Four (IV) of Pentacles
Keywords
Financial Stability/Security, Savings, Investments, Business, Wealth, Materialistic, Miser, Penny Pinching, Selfish, Self-Interest, Stingy, Greed, Obsessions, Possessions, acquisitions, Hanging Onto, Hoarding, Ownership, Control, Rigidity, Closed, Blocking, Obstructing, Constipation, Isolation, Boundaries, Fear of Scarcity, Keeping to Yourself, Success in Exams
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Meaning
When the Four of Pentacles appears in a reading concerning finances you can relax. Money has always been a big issue with you and no one can accuse you of being wasteful but the pressure is off. Where money is concerned you are secure and not just for today or for tomorrow but the long-term financial situation looks stable too. You have plenty to go around so stop worrying and enjoy yourself a bit more. They say that money is no good unless you can spend it and a certain amount of this is true. Having money does not mean that you must spend it all but certainly it should be giving you some comfort in life and not kept under tight guard all the time.
Fear of scarcity is often related to The Four of Pentacles so you may worry unnecessarily about money if you have come from a background of poverty. This leads you to hoard or penny pinch even when you have enough money. Your fridge may be overly stocked on the basis that you will never go hungry again or empty because you fear wasting money on items you may not get to eat. Financial security should bring relieve but deep down the old hunger and want knows away at you. Nothing is thrown out that can be mended and your house may be full of broken down and worn out items, decor and furniture unchanged for years because they are still functional. You get no joy out of money and find both having or not having it embarrassing or shameful.
When this card appears, you must also ask yourself what is it that you won’t let go of? What are you holding onto or holding out for? What do you think is so rightly yours? What are you afraid of, if you do let go? What does letting go of it mean to you? Is what you are holding onto making you happy? Is it worth all your energy? Is what you are holding onto tied up in just routines, habits and familiarity or is it something of real value to you? Are you being asked to let go of it by someone else or is the call from within? Do you fear the changes it will bring to your life or are you prepared to take a risk?
The Four of Pentacles is a positive and welcome card for savings, investments or retirement plans. It indicates that you are accumulating goods, wealth and possibly even power. Your financial situation has been steadfastly growing over a period of time but this is not by chance or even pure luck. On the contrary, you have been working extremely hard and have several long-term ambitious goals that you are determined to reach. What is it that you have been saving hard for? Where the Four of Pentacles is concerned it more than likely is a large purchase. You could be saving for College, to buy a house, a car, a business or even a horse. You have the money for it and a little more besides.
This is a card for having enough belief in yourself to go it alone. You now wish to be your own boss and very importantly set your own boundaries. Setting boundaries is very strongly linked to The Four of Pentacles. You may be building walls around your self to control who has access to you or not in an attempt to safeguard your privacy or assets. You know exactly what you are doing and how to go about it. When this card appears, it very definitely acknowledges that you are in power and nothing gives power more than strong financial stability. You must be careful not to let this sense of power go to your head and become full of your own importance. You may cut yourself off from those who have helped you along the way. You may need to call on their help some day.
You are now in a position to accumulate assets or possessions. You may be setting up a business or even several businesses. Judging by the capabilities of the Apprentice in the Three, you may be buying up property left, right and centre with a view to developing them and then selling on for a profit. Whatever it is you are doing, your reputation is steadily building and you are in high demand. You don’t come cheap though but you have excellent standards and the quality of your work is highly valued by those who seek you out. The Four of Pentacles suggests you have the Midas Touch at the moment. This is a card for success and success building upon success.
The presence of the Four of Pentacles may indicate that you are trying to hold onto something or declare ownership. You may be involved in a legal case (look for Swords cards) where there is a dispute over land, business or property that you see to be rightfully yours. You will be guarded and constantly on the lookout for those who are trying to take it away. When this card appears upright it would suggest that you will be able to hold onto it. A lot of tension will go with this situation.
Along with Financial security, the Four of Pentacles is linked to rigidity and control. The Emperor of the Major Arcana (another (IV) card has taken over. You may have a habit of keeping everything and everyone in order around you. You or someone you know may be setting boundaries and restrictions or demanding obedience and compliance from all. You may have become out-dated in your ideas and behaviour but dig your heels in regardless, becoming very obstinate and opposed to change. On the other hand you may feel terribly blocked from making progress in life. Do you feel that someone is standing in your way or that they won’t back down on an issue and refuse to compromise? You may be stubbornly holding onto a situation or position that no longer serves your best interests. Maybe it is time to let go. It may all come down to just being a habit but fear of change keeps you clinging on relentlessly.
Another strong feature of this card is obsessiveness and meanness. It can be a sign that you have been neglecting friends or family by being mean with your time, resources or money. Your busy life might be getting in the way rather than any nasty intentions so no need to feel guilty if that is the case. However, you may have a need to have and get all the time and the need to claim ownership. You may look upon your friends or family as possessions also and expect them to be at your beck and call. It can be a sign of being self-centred when all you can think about is yourself and your needs. You could have vast wardrobes of clothes, with many still unworn yet you still crave more. You may find it hard to share with others or to give without expecting to receive. You think you need all that you have but you don’t. You have more than you can cope with but you are afraid to let go or refuse to. Such meanness of spirit will block your heart and turn you cold.
