The Five of Pentacles is the card of hardship, loss, isolation, abandonment, struggle, and alienation. The card shows two people walking through icy wind and snow. Both of them are dressed in rags, and they are clearly struggling. Behind them is a church where they can seek shelter, if only they would go inside. 

The Five of Pentacles reminds us that struggle and loss is part of the process. It is part of life, and often, it’s part of our romantic relationships as well. From our struggles, we learn how to become better partners and how to choose better partners for ourselves. This is a reminder that even when things look negative, we can still take away with us the positive: the lessons we’ve learned.   

Upright Five of Pentacles as Career Advice

If you are asking for career advice, and you draw the Five of Pentacles, it suggests that you are clearly struggling. You are unhappy with where you’re at and this card hints that some kind of loss is going to take place. There are hardships coming your way, but know that your shelter is right around you, you just need to look in the right places. 

If you are asking for financial advice, the Five of Pentacles means that you’ll find yourself struggling to keep up with the losses for a while, so it’s better not to make any major financial decisions right now as they may backfire. Though, through this struggle, you’ll be learning a lot of new things about yourself, which is the silver lining to this situation. Just remember that all bad things come to an end. 

For those starting a new job, the Five of Pentacles means you’re feeling lonely and filled with pessimism. You really don’t want to be doing this right now because, at every turn, you feel like you’re constantly doing something wrong. This new job may be off to a rocky start, but just believe in yourself and know that you are capable, otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten this job in the first place.

For those wondering about their current job, the Five of Pentacles means that you’re getting consumed by your depression and distaste for your current job. You don’t want to be doing this — but you have to. You are isolating yourself emotionally, and it’s causing a rift between you and the coworkers that you’ve spent a long time with. That could be a major reason as to why you’re feeling so miserable at the workplace. 

If you are asking about whether or not you should switch industries, the Five of Pentacles means you should probably consider this as it’s obvious that you’re only filled with negativity when you think about coming to work. While you are trying your best to keep going, it’s important to acknowledge when enough is enough. Try your hand at a new industry as you may come across something that can spark joy in you again. 

For those interested in starting a business, the Five of Pentacles means your tendency to view yourself in a negative light is a bad trait to possess as you’ll be expecting yourself to fail before you even start. When starting a business, you need to be able to keep yourself afloat when things get hard, as it always does when starting something as stressful as this. 

Reversed Five of Pentacles as Career Advice

If you are asking for career advice, and you draw the Five of Pentacles reversed, it suggests that your period of struggling is coming to an end. You were trying really hard to fight through all those hardships, but now you’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Your career was going through a rough patch, but now things are finally gonna start looking up. 

If you are asking for financial advice, the Five of Pentacles reversed means that you’ll finally be able to loosen your collar now. Don’t worry too much about what’s going to come next because good things are definitely on their way. You won’t have to struggle anymore. 

For those starting a new job, the Five of Pentacles reversed means you went through a lot of grief and pain in the past, but now you’re beginning a new chapter — one where happiness and prosperity reign. Embrace this change because you deserve it. The universe is always going to look out for you and this is its way of telling you that you’ve done a good job so far.  

For those wondering about their current job, the Five of Pentacles reversed means that your drive has been renewed! You were feeling down in the dumps for quite a while as your job felt more like a chore than something that you were proud to be doing. Things are going to be different this time as your career will begin heading toward success.

If you are asking about whether or not you should switch industries, the Five of Pentacles reversed means that you’re filled with excitement about your current industry once again. Stay there as this card implies that this is what the universe wants you to do. The future is going to bring many exciting things your way. Keep doing your best while also trying to keep things fresh.

For those interested in starting a business, the Five of Pentacles reversed means that there is potential here. If you head into this venture with starry eyes and a strong sense of drive, then there’s no way for it to fail. Just ensure that your mindset stays positive so that you can keep giving this new business of yours the care and attention it deserves.

Conclusion

For careers, the Five of Pentacles represents hardship and loss. Though it is often a difficult pill for us to swallow, we often learn the most important lessons through our struggles and grief. Know that this is not permanent, and it is just part of the journey. Better times are ahead. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your career matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on career and finances, as a neutral and objective third party.