| Arcana | Minor |
| Suit | Pentacles |
| Element | Earth |
| Attribution | Mercury in Taurus |
5 of Pentacles
Five of Pentacles
In shortA hard stretch, made worse by not asking for help.
Upright
hardshipexclusionmaterial lackfeeling left out in the coldisolation
This is real difficulty — money, health, work — combined with feeling shut out while other people are warm and fine. Its sharpest point is that help is usually much closer than it feels, and pride or embarrassment is what keeps the door unopened.
Reversed
recoveryhelp acceptedcoming insidethe end of a hard stretch
You come in from the cold. Help is asked for and given, the hard stretch ends, health or finances start to recover. It is one of the deck's more reliable turns for the better, and it usually starts with admitting you need something.
In the pictureTwo figures pass through snow beneath a lit stained-glass window — one on crutches, one barefoot. The window is bright, ornate, and directly above them. Neither looks up. The church is right there.
The turn
Ask for the help. The door you are walking past is not locked.