Bohemian Gothic Tarot
KING OF PENTACLES
Lighter or more conventional meanings
A consummate business-person * Responsible "Head of the family" * Very sensible, and a little boring? * An accountant's view of life, looking at the facts and figures above all * Someone good with money and able to build up substantial savings and investments * Someone who feels it their duty to support and help their family and friends in practical ways.
Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings
A man who uses his authority to gain riches and possessions * Wealth based on corruption, usually hidden * Someone who is known (or remembered) only for their wealth, not for their personality.The Bohemian Gothic King of Pentacles shows a crowned skull resting on a huge tome of a book. The skull is festooned in rich decoration and ornamentation and it's clear that this is a King who has been venerated and respected. But there is something - literally - cold and bloodless here. Probably it's in part because the face is wrapped so that no features show, but this King is definitely splendid but also forbidding.
The King of Pentacles is, like all the tarot Kings, a symbol of the kind of person, often but not always a man, who is responsible, a leader and very much in command. He likes to be seen as the paternalistic figure that others turn to when they need practical advice. He's an excellent manager and business person and happy to share his knowledge and skills with others.
As a Pentacle, this card stands for material and practical matters, and also artisanship and crafts, so this King is extremely efficient, able and down-to-earth. He also tends to be comfortably off and to have well-sorted, secure domestic arrangements.
The image on this card adds another element to the interpretation as it suggests that the figure we see may now be remembered mainly as someone rich and of high status; by literally wiping out his face with bandages his personality is obliterated and instead we see the gold and jewels first and foremost. Of course, this is not the intended effect of dressing the skull in this way, but it does give an impression of someone whose character is less important than the memory of what he possessed. There could be a warning here, that by being the ultimate responsible provider the King of Pentacles may end up being regarded as a source of monetary and practical support first and foremost. The fact that he is a distinct person, with feelings, could be forgotten.
There might also be an implication, less clear but nevertheless possible, that there is corruption here. This King may himself put the acquisition of money above all else. He could be two-faced and dishonest in his financial dealings. If we allow ourselves an outrageous pun (and sometimes humour is a good tool by which to reach the inner meaning of a card), he may have "lost his head" in his all-out pursuit of wealth and possessions.
When reading this card, look at the ways in which this King has subsumed his own needs in order to take on practical responsibility for those who are close to him. But consider also how this person relates to money and material goods and whether he is honest or corrupt in his business transactions. He puts his inner circle and family first and will be sure to look after them, but ask yourself whether he is also fair with other people.
