The Three of Pentacles is the third tarot card in the Minor Arcana suit of Pentacles, and it represents a collaborative process of coming together with others who are skilled in their field to give form to a creative vision. It signifies focused and dedicated work that is undertaken with others in order to accomplish a greater goal.
The Three of Pentacles is associated with both the element of earth and the second decan of astrological zodiac sign Capricorn (10-19 degrees), and it is ruled by Mars. Mars in Capricorn speaks to the hunger to build tangible artifacts of value. Because Capricorn is motivated by achievement and the attainment of worldly status, this card depicts a necessary process of focused work that leads to greater accomplishment down the line.
Where the key meanings of the Major Arcana focus on life’s overarching themes and events, Minor Arcana cards like the Three of Pentacles explore and reveal the more subtle changes impacting one’s day-to-day life and near future. The Three of Pentacles relates to numerology number 3 and also bears similarities with its sibling cards the Three of Cups, Three of Wands, and Three of Swords, in that all four deal with creative expressions of energy and growth.
Three of Pentacles Keywords
Upright Keywords | Reversed Keywords |
|---|---|
teamwork, collaboration, creativity, synergy | lack of teamwork, outside support needed, frustration with repeated challenges |
Description of the Three of Pentacles Tarot Card
In the preceding card, the Two of Pentacles, we saw the emergence of multiple priorities and responsibilities and the need to balance one’s time and attention in order to maximize one’s energy. The Three of Pentacles introduces the theme of collaboration, where we learn that enlisting the support and expertise of others can help us go farther than if we were to travel alone.
In the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck, three figures discuss the progress of a church that they’re working to construct. A young apprentice craftsman, or stonemason, stands on the bench, explaining an aspect of his craft to the other two—an architect who wears a medieval garment signifying his academic knowledge and expertise and a monk in a gray robe.
The architect holds the plans for the church up for the stonemason to inspect, indicating they’re working together to achieve a greater shared goal. The arches indicate that this is a place of spiritual significance and represent the importance of the larger goal they are working towards.
Three pentacles adorn the frieze above the arches, symbolizing the material, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of this undertaking. A rose cross appears below the pentacles, with the cross symbolizing the four elements and the rose symbolizing the eternal nature of the soul. For these reasons, some tarot readers view the Three of Pentacles as a positive card or good omen.
Three of Pentacles Upright Meaning
The upright Three of Pentacles represents a process of collaboration and teamwork that’s undertaken in order to accomplish a greater goal. You could be enlisting the support or expertise of others in order to bring your vision to life, and the synergy that happens when you counterbalance your skills with those of others produces the possibility for novel solutions and ideas to arise. This card signifies the process of developing your ideas and beginning to take steps to bring them into tangible form. By sharing your ideas and processes with others, you can get valuable feedback which helps you to refine your concept. This phase of learning and bouncing ideas off of others is a valuable part of the process.
The Three of Pentacles upright suggests that you’re channeling your creativity and inspiration into projects and collaborations which require dedication, focus, and a serious work ethic. You are realizing the importance of balancing the material, intellectual and spiritual aspects of your work and are finding ways to integrate your inspiration and ideas into material form.
Love and Relationships (Upright Meaning)
In a love & relationships tarot reading, the Three of Pentacles can signify that you’re working with your partner in a spirit of collaboration and that you share common goals that you are both willing to make sacrifices for and work hard to achieve. This card indicates that you’re working together to build something greater than the sum of its parts and that you each bring valuable skills and knowledge to the table.
The upright Three of Pentacles can also speak to a process of self-development in which you are more focused on your own education or growth than on romantic relationships. This may be an important phase in which you have the opportunity to develop your own skills, expertise, and creative vision. Focusing on this aspect of your life can bring rich rewards down the line and prepare you well for bringing your visions to life.
Love/relationships upright keywords | Career/finance upright keywords |
|---|---|
shared greater goals in partnership, sacrifice and hard work, teamwork, self-development | collaboration, skill development, learning and building a craft |
Career and Finance (Upright Meaning)
In a tarot spread, the upright Three of Pentacles represents a collaboration within your work that contributes to your own development and helps you to further your dreams. It is an encouragement to work together with others in order to accomplish your goals and represents finding the right people to help you actualize your visions into material form.
Like the three figures who are building the church, you are in the process of learning and building your craft or area of expertise. This is an important part of your development, and taking the time to refine and hone your skill set will help you lay the foundation for greater growth down the line.
Three of Pentacles Reversed Meaning
In the reverse position, the Three of Pentacles suggests that there’s a misalignment or a sense of disharmony in your collaborations. Perhaps there are miscommunications, or your end goals are not in alignment. This card may signal the need to have clear and direct conversations with those you work with in order to make sure you’re working in harmony for a common goal or else find new collaborators.
The reversed Three of Pentacles can also indicate that you’re feeling frustrated with repeated challenges and setbacks as you try to work toward attaining a new skill or work toward a larger goal. If you find yourself coming up against the same roadblocks, it may be a signal to pause and reassess your plan of action. You may need to go back to the drawing board in order to map out a new way forward.
You can break free of these challenges when you find the lessons that can be learned from them. Perhaps you’ve been overly focused on accomplishing the end goal and are missing important steps along the way, or you need to seek out the advice of a mentor or expert who can help to guide you forward.
Love and Relationships (Reversed Meaning)
In the reverse position of a love tarot reading, the Three of Pentacles suggests that there’s a lack of teamwork within your relationship or collaboration. It signifies a need to clarify your desires, needs, and expectations to ensure that both parties are in agreement. You may be realizing that your end goals are not in alignment and must now reassess if this partnership is beneficial for the long term.
The reversed Three of Pentacles may also signify that you are facing repeated challenges and arguments within a relationship. You may need to work to find the lesson that’s waiting to be learned within these repeating cycles so that you can break free from them. In order for this relationship to progress, there must be a mutual commitment to learning from previous conflicts, personal growth, and compromise.
Love/relationships reversed keywords | Career/finance reversed keywords |
|---|---|
lack of teamwork, end goals not in alignment, repeated challenges, mutual compromise | needing outside support, stuck or unmotivated, impatience, grit |
Career and Finance (Reversed Meaning)
The reversed Three of Pentacles can indicate that the work you’re engaged in may benefit from the input, expertise, and guidance of others. If you feel like you need to do it all by yourself right now or are feeling stuck and unmotivated despite your best efforts, you may benefit from enlisting outside support or seeking out a mentor or team member who can help to guide you forward or overcome poor work.
The Three of Pentacles reversed can also symbolize frustration with repeated challenges that you face in your work and a feeling of impatience with the process. Like the cathedral in this card, the project you are working toward will take time, dedication, and a resolute work ethic. This card encourages you to try and cultivate patience, grit, and the willingness to work through setbacks.