Fives in the Minor Arcana are all difficult. Each one shows us dealing with hardship or conflict in some way. In 5 of Pentacles, we see a real energetic depletion and disconnection. Now, because the suit of Pentacles has associations with the body, resources, and work, this card can show that we’re in a struggle with our health or money, with our job or our housing. But often this card is more subtle, and simply asks that we bring our attention to any way we might be contributing to our own sense of scarcity. For example, are you always exhausted at the same time every afternoon, and yet there’s some part of you that refuses to alter your sleep schedule to help mitigate that? Do you continually watch shows about fancy real estate despite the fact that they always leave you feeling dissatisfied with your own space? Do you keep yourself on a totally arbitrary diet because the only way you know how to relate to your body is through deprivation? Does social media make you feel like everyone has it so much better than you and yet you keep scrolling? These are the types of questions it’s important to ask yourself when 5 of Pentacles comes up and is *not* reflecting your “actual” circumstances of the moment. But if it *is* indicating an “IRL” crisis or hardship, then I think the medicine here is to allow yourself to acknowledge the shittiness of it. Not in a pity-party way, but just an honest and hard look at the difficulty you’re in. That way, when circumstances shift for the better, you have inoculated yourself, in some sense, against ingratitude

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