7 of Pentacles

Keywords & phrases

• Success by investment of time & energy
• Patience & faith
• Care & attention
• Sustained effort
• Exhaustion
• Fear of failure
• Failure due to lack of effort

First impressions

Not a particularly dynamic or inspiring card to look at. Apart from the profusion of Pentacles the energy of this card is a bit, well, meh.

What is happening in the card?

In the 7 of Pentacles we see a man working in the field, or rather a man who has stopped working in the field. 

He leans on his hoe, his chin maybe resting on his hands, and surveys the 6 starred coins that hang on the vine beside him. His expression is one of dejection, or lack of interest? Another Pentacle lies at this feet.

Is he just taking a break or has he given up? Is he bored or daydreaming?

How can we relate to this card?

This would seem to be one of the more contradictory cards in the Tarot deck if we go by the standard definitions.

Some say failure due to lack of effort. Others suggest success through persistence, patience and faith. Perhaps these are two sides of the same coin.

Either way, it does no good to rest on your laurels. We must be grateful for what we have achieved and then keep moving forwards towards success and rewards in the future.

Message & affirmations

Today, I invest my energy entirely in the people and the tasks at hand. I show up with gratitude, focus, persistence, patience and with faith in myself and my will to succeed.

My personal experiences of this card

If ever there were a card to tell you to pull your finger out, or to stick to your guns, this would be it, right?

In the Thoth tradition, The Urban Tarot title for 7 of Pentacles is Failure. Robin Scott’s slightly disturbing version of the 7 of Pentacles gives off a dark, oppressive energy. The lights have gone out across a city in the grip of a blackout.

This is a potentially terrifying and dangerous scenario. You could lose your way, fall down or disappear altogether in the dark. Who knows who or what’s out there. Perhaps it would be better, safer not to venture out at all. Rather than risk all that you’ve worked for and invested in.

On the other hand you could screw up your courage in the face of fear, adversity and failure, and channel your ambition and persevere. 

It is here that I see what the 7s can teach us – they can promote the positive energy of Netzach, 7th Sephira on the Tree of Life – endurance, perseverance, resilience, commitment and victory.

In the first card combination below The Star represents hope in the darkness. She inspires us to act with gratitude and to persevere and follow our dreams, regardless of our fear of failure.

I’ve also chosen to feature the 7 of Pentacles or Disks from the iconic 1943 Thoth tarot deck, by Aleister Crowley and artist Frieda Harris, and from the beautiful, modern Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne.

The first I’ve included because it sits so well next to the same card from The Urban Tarot. You can also see how the arrangement of the ‘Disks’ is mirrored in these two cards. The Thoth version of the 7 of Pentacles gives off that same feeling of darkness and inertia. Yet, I also get a sense of earthiness and hibernation. These Disks could be seeds in the ground (or eggs in a nest) offering the potential for growth given time, the right care and conditions.

I get a similar sense from the Light Seer’s 7 of Pentacles where we see a young man directing his energy into a single plant. We also see the vital roots of this plant pushing deep into the ground. Here is someone who is patiently nurturing a ‘project’ into which he has already invested a good deal of his resources – time, energy, money maybe.

Here is someone who has faith in the outcome of his effort. And for me this offers a really positive and hopeful spin on the 7 of Pentacles.

Events, situations & readings

In a work/career/business spread:
The 7 of Pentacles asks that you continue to put in the effort at work or in your business if you want to see results. Have patience and faith in the successful outcome of your efforts.

In a relationship spread:
Are you investing enough in your relationships or are you letting them wither on the vine? Perhaps you need to look at how committed you are to the ‘success’ and growth of a relationship.

In a personal/spiritual development spread:
Personal growth takes time and sustained effort. How committed are you to your own wellbeing and development?

People & interaction with other cards

If The Star with the 7 of Pentacles (as seen above) urges you to nurture your dreams, The Sun would surely provide the positivity and energy needed for them to grow.

In a spread with other 7s or The Chariot, the advice would be to get your head down and keep going, but be sure to do so with integrity and compassion for others.

Questions, prompts & insights

In what area of your life could be giving more effort? Your work, your relationships? Who or what needs nurturing and grounding?

Is the fear of failure holding you back from reaching for your dreams? Or is it fear of commitment.

Featured decks:
Main image from The Rider Waite Tarot. Also featured, images from The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott, Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot and The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne

The other featured image of 7 of Pentacles is part of an ongoing creative Tarot project by Still Small Voice Tarot combining digital collage and AI generative art.