Are you trying to keep control? Have you been accused of being just a little too possessive? Have you been hoarding things that might not be worth what you think? Did you recently acquire something through deceptive means? Are you trying to take control of a situation even at the expense of ruining your reputation? Look for the Four of Pentacles to appear in your Tarot reading. This is a card that illustrates how you may be blocking the very energy that would relieve your stress about never having enough of what you want, be it money, possessions or power.
A man with a crown is seated. His feet rest on two golden pentacles set on solid flat ground. He holds one cradled in his arms. On his crown stands a fourth pentacle. The sky behind him is a monochrome gray and the vista of an entire city is behind him.
The man is hardly royalty. His seat has no backing or décor, giving no indication that it is a throne. His clothing is far from regal. His crown is functional, not elegant. His hands are unable to do anything as they are locked in an embrace with that central pentacle. His feet may be smothering the energy that the two pentacles on the floor could deliver. Does he even know the pentacle on his crown is there? It is probably weighing heavy on him. Pentacles represent materialism and the pursuit of wealth and possessions. Whereas possessing some pentacles should mean that this is a wealthy man, his treatment of what he has reveals fear and suspicion, deceit and a lack of trust in the world around him; he is alone with his money. The gray dullness of this card only underscores the plain appearance that many Tarot decks render as bordering on ugliness.
Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions
The meaning of each card can change subtly or drastically depending on where it lands in your Tarot reading. Your reading is divided into different sections: past, present and future. Many cards are stronger or weaker in some positions.
If the Four of Pentacles is in the past position in your reading, this indicates that you had issues with wanting too much control in the past. The foundation of your current situation rests on the past position, so understand that where you are now is a result of your greed, pettiness and an overall lack of vision. If your Tarot reader feels that this card represents a deeper past, perhaps your childhood, you can look back at a world where fear of losing everything forced you and those around you to hold onto everything. A bigger world with endless bountiful possibilities there for the taking was overlooked.
In the present position, this card serves as a mirror of how you may be seen by other people. It is not a flattering portrait that you are sending into the neighborhood. What you see as a righteous cause may be interpreted as needless and petty hostility. You might think friends and colleagues have your back, but your selfish vision is dissuading people from standing behind you. You may be more alone than you think. Your refusal to share and your need for control are convincing once-loyal people in your life to create distance. Your incomprehension that pleasant possibilities to be fruitful and multiply exist may be harming your family.
The future position is actually a great place to see this card in a Tarot reading. You can be warned that your current interests may lead you to a place of limitation rather than of being open and receptive to new experiences. This card is not rigid or certain; therefore, knowing it is coming can allow you to alter your attitudes. Next year, you may have a desire to cling to a romance that you and a lover have both outgrown; this holding on will pass when you realize the futility. Anticipating this tendency to grab at what you have as a result of a predictive Tarot card reading will help you process what is going on much quicker.
Card Combinations
Every time you receive a Tarot reading, only a few cards are drawn from the deck. They influence each other to create a unique reading for that specific moment. Were one card to change, the reading itself would be completely different.
The Four of Pentacles is one of the lower echoes of the two cards in the deck with the number 4: The Emperor (card #4) and Temperance (card #14). The Four of Pentacles reflects the stubbornness and selfishness that are the shadow side of The Emperor card. The refusal of things is a central tenet of the Temperance card, and is embodied by the Four of Pentacles as missing out by holding on. If either of these cards is in your reading with the Four of Pentacles, your self-denial may be harsher than anyone realizes. Learn more about the connection that the Four of Pentacles shares with the other cards numbered four in the Tarot deck.
When the Four of Pentacles is in a reading with The Hermit card, loneliness and isolation abound. Try to find a confidant or soulmate to stay close to you through your stubborn streak. The Nine of Pentacles is a card of materialism that entraps one; a desire to "keep up with the Joneses" and living beyond your means is pronounced when it combines with the Four of Pentacles. The Chariot is the Tarot deck's card of victory, but combined with the Four of Pentacles, it indicates a scandal with accusations of cheating and fraud. Your good name is at stake.
The best thing that one can say about the Four of Pentacles is that it is a predictable card. When combined with The Fool, this consistency helps find an outlet in a wild but calculated business pursuit aimed at getting rich. The chaos represented by the Wheel of Fortune is mitigated by the Four of Pentacles and you find that a stubborn resoluteness is actually the right choice to make in response to a life situation. Despite an initial unpopularity, this card combination earns you eventual praise for your loyalty to an ideal.
Other Articles About Tarot Cards in the Suit of Pentacles
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| Published: March 9, 2010 |
