Kings are associated with control, mastery, discipline and resolve.  Pentacles are associated with the material world, acquisitions of wealth and possessions, our connection to Earth and Nature, sensation, matters pertaining to the physical plane and the element of earth.  Pentacles can also be connected with practicality, groundedness and being realistic.  The King of Pentacles represents someone solid, reliable, mature and comfortable with his physical nature.  He may also be very materially comfortable.  This is a person who is comfortable with his authority and able to use it with common sense and practicality.  This card is someone who is at home with his material world and comfortable with the sensuous, physical side of human nature.  He is a master of all he surveys and understand how to work with his environment.  

"This shows an end to a physical, material, or financial patterns in your life.  There is no point in re-committing resources, physical energy, or money to this project.  It is important to recognize that your investment in this security pattern has run its course.  It is time to take some action to end the old pattern, and withdraw from your involvement in that direction." - Gail Fairfield

The reversed King of Pentacles is reminding me not to jump too far ahead of myself.  Yes, I may want to be the ruler of my own empire (yesterday's card) but in order to get there I have to be willing to do the work, not just externally but internally.  In addition to acquiring the skills, knowledge and experience that will help me achieve this goal, I need to work on my own attitudes towards being in command and material success.  I have often wondered if I suffer from a fear of success.  There are certain aspects of my life in which I feel gifted and blessed.  I seem to have an ability to retain information and as a result I do well in school.  I have a happy and healthy marriage and a loving group of family and friends around me.  I am lucky enough to be able to survive the current economic crisis because we manage to keep our living expenses low.  However there are still areas of my life in which I do not feel successful.  For example when it come to my career, I've often felt like a fraud.  There are times when I've believed that my advancement was due more to supervisors who liked me than because of any specific our outstanding skills or abilities on my part.

Of course perhaps it's all in the perception.  I also have a tendency to downplay my achievements and accomplishments.  On some level I believe that if I can do it, it can't be that hard.  I often respect people who have skills I don't possess - such as knitting, sewing, painting, and other creative arts.  I often claim that I don't feel very creative and that can be true.  Once upon a time I envisioned myself becoming a writer.  I still write sometimes but for some reason I don't consider myself a writer anymore.  And if I don't see myself as a writer, neither will anyone else.  If I don't see myself as a success, then no one else will either.

If I truly want to become the executive director of an agency, I will need to make sure I have the experience, skills and knowledge that will help me achieve this.  That is where the King of Pentacles comes into play.  He reminds me that I need to gather my resources, be patient and be willing to put in the work necessary to achieve success.  That is the easy part.  The more challenging part for me is to change my attitude.  I need to believe in myself and accept that I do possess the necessary skills and deserve whatever success I achieve.  That is definitely the hard part.