Last updated: January 28, 2026
The combination of King of Swords and Six of Pentacles is one of the most powerful transformative pairings in tarot, signaling that significant change is not just possible but inevitable.
Mental authority, intellectual leadership, and the ability to make fair decisions through logical analysis. The King of Swords represents the mastery of the intellectual realm, combining mental authority with fair judgment and ethical leadership. As a person, this card indicates someone who can make difficult decisions with logic and fairness, communicates with authority and clarity, and provides intellectual leadership that others respect and trust. The keywords most associated with this card—mental authority, intellectual leadership, justice, communication mastery—give us insight into its core energy.
A time of balanced giving and receiving, generosity, and sharing abundance with others. The Six of Pentacles represents the beautiful balance of giving and receiving that creates harmony and abundance in communities. You are either in a position to be generous with others or you are receiving help and support when you need it most. This card carries the themes of generosity, charity, sharing wealth, balanced exchange, which interact meaningfully with King of Swords's energy.
Here we see intellectual, communicative air energy from King of Swords meeting practical, grounded earth energy from Six of Pentacles. This opposition creates creative friction—uncomfortable perhaps, but ultimately productive when you learn to honor both energies.
When you encounter King of Swords and Six of Pentacles together, consider what area of your life requires the integration of mental authority with generosity. The cards don't appear together randomly—their pairing is meaningful and specific to your question or situation.
This combination often surfaces during times when you're being asked to hold multiple truths simultaneously, finding wisdom in the space where both cards' messages overlap and inform each other.
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In love readings, King of Swords with Six of Pentacles signals that your love life is undergoing or about to undergo significant transformation—endings that create space for new beginnings.
When these two cards appear together in a love reading, they bring a nuanced message about your romantic life.
King of Swords in Love: Rational love decisions, fair relationship judgment, or partnerships based on mutual respect. This card can indicate someone who approaches love with maturity and wisdom, makes relationship decisions based on logic as well as emotion, or serves as a wise counselor in matters of the heart
Six of Pentacles in Love: Balanced giving and receiving in relationships, mutual support and generosity. You and your partner support each other generously - emotionally, practically, and perhaps financially - without keeping score or creating imbalances
Together, King of Swords and Six of Pentacles signals that your love life is undergoing or about to undergo significant transformation—endings that create space for new beginnings. This combination speaks to the heart of your romantic situation, asking you to consider how these two energies manifest in your love life.
Release what no longer serves your heart. Transformation in love, while sometimes painful, leads to more authentic connections.
Whether you're single and seeking, newly dating, or in a long-term partnership, this card combination offers relevant insight. For singles, consider how these themes might relate to what you're attracting or need to develop before finding love. For those in relationships, reflect on how these energies play out between you and your partner.
The intersection of mental authority's energy with generosity's influence creates a specific romantic signature that's meaningful for your situation.
For career and finances, King of Swords with Six of Pentacles signals career transitions, job changes, or major shifts in your professional identity.
In professional matters, this card combination carries specific guidance for your work life and financial decisions.
King of Swords at Work: Professional leadership authority, career decision mastery, or work roles requiring judgment. This card suggests success in law, management, consulting, education, or any field requiring the ability to analyze complex situations and make authoritative decisions
Six of Pentacles at Work: Professional success through mentoring, collaboration, or generous sharing of knowledge. You may be in a position to mentor others, share your expertise, or help colleagues advance in their careers
The combination of King of Swords and Six of Pentacles signals career transitions, job changes, or major shifts in your professional identity. These cards together paint a picture of your current professional landscape and the opportunities or challenges ahead.
Embrace change rather than resisting it. Your career is evolving toward something more aligned.
Consider how the themes of mental authority and generosity apply to your specific work situation. Are there projects that need this combination's energy? Relationships with colleagues that reflect these dynamics? Career decisions that these cards illuminate?
While this combination primarily speaks to career, it also influences financial matters. The transformative energy suggests potential financial changes on the horizon.
Spiritually, King of Swords and Six of Pentacles together marks a pivotal moment in your spiritual journey—an initiation or awakening.
On a soul level, this combination speaks to your spiritual path and inner development.
