We have started looking at all of the Twos within the Minor Arcana of a tarot deck, and the first post was the 2 of Cups, which you can read here.
The roles of the Twos within the Minor Arcana (all four of them) speak to duality, give-and-take, and the power of choice. The Aces initiate us into a new journey or chapter, and that journey is the one we walk from the Ace to Ten (in the simplest of terms).
So, after the initiation has occurred, or the seed has been planted, the Twos within the tarot ask, “What is your next step?” These cards spark the process of choosing, doing, or beginning in a way that creates balance, alignment, or reciprocity. The Twos teach that giving and receiving go hand in hand, so how can you make the best of it for yourself, for others, and for the journey ahead?
From Numerology.com, it says this about Two:
At its very core the 2 in Numerology represents partnerships — the coming together or balancing of two individual people, concepts, or things. While it holds great power over any situation, it wields it with such diplomacy and tact that the result is not control and authority, but harmony and teamwork. It is a mediator, able to see two sides of a situation in an unbiased way and guide others down the middle road. Click here to read the full article.
Creating Balance in Opposition with the 2 of Pentacles
So, we have themes of duality, balance, and reciprocity with the Two, and then we have those themes rooted in the element of earth, which rules over our actions, the spaces we take up, and how we manifest, create, or do in this world. Therefore, this card speaks to creating duality, reciprocity, and give-and-take through our actions and in our physical world.
We will look at the symbolism at the end of the blog, but for now, I want to discuss the main ways that I read this card. The first way that I read the 2 of Pentacles tarot card is that it speaks to rooting into both self and self to create a harmonious balance in action towards opposition, differences, changes, or diversity. After we have been initiated into our new physical chapter or situation in life through the Ace of Pentacles, we are met with that same question of “what do we do next?” We are moving into bigger spaces one step at a time, and by rooting ourselves into both self and space, we create a sense of grounding.
We start to do here. We start to apply, create, shape, or manifest through our physical actions, creating a cause and response. This, in many cases, can create a sense of joy and play. At other times, it can be a small challenge that requires us to lean in, learn, and continue doing the work, which we will see when we get to the 3 of Pentacles tarot card. For now, this card opens us into the teachings of our actions and applications; we must start doing to grow and evolve. Through this blend of oppositions (known and unknown), we strengthen our awareness of our unique fingerprint in this world.
Main invitations with the 2 of Pentacles
1. Rooting into self and space, and creating harmonious balance through opposition, differences, or diversity
2. Doing the work of the first steps requires give and take- wants and needs, dreams and reality, etc.
3. Change is the hinge- new things start the process of releasing what can’t come with us
The next way that I read the 2 of Pentacles tarot card is that it speaks to: doing the work of our first steps requires that give-and-take. Here, part of the oppositions that need our actions could be our wants and needs, and finding a way to create balance between both. It could be the dreams we hold and how that stacks up against, or with, the reality we are currently in. This card asks us to consider all these factors, and more. Past and present, light and dark, life and death, ourselves and the world. There are so many binaries, and how we hold those binaries in our unique ways is what brings the magick to this card.
We will meet so many of these moments, and this is why I mentioned that this card can evoke deep joys within the self, or create contradictions that are challenging. Here, within this tarot card, is our first lesson. When we set out to do anything, we have to consider the surrounding forces that are present. We will not always get it right. Like learning how to ride a bike, it will take time and continuous practice. But this is where the magick also resides with this card. There is no other way. Evolution, creation, alignment, growth, and manifestation take time, practice, determination, and resilience to keep doing the work. We start to learn how to continue forward on the binary of both joy and challenge here, with this card.
The last way that I read the 2 of Pentacles tarot card is that it speaks to: Change is the hinge- new things start the process of releasing what can’t come with us. Small changes lead to hindsight, which we get when we get to the 10 of Pentacles. Small actions lead to a chapter in a life. Each day becomes a moment in time, and through all of time, change becomes the harmonious fingerprint.
The work we do here will naturally start to create alignment, balance, and harmony. Through our choices (though we won’t always get it right), we start to attempt to go where we are supposed to go. Through the work we do, or the actions we take, we lessen the grip on other things in our lives, and this card invites us to be brave and start to let go of things from the past that shouldn’t come with us into the future we are manifesting. Through the holding of opposites, we find our inner truth, and we should use our actions to align with that inner truth. If we don’t, we won’t be able to take the lessons here, or from any of the Pentacles cards.
Symbolism and Imagery of the 2 of Pentacles
Now, we will look at 10 different depictions of the 2 of Pentacles from my deck collection. I have included the names of the decks so that you may see if one of these decks is one for you to purchase. Let’s start with my favorite depiction of this card, but does not hold to the standard depictions that you will come to see.
- Herbcrafter’s Tarot: This depiction uses the herb Witch Hazel, and there is a deep reason why. Witch Hazel blooms in late winter, providing a first pop of color to the whiteness of winter. Here, we already see a binary, two, in fact. There is the binary between winter and spring, which is therefore the binary between death and rebirth. We also see a binary of color. Witch Hazel shows us that in the liminal places found between opposites is where you find prosperity. This herb choice highlights that both grounding and levity can help us encourage play and joy in the face of hardships or unknowns.
- The Wild Unknown: The butterfly highlights the symmetry and possibility that I have discussed, but also highlights how the transformations you have already survived can be a guide to let go and embrace the change here and now.
- Shadowscapes Tarot: The juggler highlights a need for levity and play. We can only control what we can, so embrace the situation with a lightheartedness that can help us find the flow. A butterfly again, and now we also have a monkey and fairies that highlight mischief, play, and elemental workings. The chameleon forms the yin-yang, which symbolizes the need for balance and adaptability.
- Mystical Dream Tarot: This card has the balancing act of opposing elements. The moon is cyclical and watery, and the fire that emerges from the tree is linear and active. I find that this shows that even opposites have similarities. Both water and fire move in a similar, wave-like way. The living tree and the girl suspended show the teachings of the 2 of Pentacles that on it’s own movement. Our actions become changed.
- Rider-Waite Tarot: We have another juggler, but in this card, I want to focus on the background. The waves with the ships symbolize the ebb and flow of life and emotions. The juggler in the middle highlights that in these moments, presence is what grounds us and what helps us find balance as the waves move.
- Hush Tarot: The sparrows symbolize simplicity and resilience. The bones highlight past failures, while the grenade symbolizes a need to be watchful or to embrace a destructive chaos. The choice is yours.
- Fantasical Creatures Tarot: The fey represent the power of working with the elements, or what is here and present in your life. The ability to use what you have and what is within you is where the magick of the pentacles and life is found. The ball represents the pure energy that comes in when we embrace this work fully.
- Bird King Tarot: The hares represent creativity and fertility, but also elusiveness. Creativity and growth are what we strive for when we work to create alignment in life, but if we try so hard to fit on the narrow path, we will miss some of the greatest teachings of life. Here, creativity should be met with an organic wildness to let life in, as well.
- Dark Wood Tarot: The anthropomorphized tree highlights choices and opportunities. Take the opportunity when it is ripe, but make sure it is the right opportunity for you.
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Ashlie McDiarmid
Hello there! I hope you liked this blog post. As a tarot and oracle reader, my goal with my blogs is to offer you content, resources, and access to the tools that have transformed my life.
I believe that your own intuition is the deepest form of knowing, but here in my little corner of the internet, I share insights based in intuition and instinct. I share my love for nature, witchcraft, and the wild spirit.
- If your spirit is at home in wild places
- If you feel the need to claim your autonomy as ritual
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