2 of Pentacles: Upright & Reversed Meanings for Love & More

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Discover what this tarot card holds for your love life, career, and health

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA Reviewed by Jason Zuk

Last Updated: December 20, 2023 Fact Checked

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• Love Life
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• Card Overview
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• Career
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• Finances
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• Health
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• Spirituality
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• Card Description

|Show more |Show less

The 2 of Pentacles card depicts a man juggling, and if you pull this card in a tarot reading, it’s likely to have something to do with how you balance your own responsibilities in life. Whether you’re interested in the meaning of this card for a love reading or in regards to your career, health, finances, or spiritual well-being, keep reading: we’ll explore the ins and outs of the 2 of Pentacles card below.

Things You Should Know

• In a love reading, the upright 2 of Pentacles symbolizes a balanced relationship in which both partners are willing to adapt to one another’s needs.
• Reversed, this card could indicate that you’re having trouble juggling all your responsibilities, and you may not have enough time to dedicate to a relationship.
• The 2 of Pentacles card depicts a man juggling 2 pentacles in the air while dancing. As long as he stays focused, he can keep up his balancing act forever.

Steps

Section 1 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Meaning for Love Life

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1. 
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   Upright The 2 of Pentacles signifies you’re in a fun, flexible, but committed relationship, or could be soon. You and your partner may not agree on everything and you may not share all the same priorities, but you’re balancing things well and adapting quickly to one another’s needs. Prioritize flexibility above all.

   • If you’re in a relationship: Your relationship is secure and committed, but it’s rarely boring. You both have a firm idea of what’s important to you—which makes it easier to compromise on the little things. Neither of you feels resentful or neglected, because the give-and-take is pretty even between you both. Keep up the good work—but don’t take your relationship for granted, or you may drop a ball.
   • If you’re single: It’s possible you’re single right now because you need to practice being a little more flexible. Being flexible can be scary, but it’s worth it for the right person. You may enter a satisfying and exciting relationship soon if you can practice compromising and learn to juggle your responsibilities.
2. 
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   Reversed In a love reading, the reversed 2 of Pentacles signifies you need to learn to balance your many priorities in order to have a successful, fulfilling relationship. Your life may feel imbalanced lately due to other obligations, like work, family, and finances. But learning to juggle everything—even if it means deprioritizing some things—is essential to having a long-term relationship.

   • If you’re in a relationship: Your partner may feel frustrated or neglected if they don’t believe you’re prioritizing them enough. While it may feel like you just don’t have the time to devote to maintaining your relationship, often, many of the things you’re clinging to can be abandoned. If they can’t, consider whether you have the energy or time to be in a relationship right now.
   • If you’re single: If you’re not in a relationship right now, it may be because you don’t have the time to dedicate to a partner. Relationships take a lot of work, so you may need to shuffle your priorities around if you want a serious romance. Otherwise, casual dating may be the way to go.
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Section 2 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Upright & Reversed Meaning

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1. 
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   Upright The Pentacles suit deals with resilience and responsibility, and the 2 of Pentacles—represented by a juggler—symbolizes your ability to balance your many priorities. If you’re juggling a lot of different responsibilities right now, you may pull this card as a reminder that flexibility is key to keeping all the balls in the air. Prioritize carefully, and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you need to.

   • Keywords: Balance, priorities, adaptability, juggling, stability, responsibility, reliability, flexibility
   • Element: Earth
   • Sun sign: Capricorn
   • Planet: Jupiter
   • Yes or no: In a yes-or-no reading, the 2 of Pentacles signifies “maybe” or “not yet.”
2. 
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   Reversed If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or exhausted lately, you may pull the reversed 2 of Pentacles as a warning to slow down. You don’t want to drop a ball, but you may need to drop one or two before you lose them all. Reconsider your priorities: what can you put off ’til tomorrow? What can you sacrifice? Where do you need to pay more attention?

   • Keywords: Instability, imbalance, chaos, disorganization, overwhelm, neglectfulness, unfocus, things falling through the cracks
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Section 3 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Meaning for Career

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1. 
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   Upright You may be taking on more work than usual lately. Perhaps it’s been forced on you by your boss, or you’ve volunteered to take on new projects to help you get a promotion. As long as you can keep everything balanced and don’t neglect your primary work, this could work out in your favor. This situation is likely only temporary, but if the work becomes too much, things may start to slip through the cracks, so don’t leap at the chance to do more: pause and reflect on what you can reasonably balance.

