RWS Tarot 101 Two of Pentacles

Two of Pentacles

When looking into the Two of Pentacles I see a man standing on one foot, juggling two pentacles. The sea in the background appears rough, the ships working their way through the swells. Ships carrying cargo/commerce, the commerce going up and down?? A man balancing pentacles?? He is living at the edge of chaos. At his time he has things under control, but for how long? This may mean neglecting one project to concentrate on another. Or is he balancing his work with his home life? The heavy seas could indicate emotional turmoil. Being a Two card perhaps change or a choice is at hand. What ever, the principal of balance must be maintained.

What is with that big Red hat? I was told once by a tarot teacher that if it pops out at you in a reading that you should be ready for a sexual encounter. The hat represents a condom. I have NEVER had a reading which I interpreted it like that…Have YOU?

Direct: being busy, juggling to make ends meet, balance of emotions/finance, handle multiple situations, a change/choice.

Reversed: Financially or emotionally overwhelmed, not a good time to make a change, spread to thin, more than you can handle, information overload, computer crash, out of balance.

Other treads on the Two of Pentacles:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=35473 Two of Swords/Pentalcles

Even though it seems pretty clear that things are about to take a tumble, this card is still kind of fun -- the bright colors, the silly hat, the ships in the background going up and down like a roller coaster. It has a carnival feel to it, especially the part where you start to get a bit dizzy.

On the one hand it seems to say you've taken on too much, things can't go on this way for ever. But on the other hand, if you're a very good juggler maybe you'll finish the act and it will be a great success, and the ships will reach port, and it will turn out well if you just hang in there.

I don't know about the hat theory, I'd just consider it part of the fun.

"What is with that big Red hat? I was told once by a tarot teacher that if it pops out at you in a reading that you should be ready for a sexual encounter. The hat represents a condom. I have NEVER had a reading which I interpreted it like that…Have YOU?"

No lol actually I have head some weird descriptions for some cards but never that.

Two of Pents

U: Trying to decide what to do- a decision that has to do with some physical or material aspect of the subject's life. Where to live - what job to take - what project to start- that sort of thing...

R: Having a hard time trying to decide what to do or how to do it.

I never heard the hat thing either...now I have to go look...

perhaps the red hat has something to do with the emperor

there is alot of red with the emperor card

i think the juggler looks like a fool in a kings kingdom

not "the Fool"

if he drops the balls then he might look like a "Fool"

just a thought

I guess a question here to ask is what does the colour red mean to you? what does a hat represent as well? and how does this fit in with the image of the card and your understanding of its meaning.

So asking myself those very questions I will first start with the hat. Well its a head covering and the head is where you house your thoughts and ideas and red is a high energy colour, one that shows action, will power, purpose, courage etc. This is the colour of the hat that covers his head and could show us here in this card Two Pentacles, where the man juggles these two, endlessly balancing out the opposite energies, that he is actively thinking about what needs to be done, or has the courage to maintain the balance etc.

So again I say, ask yourselves, what the hat means, what the colour represents to you and how it all could relate to what you see in the image of the card, then you'll get your answer.

Just some small thoughts on the hat and its colour.

~HoneyBea~

As big and ridiculous as the hat is, it just seems like one more lopsided thing that needs to be balanced - maybe something more personal like opinions, lies told, fronts... things built off the mind that would be more conspicuous were it not for the juggling act in the foreground distracting us.

I haven't had any teachers though - just a few books and personal musings.