King of Swords's Spiritual Wisdom: Intellectual spiritual authority, religious leadership, or logical faith approaches. This card suggests the ability to teach spiritual concepts clearly, make wise spiritual decisions, or serve as an authoritative guide in matters of faith and spiritual development
Six of Pentacles's Spiritual Wisdom: Spiritual growth through service to others and balanced spiritual exchange. You may be called to share your spiritual knowledge, contribute to your faith community, or serve others as part of your spiritual practice
King of Swords meeting Six of Pentacles marks a pivotal moment in your spiritual journey—an initiation or awakening. This is not a random pairing—the universe is highlighting specific spiritual themes for your attention.
Given this combination's energy, consider incorporating letting go rituals, transformation meditation, and embracing the unknown into your spiritual routine.
The intersection of King of Swords's wisdom with Six of Pentacles's teachings creates a unique spiritual lesson. Meditate on both cards together, allowing their combined imagery and symbolism to speak to your soul. What message emerges when you hold both energies simultaneously?
This combination appears when you're ready to integrate mental authority with generosity of your spiritual understanding. The growth available now requires honoring both cards' teachings.
When either card appears reversed, the combination's meaning shifts toward internal work and blocked energies.
King of Swords Reversed: Authoritarian behavior, harsh judgment, or misuse of intellectual power.
Six of Pentacles Reversed: Imbalanced giving and receiving, strings attached to generosity, or misuse of power.
Both Cards Reversed: When both King of Swords and Six of Pentacles appear reversed together, this signals a period of significant internal processing. External action may be premature—focus instead on inner work and self-reflection.
The reversed combination asks: What needs to be unblocked or healed before these cards' upright potential can manifest?
The imagery of King of Swords and Six of Pentacles creates a rich visual dialogue.
A powerful king sits on his throne, holding a sword upright in a gesture of authority and justice. His stern but fair expression and commanding presence suggest someone who has achieved mastery over the intellectual realm and can make difficult decisions with wisdom, logic, and fairness.
A wealthy merchant weighs coins on scales while giving money to two beggars kneeling before him. Six pentacles hang above the scene, representing the balanced circulation of abundance. The scales symbolize fair exchange and the importance of balanced giving and receiving.
Though these cards use different symbolic vocabularies, together they create a visual story greater than either tells alone. Consider how the imagery of one card might respond to or continue the narrative of the other.
King of Swords (14) and Six of Pentacles (6) combine to 20, reducing to 20—the number of significant transition.
King of Swords - Number 14: The number of authority, command, and active expression of the element. Intellectual authority, fair judgment, ethical mastery of the mental realm
Six of Pentacles - Number 6: The number of harmony, balance, giving/receiving, and responsibility. Generosity in circulation - the flow of abundance between those who have and those who need
The combined numerological vibration of 20 brings the energy of significant transition. This underlying numerical influence colors how these two cards interact, adding a layer of completing and transcendent energy to their combination.
King of Swords
The Just Judge, The Master of Logic, The Ethical Authority
Six of Pentacles
The Generous Giver, The Fair Distributor, The Balanced Exchange
When The Just Judge, The Master of Logic, The Ethical Authority meets The Generous Giver, The Fair Distributor, The Balanced Exchange, these archetypal energies catalyze profound change when they meet, each transforming the other. Consider which archetypal patterns are active in your current situation and how their interaction might be playing out in your life.
These Minor Arcana cards show how the swords and pentacles journeys intersect.
King of Swords's Place in the Swords Journey: The King of Swords represents the mature, active mastery of air energy - intellectual authority wielded with fairness and ethical clarity. He sits on the throne of judgment, sword upright, ready to cut through confusion and render clear verdicts. This is the highest expression of mental power: wisdom that serves truth and justice.
Six of Pentacles's Place in the Pentacles Journey: The Six of Pentacles restores balance after the hardship of the Five. A wealthy figure dispenses coins to those in need, scales in hand to ensure fairness. This is the lesson of generosity - that abundance flows best when shared, and that sometimes we give, sometimes we receive, and wisdom lies in knowing the difference.
The meeting of swords and pentacles brings together thought and communication with material concerns.
Use these questions for journaling or meditation with this combination:
Combined Affirmation
“I exercise intellectual authority with wisdom while also embracing the wisdom to give.”
Understanding the astrological and elemental energies behind each card reveals deeper layers of meaning in this combination.
Mental authority, intellectual leadership, and the ability to make fair decisions through logical analysis.
A time of balanced giving and receiving, generosity, and sharing abundance with others.
About King of Swords and Six of Pentacles
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