   • Tip: Make sure you get properly compensated for the extra work you’re doing. Flexibility is key to living a good, rewarding life, but that doesn’t mean putting up with abuse: if you don’t get the compensation you expect or if this extra work doesn’t lead to the promotion you want, know when it’s time to leave and find a new position elsewhere.
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   Reversed If you’re finding yourself exhausted at work, it’s a sign you’ve got too much going on. It’s bound to not just affect the quality of your work, but every other area of your life: too much work leads to being too tired to spend time with your family or significant other or to engage in your personal hobbies. Know where to draw the line.

   • Tip: Stand up for yourself by setting boundaries at work. Tell your boss you can’t accept additional assignments beyond what you were hired to do, or calmly but firmly explain that you won’t be answering work emails after your shift ends.
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Section 4 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Meaning for Finances

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1. 
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   Upright Money is a big part of life, unfortunately, but if you draw the upright 2 of Pentacles, it’s a sign you’re managing to juggle everything for the time being, or that things will fall into place in the near future. You’re paying your bills on time and may even be able to save some money for major purchases.

   • Tip: You may feel nervous about having enough funds to live and thrive, but try to relax: it’s the only way to keep all the balls in the air. If you can swing it, try to save a little money with each paycheck to treat yourself, even if you can only afford something small.
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   Reversed You may be drowning in debt right now, wondering if you’ll ever make it out. You’re certainly not alone here. When it feels like all your hard-earned money disappears immediately to pay for groceries, rent, gas, unexpected emergencies, etcetera, etcetera, it might be tempting to just ignore the problem and go into more debt. But try to address your issue head-on: budget as much as possible, and see if there are any financial “balls” you can drop to give you some breathing room.

   • Tip: It may be worth it to speak to a financial advisor, if possible. Now may also be the time to turn to family or friends for financial assistance or advice.
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Section 5 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Meaning for Health

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1. 
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   Upright As you work hard to juggle all your many responsibilities, don’t forget that your mental and physical health are responsibilities, too. Prioritize down time to relax and recuperate. It may not feel “productive,” but not resting enough may have serious consequences on your health and well-being.

   • Tip: Try to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, and minimize screen usage an hour before you go to bed. Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule and get up and go to bed at the same time every day. This won’t solve all health problems, but it will help you stay well-rested and energized during the day.
2. 
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   Reversed You may be prioritizing other areas of your life at the expense of your health. Too much stress and anxiety, as well as a lack of rest, won’t just have detrimental effects on your mental and physical health; it’ll make it hard to continue to balance everything else, too. Take control of your health before it takes control of you.

   • Tip: If you’re struggling with stress due to the many balls you’ve got in the air, consider carefully whether you can drop any of them. It may be worth it to speak to a therapist at this time to talk through your concerns—it may be hard to find time in your already-busy schedule to do this, but it’s likely to help in the long run.
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Section 6 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Spiritual Meaning

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1. 
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   Upright As you continue to balance the many daily responsibilities of life—family, career, love, finances, health—you might be becoming more aware of a need for spiritual enlightenment. Yes, this means adding one more ball to the air, but the sense of purpose you’re likely to find is worth it.

   • Tip: Take time to pray, meditate, or speak to a spiritual advisor about your spiritual path. Don’t just adopt the path others have laid out for you: try out new ideas and practices and see what suits you. Spirituality is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing.
2. 
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   Reversed With everything you’ve got going on, you may be struggling to find the time to dedicate to your spiritual growth. This is understandable, but remember that just because you can’t see the benefits of spiritual enlightenment doesn’t mean they’re not real—and they can make all the difference. You may even find that the more time you dedicate to your spiritual well-being, the more energy you’ll have for everything else.

   • Tip: Carve time out of your day to cultivate your spiritual side. It may feel like you don’t have the time, but work to make it happen: see what else you can cut from your day, even if temporarily. Even just 10 minutes of meditating a day can work wonders for your mental health and spiritual understanding.
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Section 7 of 7:

2 of Pentacles Description

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1. 
   This card depicts a man juggling 2 pentacles and dancing. His act is a joyful one, but his face betrays the deep concentration required to keep the performance going. As long as he stays focused and keeps the pentacles in balance, he could keep this act going forever.

   • The delicate balancing act is a reminder of how important harmony is in life, especially in relationships. Prioritization, compromise, concentration, and balance are key to having a healthy relationship.
   • Sometimes this card is depicted with a rocky sea in the background. Two ships ride the waves easily by going with the flow—another reminder that staying focused and compromising are keys to a successful, harmonious life.

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