Western Tarot symbolism
King of Pentacles
The prose calls attention to recurring bull heads on the throne and to the pentagram engraved on the suit's sign. It associates the latter with four elements in human nature and a governing principle, while noting the suit's older money association. The main list gives business, mathematical gifts and success, but says the suit is not especially confined to money questions. The supplementary list identifies merchant, master or professor and adds period complexion and moral labels.
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In the sources
The card account
LiteraryThe prose calls attention to recurring bull heads on the throne and to the pentagram engraved on the suit's sign. It associates the latter with four elements in human nature and a governing principle, while noting the suit's older money association.
Comparing the lists
LiteraryThe main list gives business, mathematical gifts and success, but says the suit is not especially confined to money questions. The supplementary list identifies merchant, master or professor and adds period complexion and moral labels.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. This entry follows that supplied edition’s card prose and supplementary lists. Historical divinatory assignments and period character labels are distinguished from the pictured symbolism and from independently supported judgements about people or future events.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
bull's head should be noted as a recurrent symbol on the throne. The sign of this suit is represented throughout as engraved with the pentigram, typifyingOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; card description, active reader leaf 134
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0134
- Original scan leaf
- 140
- Recorded leaf number
- 140
- Current Reader position
- 134
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
Pentacles. King.—A rather dark man, a merchant, master, professor. Reversed: An old and vicious man. Queen.—Dark woman; presents from a rich relative; rich and happy marriageOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; additional meanings, active reader leaf 152
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0152
- Original scan leaf
- 158
- Recorded leaf number
- 158
- Current Reader position
- 152
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ace of Pentacles
A cloud-borne pentacle raises a distinction between material prosperity and its benefit.
Shared source pageAce of Swords
A crowned sword represents force whose outcome is not uniformly favourable.
Shared source pageEight of Pentacles
Stone work supplies an image of craft that can be preparatory rather than complete.
Shared source pageFive of Pentacles
Two figures passing a lit window receive explicitly incompatible interpretations.