You can also have a habit of keeping yourself to yourself. Privacy maybe extremely important to you or it could be that you feel people will be looking for something from you if you let them get too friendly. You may be trying to protect yourself from the demands of family and friends. You fear being under obligation to anyone or anything. There could be someone you know who could do with some financial help yet you fail to make even a token gesture. You would never ask anyone for help and especially money so don’t see why they should come bothering you.
In a relationship reading The Four of Pentacles often suggests that one partner is withholding their affection from another or keeping a secret. There may be a selfish parnter who only gives if they are sure they are going to get something back in return. It can suggest a partner who is more concerned with material things than the relationship. They could be spending too much time at work even when it is unnecessary.
The Four of Pentacles is a warning flag for jealousy and possessiveness in a relationship. A claustrophobic and controlling relationship could be indicated as one partner is closely guarded and watched by the other. He or she may be looked on as the possession of their partner who dictates to them what to wear, where they go and who they see. Look for cards like the Five of Swords, Eight of Swords, Reversed Court Card (especially Swords) or the Reversed Emperor. Remember that this is a Stage Card and the couple in question may give the outward appearance of being happy and loving but it may be very different behind closed doors.
With the Four of Pentacles we get the possibility of a partner who controls the finances or holds back on money in the relationship. There can be hidden bank accounts. General Stinginess within a relationship is common when this card appears.
The Four of Pentacles can also suggest loneliness in a relationship. You may appear to have everything but inside feel empty and alone in the relationship. You may be trying to keep up with wealthy friends and neighbours especially if one partner is financially and career ambitious. This may not be your background or the people you would choose to live next to. You could feel out of your depth or have nothing in common with them.
On the other hand, the Four of Pentacles can represent a couple who are saving hard for their future. Everything they have is going into their savings account leaving little for anything else. They may be saving to get to get married, buy a house or even set up a business. This is a successful ambitious couple who will have no problem putting the time in saving hard and making all the sacrifices that go with it. They will certainly reach their goal as planned and on time.
As a couple you may be very self-sufficient and do not need to rely on others around you to make you happy. You may keep to yourselves and closely guard your privacy. This may be the way you naturally live your life as a couple, but on the other hand you may have good cause to.
Career related, The Four of Pentacles augurs well for business or employment prospects. It suggests a A financially successful business which is growing steadily and is stable and secure. A lot of hard work has gone into the establishing of this business and it shows. The market has been researched well and the staff highly qualified and well-trained. It can suggest the building of an empire. Success building upon success as the orders flow in.
If you have been offered a job by a particular company and this card appears it highlights a financially sound establishment with great employee saving and insurance schemes. It can suggest a job offering excellent salary but it can also suggest holding back on a pay rise depending on surrounding cards. This will be a very work oriented company with little time for sitting around and chatting so you will find that everyone keeps their head down and gets on with their job. It will be a great place to work and you will get well paid but don’t expect to be cut any slack or get to casual with your colleagues. The people who own this business live and breathe it and will expect their staff to do to. Everything will be about the ‘brand’.
On the other hand, you may find you are working for a sound company but that it is terribly outdated. You may be fresh and driven with lots of wonderful ideas but you have a boss or board of directors who block any attempts you make to update and modernise. You could very well end up well-paid but terribly frustrated and bored. You could be working in a family business and feel that it is time for your parent or parents to hand over the reins of power to you but they stubbornly hold on regardless. They refuse to retire or take a less active role in the business. It is they who established it and consider it their baby and no one else’s. They will hold on until the bitter end.
You may be saving to establish your own business. There is a great sense of ambition here and strong determination. Take care not to get too rigid with your business plans. Be open to outside ideas. You have to move with the times in business, therefore new approaches may be necessary. You may be attempting to secure loans for your business venture and the upright Four of Pentacles would suggest that you are likely to be successful once you have done your homework and have a well put together Business Plan with realistic cash flow projections.
Health wise, constipation or bowel problems may be plaguing you. On a spiritual level, your health problems, if no medical diagnosis is found, may be related to the holding onto of old emotional or psychological baggage. You may hold the key to your own healing by releasing these repressions through meditation, counselling, energy healing or hypnosis.
All in all, The Emperor is content and is happy that everything is as it should be and under control.
Reversed
Keywords
Financial Loss, Financial Insecurity, Reckless Spending, Gambling, Risks,Lack of Success, Blocks, Delays,Spending, Making a Large Purchase, Generosity, Openness, Sharing , Letting Go, Updating, Modernising, Change, Shedding the Old, Make-Overs, Failure in exams, Redundancy, Job Losses, Loss, Losing Something Valuable, Theft, Lack of security, Extreme Jealousy/Possessiveness/Control/Meanness, Won’t Spend a Cent, Constipation, Blocked Drains,
When the Four of Pentacles reverses it can go to either extreme with equal ease and you will need to look to supporting cards to intuitively determine which extreme is active. Let us first look at its positive aspect.
