Two of Pentacles
Two of Coins (Deniers, Tarot de Marseille) · Lord of Harmonious Change (Golden Dawn) · Change (Thoth)
The Two of Pentacles shows a young man dancing as he juggles two coins joined by an endless loop: a card of balance kept in motion, adaptability and the art of managing several things at once.
Upright balance · juggling priorities · adaptability · flexibility · time management · playfulness
Reversed overload · dropped balls · disorganisation · financial strain · imbalance · over-commitment
- Astrology
- Jupiter in Capricorn (first decan)
- Element
- Earth
- Number
- 2
- Golden Dawn title
- Lord of Harmonious Change
- Yes or no
- Maybe
Upright
In the upright position the Two of Pentacles describes life as a juggling act performed with some skill. Several demands compete for time and money, and the person keeps them in play with good humour and flexibility. The Waite–Smith tradition gives it a cheerful note of recreation as well as the sense of changing circumstances, like the ships riding the waves behind the dancer.
In love it may describe balancing a relationship with work or family, or a light-hearted, changeable phase. It can also show two people adjusting to each other's rhythms.
At work and in money matters it is the card of budgeting, multitasking, shifting priorities and handling two jobs or projects at once. Cash flow moves in and out; nothing is wrong, but attention is required.
The advice is to keep your footing and your sense of humour: prioritise, stay flexible, and do not take on a third ball if two already need all your skill.
Reversed
Reversed, the Two of Pentacles is commonly read as the juggling act faltering. Too many commitments, poor organisation or a sudden expense throw things off balance, and something gets dropped. Some readers see the strain of pretending everything is under control; others see a need to simplify.
Many readers do not use reversals and read the card upright throughout. Where reversals are used, this one usually advises cutting back, saying no to new demands and putting finances or schedules in order before the next wave arrives.
The image
Smith's young man wears a tall, tapering hat and seems to dance as he holds a pentacle in each hand. The two coins are joined by a green band looped into a figure eight lying on its side, the lemniscate. Behind him the sea rolls in great waves, and two ships ride the swell, one rising and one falling. The scene is lively, with a hint of the street performer about the dancer.
History
In the Tarot de Marseille the Two of Coins shows two large disks linked by an S-shaped ribbon, which cardmakers often used to carry their name, their town or the date. Smith's endless band seems to transform that ribbon into a lemniscate. Like the other numbered cards, her scene was new in 1909: before then most decks used unillustrated pips, although a few early decks such as the Sola Busca had illustrated every card. Waite's Pictorial Key (1910) gives gaiety and recreation, news and messages in writing, and also obstacles, agitation and embroilment; reversed, enforced gaiety and simulated enjoyment, as well as handwriting, letters and bills of exchange.
Symbolism
The lemniscate is the same sign of infinity that floats above the head of The Magician and of the woman in Strength; here it suggests continuous movement and exchange. The ships on the waves repeat the theme of rising and falling fortunes, and the dance implies that balance is a skill exercised in motion rather than a fixed state.
The Golden Dawn assigned the card to the first decan of Capricorn, ruled by Jupiter, with the title "Lord of Harmonious Change". The twos belong to Chokmah, the second sefirah, the first movement out of unity. Crowley's Thoth card, "Change", shows a snake coiled in a figure eight around two yin–yang disks, stressing the alternation of opposites.
In a reading
Readers often take the card practically: a busy schedule, two financial obligations or two jobs. Next to the Eight of Wands it emphasises a fast pace; beside the Four of Pentacles it can suggest tension between spending and saving; with the Wheel of Fortune it points to fluctuating fortunes. In an advice position it encourages flexibility, while in a position of challenge it warns against over-commitment. The minor arcana article explains how the twos represent the first expression of each suit.
Sources and further reading
- The Pictorial Key to the Tarot — A. E. Waite, 1910
- The Book of Thoth — Aleister Crowley, 1944
- The Golden Dawn — Israel Regardie, 1937
- The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City — Michael Dummett, 1980
- Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom — Rachel Pollack, 1980