Five of Pentacles - Sticking it out. Card of the Here and Now

As I said the other day, I'll be doing this (probably not daily) as a way to supplement card meanings and further my own understanding. I've been using the card of the day feature of the Ellis decK app for my own personal "what should I study today?" prompt. And so, the card it's picked for us today is:

Five of Pentacles

What's Happening on this card?

Here is a man and woman of the earth realm (material). The pentacles which measure the material are not present, but only hinted at in the patterns of the stars. Both the man and woman are bandaged and downtrodden. Their robes are pulled tightly around them to suggest a chill in the air.  Locusts consume the few stocks of vegetation in their path and neither looks like they have the energy to fight them off. Still, they continue on. 

Attitude of the Card

These are some skinny times. It doesn't seem like there is a thing in the world going our way in the Five of Pentacles. Building up to the five (which is always a test in each of the suits) is a great accumulation. What this means in the pentacles is that we may have just experienced the loss of our livelihood, or that the demands of life are quickly chewing up the funds we have stacked up, or that everything we have is breaking and we don't have what we need to get it fixed. Maybe we are sick or injured and the strength we need to make our way through the world has been sapped. Maybe we are longing for the comfort of another with no space for intimacy in sight.  Looking at the material, this can seem like our own personal apocalypse. We are hunched over. The signs of whatever faith we may have bring little comfort.

Energy of the Card

Scarcity. This is always a symptom of a down-cycle. We were king of the road for a while but now we can't even find work digging a ditch. Movement, specifically the passage of time is about all we can expect to bring a change to the situation. While there may be nothing left of what we had, if we are alive, we must move forward.

The Judgement

The only thing to do is endure. It'll pass if you keep going. Physically speaking, the worst situations can feel a little better if we at least keep our chins up.