tree of Life
- Astrological correspondences (signs, planets, & houses)
- The symbolism of Tarot cards
- Intuition
- Meanings that pertain to fortune-telling
Most of the Tarot card meanings you can google are astrological correspondences and go back to the Golden Dawn and Arthur Edward Waite. Astrological meanings have dominated because Astrology favors fortune-telling. But Astrological meanings are unsuitable for (psychological) Tarot readings.
If you are interested in an overview of the astrological correspondences, you can download a high-resolution chart by subscribing to the Enlightenment Tarot.
Tarot card meanings are a bit of a mess since the meanings that pertain to their position on the Tree of Life mingle with astrological correspondences, symbolic interpretations, and fortune-telling connotations. That’s tedious to memorize. Further, tarotists’ opinions, knowledge, and linguistic backgrounds shaped some of these interpretations. Last but not least, many meanings are fuzzy, contradictory, and overlapping. If you want to understand why they overlap, read the article How to Deal With the Overlapping Meanings of Tarot Cards.
The meanings of the Enlightenment Tarot are based on an objective and holistic framework: the Tree of Life and the four levels of human expression. The resulting meanings are transparent and logical and, hence, easier to memorize.
What Various Tarotists Say about the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Let’s explore what various tarotists wrote about the Three of Pentacles.
Tarotists emphasize the astrological significances of Tarot cards since these lend themselves to divination and fortune-telling.
The Three of Pentacles corresponds to the second decanate of Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, and sub-ruled by Taurus and Venus.
The main Capricorn characteristics are: ambitious, diplomatic, and conservative. The second decanate adds the following vibes to the mix: conventional, serious, and tactful. Thus, we get a fusion of the serious-practical vibes of Capricorn with the hardworking-artisan vibes of Taurus.
The two corresponding Tarot cards are the Adversity and Intuition cards, which combine receptivity to intuition with the ability to deal with adversity. Looking through the veil of adversity is the first step toward connecting to the higher self (intuition).
Mind the different hand gestures. The devil’s hand gesture suggests that sense impressions are all there is, while the gesture of the hierophant suggests that there are other realities we can get access to.
Capricorn rules the 10th house, the house of material affairs and business, aka the house of social status. This house governs worldly ambition and standing, businesses, career, professional goals, occupation, and business, as well as the results thereof, like success, achievements, awards, reputation, expertise, and worldly authority. It is also the house of adversity, which governs the problems, conflicts, and difficulties that come with the pursuit of material gain.
Taurus rules the second house of creativity, aka the house of fortune. Taureans are hard-working artisans. We don’t find fortune, we create it. Mind that fortune is a wildcard. For those who are after money, fortune means money. For scientists, fortune means knowledge. For spiritual people, fortune means enlightenment.
The Hierophant is the higher self, which reveals to us what true fortune is and how to find it. Mind, the higher self is the patron of Tarot readings.
What Paul Foster Case Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
For the Three of Pentacles, Paul Foster Case proposed the keyword constructiveness.
The Three of Pentacles harnesses the bull (Taurus) to plow the field (circumstances) in which the querent’s undertaking shall mature.
Of course, plowing a field is only the beginning. Hence, Paul wrote that the Three of Pentacles signifies the beginning of matters to be perfected later.
From this keyword, Paul elaborated the following secondary meanings: construction, material increase, growth, and the building up of favorable conditions.
If we combine constructiveness with the Capricornian business vibes, we get the following meanings: financial gain, gain in commercial transactions, rank or prestige in vocation or business.
Paul added that this card may also indicate the querent’s ability to build her life according to spiritual principles (with the help of intuition).
Suggested inauspicious meanings are selfishness (immature Capricorn), cleverness in business with lack of scruples (unbalanced Capricorn), narrowness and prejudice (Taurian stubbornness), and too much ambition (unbalanced Capricorn and Taurus).
What Arthur Edward Waite Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Arthur Edward Waite wrote that the Three of Pentacles is a card of nobility, aristocracy, renown, and glory.
Likely, this goes back to the ancient epithet of the third sphere on the Tree of Life, which is the sanctifying intelligence, which gives empasis to intuition, the connection to the higher self.
The design of Arthur’s card shows a solemn environment similar to the sanctuary in the Intuition card.
The three men are a monk (purpose, intuition), an architect (planner, contexter), and a craftsman (Taurus).
