Queen of Pentacles
When a court card shows up in a reading, we need to determine if it represents another person, or an aspect of ourselves. It can indicate how we are acting or feeling in a given situation, or suggest a personality to emulate. Sometimes it's a quality we project onto others, and occasionally, they represent situations. However, I typically find that it represents either someone else involved the situation, or some aspect of the querent.
Queens typically represent the "mature feminine" of the court cards. Like Kings, they have reached a higher level of mastery, they are no longer learning as much as they are teaching. They have advice to give, and are generally more introspective, meaning they don't project their qualities in an outward manner, as much as they do internally. They are the mothers, leaders, bosses, and rulers. They have been given power and authority because they have earned it and know how to use it. Their long gowns connote wisdom, respect, authority and tenure. Also to note, the qualities of each queen can just as easily be seen in a male querent, they are not gender specific.
The Queen of Pentacles sits on a throne adorned by earth symbols, a pear tree, symbolizing the fruit of the earth, and goats, the symbol for the earth sign of Capricorn. She is dressed in rich earthy colors, her gown a russet red and her robe a rich earthy green. She wears a golden crown that matches the large gleaming singular gold pentacle she holds in her lap, which she looks at lovingly. She holds it with the care of a baby. The landscape around her is rich in color and symbolism as well; signs of fertility and abundance are everywhere, from the flowering trees, the green grass with flowers, the water in the background and the rabbit in the foreground, the ultimate symbol for fertility and abundance.
The Queen of Pentacles is Earth of Water (all queens are water), and she sits out in nature, with no signs of buildings or towns anywhere in sight. She is directly connected to the Empress, the signs of abundance and fertility are everywhere in this card. Water and Earth are both yin in nature, and agreeable elements, so this is a very easy-going card. This woman is not necessarily too passive, but more like laid-back. She takes things in stride, she is neither aggressive, nor a pushover. She is both practical, and down-to-earth.
I find the Queen of Pentacles to be the ultimate caretaker card. The Queen of Cups and her association to the sign of Cancer and suit of emotions makes her an excellent nurturer in an emotional protective sense, however I find the Queen of Pentacles to be a little more comprehensive. This queen isn't just a good caretaker emotionally but she is well-rounded. The Queen of Pentacles covers all things work and domestic. She is striving for that perfect balance.
She is a wonderful homemaker; she loves all things earthy, and as such, is a fantastic cook (food as sustenance and of the earth) and probably loves to garden. She makes sure the children are clean, well fed and taken care of. She keeps a neat and tidy home, one that encourages good study habits for the children, with solid routines in place. Her home is inviting. She also works hard, she likely holds down a job and provides financially as well. It is important to her to be able to provide materially and physically for her family, and striving to keep a work/home balance is important to this queen.
Stability is important to this queen, and if she represents you, then it is to you as well. It is important to you that you are able to make enough money to live independently, or to be able to provide for your family without having to depend on outside support. It can also imply that you are able to provide in other ways either for yourself or your family as well, again you are able to keep a nice home, cook delicious and healthy meals and make sure all is taken care of. As a pentacles member, this queen favored to working with her hands and practicality, which means she probably can fix that leaky faucet as well!
This may be a sign to get out in nature more. This card indicates a person who loves to garden. Gardening is an earth activity, and in the realm of providing, you are cultivating and harvesting the fruit of the earth, and possibly even using the rewards as sustenance to provide for your family. Additionally, all of the steps necessary to grow, maintain and harvest from a garden can be seen in the Suit of Pentacles, from the seed planting in the Ace, through all of the careful planning, cultivating, pruning, and harvesting of the rewards in the nine and ten. It's a perfect metaphor, both literally, and figuratively, for the Suit of Pentacles, and the queen is the garden's caretaker.
As a Pentacle member, if this is you, you probably pay keen attention to your health as well. You know the benefits of "clean eating", and for you, part of gardening isn't just getting out in nature and working with the earth, it's also about growing your own healthy and probably organic food! You are also likely to keep a fitness or general wellness routine of some sort as well.
