Knight, Suit of PentaclesKnight of Pentacles tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedKnight of Pentacles in shortIn short
The Knight of Pentacles is the slow, steady knight. In full armour on a heavy black horse that stands still above a ploughed field, he holds his pentacle out in one hand. Patience, routine, and work done properly, day by day.
- Steadiness
- Routine
- Hard work
Piece oneThe ploughed field
Below him a field lies ploughed in long red-brown furrows. Waite's text leaves it out, and it fits anyway: worked ground, a harvest that needs time. The hooves stay planted in the grass.
Why it is hereThe field is his job. It's been ploughed, and he stands over it to see it through. The black horse doesn't move because the work doesn't need speed. The pentacle in his hand is what the field will become, if he stays.
Piece twoThe heavy horse
His horse is black, heavy and standing dead still. Waite describes a slow, enduring, heavy horse with a rider to match. A sprig of green leaves sits between its ears, and another on the knight's helmet.
"He rides a slow, enduring, heavy horse, to which his own aspect corresponds."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe horse carries the card's meaning. Every other knight rides out; this one's horse stands still with all four hooves down. The rider's armour and his flat look ahead match it. The sprigs of green on horse and helmet tie them both to the growing field below.
Piece threeArmour and spur
His armoured leg sits firm in the stirrup, a small gold spur at the heel. Waite's meanings: utility, serviceableness, interest, responsibility, rectitude, all on the normal, external plane. He's dressed for long, plain work.
"Utility, serviceableness, interest, responsibility, rectitude..."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe armour says how long the job will take. It's heavy, plain and built to last, and the small gold spur stays still at his heel. He wears it to hold ground. The horse and the field ask for the same: stay put, keep going.
Piece fourThe pentacle
He holds the pentacle out on a red glove and looks straight ahead, past it. Waite says he shows his symbol and does not look into it. His mind is on the job.
"He exhibits his symbol, but does not look therein."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereHe holds the coin out and looks past it, straight ahead. The pentacle is what he works for, and he doesn't need to stare at it. His eyes go to the job ahead. The horse stands with him, steady.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
-
The ploughed field
Rust-red earth and olive grass: land that gets used and looked after. The Page of Pentacles stands over the same kind of field, browner and freshly furrowed, studying his coin. The Knight has stopped studying. He stands on the field and waits for it to grow.
Also in -
The heavy horse
Black horse, red straps, dark and solid as turned earth. The Knight of Cups and the Knight of Swords ride white horses, one stepping, one charging. The Knight of Wands rears up on an orange horse. This black one stands still.
-
Armour and spur
Grey steel over brown cloth, colours chosen to last. The Knight of Swords wears the same steel as he charges forward, sword high. Death rides in black armour on a white horse. This knight's armour sits over a field and waits for it to grow.
Also in -
The pentacle
Silver armour, a red glove on gold, the same red running through his sash and harness. The Page of Pentacles holds the coin up and studies it. The Queen of Pentacles holds hers in her lap and looks down into it. The Knight only shows it.
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
Knight of PentaclesUpright
The patient worker. Waite's meanings: utility, serviceableness, interest, responsibility, rectitude, all on the normal and external plane. Routine, reliable effort, promises kept, the job finished.
Slowest of the four knights, and the most dependable. Keep a steady pace, do the dull tasks, and let consistency win.
Knight of PentaclesReversed
Waite's words: inertia, idleness, repose of that kind, stagnation; also placidity, discouragement, carelessness. Steady turns into stuck.
A routine has become a rut, or work sits half done because nobody cares. Get moving again, even slowly.
Yes or noYes.
Yes, slowly. Steady effort gets you there.
Knight of Pentacles in your lifeIn your life
Love
Loyal, steady, serious. Love shown by turning up every day, with little drama.
Work
Progress through routine. Good for long projects, careful planning, commitments kept.
Money
Slow, safe growth. Budget, save, skip the risks.
Health
Routines help: regular sleep, food, exercise. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
Discipline. The daily habit outweighs the big insight.
Advice
Keep a steady pace. Finish what you start, and do it properly.
As a person
Hard-working, patient, dependable. Cautious, at times stubborn.
Past, present, future
Past: slow, careful work. Present: routine and steady progress. Future: a result you can rely on.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Suit
- Pentacles
- Element
- Earth
- Golden Dawn
- Fire of Earth
- Court
- Knight
- Upright
- Utility
- Reversed
- Inertia
QuestionsCommon questions
Yes. Slow and reliable, and it gets there.
A loyal, patient partner, or a relationship that grows slowly and lasts. Expect devotion more than drama.
Yes, in time.
Waite describes a slow, enduring, heavy horse with a rider to match. Ours stands dead still, a picture of patience and steady effort.
Reliable, hard-working, patient, practical. Waite's older meanings call him a useful man, and reversed, a brave man out of employment.
Waite puts the knight on a slow, enduring, heavy horse that matches its rider. He shows his pentacle without looking into it, and his meanings stay plain and practical.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Element, decan and sephira: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
All 14 Pentacles