Upright Keywords:
Generosity, Selflessness, Charity, Sharing the wealth, Giving, Receiving, Value, Support, Community, Good fortune, Reward, Mutual Aid
Reversed Keywords:
Selfishness, Abuse of power Subservience, Greed, Debt, Extortion, Power dynamics, Inequality
Upright Meaning
When the Six of Pentacles shows up in a reading, you are being given an opportunity to be generous. It is a reminder to practice selflessness but also to show yourself some care so that you may be generous. Sometimes the restoration of balance needed will not be from you to another person or vice versa, but from certain aspects of your life to another. Have you been pouring all of your energy into one area of your life, to the detriment of the other areas?
The Six of Pentacles shows you that you are ready to begin working on these other areas of your life and that you have the energy and emotional bandwidth to do so. Indeed, it reminds you that you are worthy of this balance and generosity.
There may also be situations where you are the one needing to rely on the generosity of others. This echoes the Five of Pentacles but is different in that you are now able to ask for help and see that it will be readily given.
Reversed Meaning
Just as the Six of Pentacles upright represents generosity, give-and-take, and support, the reversed meaning speaks to the more negative aspects of generosity. Uneven power dynamics, extortion, and selfishness are all present within this card in a reversed position.
Resources are being given, but there are expectations in return. Sometimes, false generosity is used to manipulate a person or situation. If you get this card in a reversed position, be wary of ulterior motives behind the generosity of others – in turn, examine whether your own generosity has an ulterior motive – are you giving just to receive?
The reversed Six of Pentacles also speaks to empty generosity or charity, or somebody who just throws money at a problem without working to address the systemic inequality present that has caused the need for charity.