This is a woman who really loves to be out in nature and prefers country living to city life. She's physically and financially secure, but she doesn't require great riches, she derives pleasure from her natural settings and by knowing that all is taken care of and secure. As long as everyone is provided for adequately, she is happy if she can head outside in nature and just enjoy the beauty of her physical surroundings. She is generally a wonderful caretaker of both plants and animals, both indoors and out, as well.
She is associated with the Earth signs, naturally. Her association to Taurus, ruled by the Empress is undeniable, stability in finances is important to her, as are values, a Taurus quality. Taurus is also associated with abundance, which this queen is associated with in many ways. She identifies with Virgo, not in its association with chastity, but it's indication of independence, she prides herself on being able to provide for others, not be taken care of. Virgos are also very detail oriented and organized, as any good Pentacle queen certainly is! Additionally, Virgos are also quite health conscious, as this queen is. As a Capricorn she is a hard worker and a provider, often times a businesswoman as well, hence the symbols of the goat on her throne.
Return to Pentacles Overview
<Knight of Pentacles
King of Pentacles>
Queen of Pentacles Reversed
When the Queen of Pentacles is reversed, she will likely be displaying the less desirable and more negative qualities of her suit. In the Suit of Pentacles, it is likely that she is likely unable to access or embody the earthy and physical or financial situations indicated in the upright.
As you can likely imagine, the Queen of Pentacles reversed is not a caretaker in anyway. Her home is likely messy, and she definitely doesn't cook or garden. It's an "every man (woman or child!) for themselves" situation. She is not providing physically or financially as well, she may be out of work, or if she does work, she does not bring in enough to cover the expenses at this time, and she really isn't interested in trying to do more either. She is not financially stable, and may depend on others or outside organizations for financial support.
She is probably rather slovenly or unkempt herself, dressing more like a hobo, and diet and wellness are not likely to be part of her routine, nor is physical exercise. If this is you, this card could be urging you to wake up, and make some radical changes to your personal routine, as these habits can lead you down a path of poor health, and in turn, may indicate health problems due to not taking care of yourself.
The reversed Queen of Pentacles indicates that you could also be suffering from a lack of self-worth. This could be tied to your financial standing or other issues. When we better ourselves, we FEEL better about ourselves. The first step is to take better care of yourself. Just getting yourself in good, clean healthy physical condition can do wonders for your self-esteem. Do you need to make changes to your home environment? Do visitors feel welcome in your home or are you embarrassed to even have anyone in. If the latter, what can you do to change this? In matters of finances, just do the best you can with what you have. If you are working hard but not making ends meet, maybe it's time to think outside of the box, or update your skills with a class or two. It's also important to do work you find satisfying.
It's possible that you are unhappy because you would like to have more of the qualities of the Queen of Pentacles, but they are missing from your life right now. You could be unhappy because you are forced to live in a small apartment in town right now, with no room for a garden or you are not allowed to have pets. You could be longing to be able to get out in nature more and resent not having access to it. It's possible that your lifestyle has become such a rat race and you have become ungrounded. Maybe a nice weekend getaway to the countryside can help you replenish your soul. Consider a window box garden to at least have a few things, and the ability to cultivate and grow something, and hey, you could always at least get a goldfish!
Another way this card manifests itself is by throwing off the balance between home and work responsibilities. You are either working way too much at the expense of your family (even if you need the money right now), or similarly, you are not doing enough to provide, as noted above. It also could indicate that you simply don't have the time, money or resources to balance it all and make it all work. There is only one of you and you may need to ask for help, particularly if self-care, which is usually the first thing to go, is suffering. It's hard to give your best to others when you aren't taking care of yourself. It is not selfish to make self-care a priority, it is essential in your ability to continue to provide for the ones you care for.
The negative qualities of the Earth suit are emphasized when this queen is reversed. There is stubborn, slovenly laziness seen in the Taurus aspect, as well as a lack of nurturing. The Virgo is NOT taking care of themselves from a health standpoint, and everything is a mess, there is no organization for sure, and in the sign of Capricorn, you are failing to provide on many levels, particularly financially.
