The man on the card is obviously wealthy and influential. He is sitting on a throne and the city is behind him. With the four-pronged crown on his head, a symbol of the material universe, we can clearly assume he is the ruler of this domain. But then we see that there are pentacles above his head, in his arms and beneath his feet. This man is not just ruling over this domain; he is obsessed with owning it. He is a miser, totally burdened by his possessions.
On the card
A man sits on a stone seat, wearing a crown and a rich robe. He clutches one pentacle tightly against his chest with both arms, a second pentacle sits on top of his crown, and two more lie under his feet, held down firmly. Every coin is held, pressed or guarded; none is free.
Behind him, in the distance, a city rises with its buildings and towers. He has turned his back on it and sits alone, separated from the life of the town, focused entirely on what he owns.
His posture is stiff and closed. His arms wrap around the coin as if he fears that someone will take it, and his feet do not move, because moving them would mean letting go of the coins beneath. He looks straight ahead, guarded and watchful.
The image speaks of security, saving and control over resources, but also of the danger of holding on too tightly. The coin over the heart suggests that possessions have taken the place of feeling. The card asks us to consider whether what we hold protects us or imprisons us.
Upright
Increasing wealth, material power, gaining influence.
Reversed
Miserliness, delays, attachment.