In worldly affairs, the Three of Pentacles shall represent metier (Taurus), trade (Capricorn), and skilled labour (Taurus).
An inauspicious Three of Pentacles may signify mediocrity in work and otherwise (lack of Taurian talents), childishness (Capricornian egoism), small-mindedness (Taurian stubbornness), and weakness.
For a male querent, this card may foretell celebrity for his eldest son. This goes back to the connection with the house of social status. Why the card shall pertain to a father’s eldest son is unclear.
What Etteilla Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Etteilla, a French occultist, wrote that the Three of Pentacles may signify fame or mediocrity.
Fame is an affair of the house of social status, and mediocrity results from a lack of Taurian talents.
What Papus Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Papus, another French occultist and the founder of the Martinist Order, wrote that this card may foretell a small sum of money.
This is a rather sweeping assessment of the card’s connection with the house of business (Capricorn).
What Gregor Mather Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Gregor Mather, the founder of the Golden Dawn, believed that the Three of Pentacles signifies nobility, elevation, and dignity. This concurs with Arthur’s basic assessment of the Three of Pentacles.
It shall also signify rank and power (the house of social status).
Further, it may foretell children, sons, daughters, and youths. The astrological connections don’t suggest this interpretation.
Last but not least, the Three of Pentacles shall represent commencement. Commencement fits better with the Ace of Pentacles. However, it may signify the commencement of the concrete work in an undertaking, which begins by considering circumstances and collaborating with others.
What Mme. Le Marchand Said About the Meanings of the Three of Pentacles
Mme. Le Marchand, a celebrated 19th-century Parisian fortune teller, suggested that a Three of Pentacles foretells that a husband will seek the querent when she has learned to sing, cook, and be a good nurse.
If the querent is a man, the Three of Pentacles predicts his wife will love him and be faithful, as long as he is around.
An inauspicious Three of Pentacles may signify discord with the wedded partner, but finally reconciliation and lasting peace.
These interpretations pertain to marriage matters, which are a form of collaboration.
The Psychological Framework of the Enlightenment Tarot
Every Tarot card represents a faculty of consciousness. We can use faculties of consciousness constructively and destructively. This produces favorable and adverse experiences.
We can express faculties of consciousness on four levels:
- The spiritual level (wands/fire/intention)
- The creative-feely level (cups/water/imagination)
- The intellectual level (swords/air/intelligence)
- The bodily level (pentacles/earth/bodily action)
The four tools on the magician’s table symbolize these four levels:
- The wand (spiritual)
- The cup (creative-feely)
- The sword (intellectual)
- The pentagram (bodily)
These tools correspond to the four so-called elements: fire, water, air, and earth.
For this reason, the Enlightenment Tarot wands are made of fire, the cups consist of water, and the pentacles are composed of earth. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to illustrate something made of air, since air is invisible. For that reason, all swords are made of crystal to show at least transparency.
The Enlightenment Tarot derives its meaning from the Tree of Life and the four levels of human expression. This is an objective holistic framework that reveals the psychological imports of Tarot cards and their faculties of consciousness. Read more about this framework in the article The Psychological Framework of the Enlightenment Tarot.
The Enlightenment Tarot project attempts to rediscover the original meanings of the Tarot cards that pertain to their position on the Tree of Life. These meanings are simple, clear, and easy to memorize.
*This framework is compatible with Paul Foster Case’s qabalistic system.
Do you want to learn more About The Enlightenment Tarot?
If you want to delve deep into the psychological meanings of Tarot cards, read the book Tarot of Life.
If you are curious about how the Enlightenment Tarot came about, read this article.
If you are interested in learning how to perform psychological Tarot readings, subscribe to receive a free copy of a guide on how to perform psychological Tarot readings.
If you are looking for a psychological Tarot deck, you have come to the right place. The Enlightenment Tarot derives the cards’ meanings from a holistic and transparent framework that is easy to learn and memorize. All major and minor arcana carry psychological titles, and the court cards display psychological profiles. Have a look at the Enlightenment Tarot deck here.
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This exceptional Tarot deck is based on an objective and holistic psychological framework: the Tree of Life. All minor and major cards feature psychological titles. For example, the Magician has the title ‘Attention’, and the Six of Cups has the title ‘Decision’. The court cards exhibit psychological profiles. For instance, the Queen of Wands stands for a willful woman: generous or stubborn, resolute or revengeful, intense or tyrannical, magnetic or dangerous.