Queen of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning

Queen of Pentacles upright

Waite describes a dark-faced queen whose expression shows greatness of soul and a serious intelligence; she gazes at her pentacle and may see worlds in it. He lists opulence, generosity, magnificence, security and liberty. Look after people and resources with calm good sense.

Queen of Pentacles reversed

Waite reversed gives evil, suspicion, suspense, fear and mistrust. Worry about security can make you closed — steady your finances and let trust return.

A reversed card (What does Upright / reversed card mean?) is one drawn upside-down.

Is Queen of Pentacles a yes or no?

Upright: Leans yes. Yes — handled practically and generously.

Reversed: Reversed, Queen of Pentacles reads as a gentle no: mistrust, worry, suspicion.

The yes/no lean is BornClock’s reading convention drawn from the card’s meaning — Waite himself did not assign one.

Symbolism in the Queen of Pentacles card

What appears in the 1909 Rider–Waite–Smith picture, as Waite describes it:

• Queen gazing at her pentacle — Waite: she may see worlds in it
• Serious, intelligent face — Waite: greatness of soul

In Waite’s own words (paraphrased)

Upright: opulence, generosity, magnificence, security, liberty.

Reversed: evil, suspicion, suspense, fear, mistrust.

Source: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). Some of Waite’s 1910 fortune-telling meanings are old-fashioned; the plain-English reading above is ours.