According to The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, The Six of Pentacles is described as the following:
A person in the guise of a merchant weighs money in a pair of scales and distributes it to the needy and distressed. It is a testimony to his own success in life, as well as to his goodness of heart.
Divinatory Meanings: Presents, gifts, gratification another account says attention, vigilance now is the accepted time, present prosperity, etc.
Reversed: Desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, illusion.
The central figure on the Six of Pentacles card is dressed as a merchant, but he doesn’t act how we expect him to. We imagine a merchant as someone who takes our money away; here, the merchant is giving to those in need.
It’s easy to simplify this concept: it’s sharing.
How to share is one of the earliest lessons we learn as children. From letting a sibling have a turn with a toy to taking a break from hogging the swing set, we listened—or protested—as the adults in our lives tried to instill in us ideas of fairness. We learned that when we shared and came to appreciate another child’s joy, we were happy we did.
Sharing Our Time
But those early childhood days were simpler than today. We understood sharing then because we had little to give. How does an adult with complex responsibilities and relationships share?
Do they take the kids only on weekends? Do they buy a timeshare house and spend half the year in Mexico?
Perhaps they have money to spare, so they donate. That is what the merchant on the Six of Pentacles is doing, but do not be distracted by the depiction of coins on the card. Remember that it is representative—there are myriad ways we are sharing and being generous in our daily lives without any finances involved.
Consider your life today. Between how many people, jobs, and activities do you share your energies between?
Imagine Your Life as a Timeshare
Let’s think for a moment about a simple sharing example: the timeshare.
If you were to buy a timeshare property, you would get a certain amount of time per year where the property was your very own. The rest of the year, others would live there, experience the same house, and get to know the neighbourhood as you did.
You all benefit. A timeshare is a cheaper way to be able to have a vacation home, but it also means that a single property impacts more lives. More families have the ability to make memories there. People with a wider range of incomes can explore other parts of the world for longer periods of time.
Now, imagine the twenty-four hours in your days as if they were a timeshare. Who gets what, and when? When do you carve out time for yourself? Before the busyness of life takes over today, spend a few moments considering what you are sharing in your life.
Pretend you are the wealthy merchant on the Six of Pentacles card, and his coins are the different parts of your day. Is there a type of sharing in your day that makes you feel happy that the other person has gained something from you? Is there a type of sharing that causes you stress and leaves you feeling like you don’t quite have enough left over?
Then, as you go about your day, reflect on how you feel as sharing happens. Good, because those you shared with appreciated what you gave them? Bad, because you were left with too little to take care of yourself with?
At the end of your day, take a few moments to consider what you have learned. Decide if there are any boundaries you need to draw to make your life a healthy kind of timeshare. A timeshare is great, but this changes when someone treats the property poorly and leaves lasting damage.
Finding Balance
Remember that the Six of Pentacles merchant gives to others, but not to the point that he is suffering himself. Balance is key.
Stay meditative as you share your time, your emotions, and your efforts today.
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