Old English Tarot: 5 of Coins

In today's blog entry, Helen Howell continues her exploration of cards from the Old English Tarot by Maggie Kneen (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Old English Tarot

5 of Coins

by Helen Howell

The 5 of Coins is such a sad card to receive as it’s a card that very often speaks of difficulties in the material world. Some readers see Coins as meaning money and indeed they do, but they represent far more than money. They talk of the tangible things in life, and the 5 forebodes a sense of anxiety.

The Old English differs from its more traditional brother in one specific way, and that is a lack of sense of hope. In the Rider Waite card we see two people fallen on hard times, passing a church window. Within that image of the window is the symbol of hope, if only the two figures were brave enough to go inside and ask for help. The church window image can  also signify for us a purpose. It could represent something which may give our life meaning, something perhaps the two figures have lost.

The Old English, however, just shows us that sense of loss in its image of dead trees and browned grass. We look at this and can see that all has died. The grass has dried up and the earth has not sustained those trees which now stand leafless on the barren ground.

From this we cannot mistake the message of hardship and loss of something in our material world, whether that be financial or otherwise. The element of hope that exists in the Rider Waite is nowhere to be seen in this image. It clearly shows us that this is a time of uncertainty. 

Does the 5 of Coins just foretell hardship or is it a card that serves to warn one to check that all is well in their world? Perhaps it is and in heeding its warning one may be able to prevent or at least lessen the loss.

This is a number 5 card and I think the Old English demonstrates very well the numerological aspects associated with 5s in a tarot deck and that is, conflict, challenge but also opportunity to change. What 5s very often show us is that it is how we respond to life’s changes that determines the result.

The LWB says:

Material trouble, destitution, loss, error.

Reversed: Reversal of bad trend, new interests.