Instead of the stinginess and mean-spirited attitude and behaviour we now find generosity and sharing. You may consider yourself in an advantageous position whether financially or strategically and wish to help others or be of use. Instead of sitting on what you have or possibly what you know there is a desire to include others and even outsiders.
As far as money is concerned, it is no good if you cannot enjoy it so you may find yourself embarking on a spending spree after a long period of abstinence. Safe and secure in the knowledge that you are financially very stable you can take your foot of the pedal and heave a great sigh of relief.
If you have been saving hard for a long time then the Four of Pentacles reversed can indicate that you now have enough money for whatever it is you wish to acquire. It is now time to make your purchase and relax about it. This card would refer to a substantial purchase, so it may be the purchase of a house, land, car or business. It may also refer to an education fund for college. The reversed Four of Pentacles sees the money being withdrawn or released. You no longer have to hold on so tightly to it.
If you have been waiting for a claim or inheritance to pay out then this reversed card may indicate that you won’t have to wait much longer as the wheels are in motion for releasing the payout. This should relieve the ongoing tension and stress that has surrounded this situation. The payout may also be considerable.
Open to change and new ideas, you may be considering taking a risk or doing something which involves a bit of a gamble. You may be getting out and about with the hope of meeting new friends instead of keeping to yourself all the time. You could be letting bygones be bygones by being open to forgiveness and reconciliation. A secret or scandal that has been kept under wraps for a long, long time is now out in the open.
You might also be in the process of a personal transformation and are shedding your old outdated self for something more modern and stylish. Wardrobes may be cleared, hairstyles changed and hemlines shortened. It might not just be you who is getting the make-over as your home probably has needed revamping for a long time. You could be holding car boot sales or letting family, friends and neighbours take what they want from all the stuff you have hoarded over the years. The reversed Four of Pentacles brings a much-needed and long over due shedding of the old in favour of the new and novel. It is a card for liberation, cleansing and purification.
In a relationship the reversed Four of Pentacles can represent a partner who is very giving and sometimes to a fault. The trouble is that they can give more than you can ever hope to return which can be a bit embarrassing at times but it is what makes them happy. It suggests a relationship that is built on openness, honesty, sharing and generosity. There is likely to be a joint account with complete transparency and equal access. Problems are aired and discussed rather than repressed “Your problem is my problem so I want to know if you are not happy”. This couple is safe and secure in their relationship and can cope with the financial ups and downs of life as money does not define who they are. They enjoy it when they have it and shrug their shoulders when they don’t.
If you have been in a controlling possessive relationship then this reversed Four could find you eventually turning your back on it and getting the hell out. You may be letting go of a relationship that has had its day as you accept that it had all become a bit of a habit. You may unfortunately be realising that money cannot buy you happiness and hopefully you have not left it too late to bail out.
In business this card could represent a company that shares its profits with its employees. A company that encourages openness and freedom within the workplace. It may suggest a complete overhaul of a company as new ownership or management takeover.
The Emperor in the above environment will be feeling slightly uncomfortable with all this openness, sharing and breaking down of boundaries. He may feel he has lost a bit of control. The Emperor needs to let his hair down every now and then and lighten up in his stern attitude. He can take a break from watching over us for a while.
And so on to the other extreme. The negative aspect of the Reversed Four of Pentacles can find that money is literally slipping through your fingers. You are not keeping an eye on your finances or sticking to a budget. Spending may be reckless with multiple credit card bills mounting. You have an inability to save and are better at spending money than earning it. Gambling can be a problem with this card as with all the Pentacles when they reverse. Pentacles in their upright are careful and cautious with money by nature and work hard to earn it but when they reverse there can be attempts to turn a quick buck or make a big kill which often blows up in their face. You could be lured by a ‘sure thing’ or ‘get rich quick scheme’ to your detriment. There could be substantial loses or even bankruptcy. Surrounding cards would indicate what is at risk and could relate to property, job, relationship. On the other hand, people may see you as someone who is over-cautious with their money and rarely spend on anything.
This reversed card will warn you that money can be made or saved but only through the old-fashioned way and that is hard work, discipline and patience. You must rein yourself in before it is too late. Use the tried and tested avenues to build financial security and not through any hair-brained schemes.
The Reversed Four of Pentacles often warns of a poor return on an investment or investment in an unstable establishment. Remember the Stage Card Aspect, the Establishment may on the outside look financially healthy with big flashy offices, staff extremely helpful and interested staff but may be in the process of going down the tubes and your money with them. You may not get the return you desired or any at all.
You may feel blocked and hampered at every turn as you feel unsuccessful in all your attempts to make something of your life. You may feel that someone is standing in the way of you getting to where you want to go and making things difficult and awkward for you. You may feel like a complete failure and down on your luck.
If you have been looking for a loan then you may experience obstacles and delays with securing funding or approval. You may be seen as high risk so make sure that any business plans and cash projections can stand up to high scrutiny and close inspection. This reversed card also brings problems with getting paid for work done and this can be catastrophic to your cash flow if you have had to pay up front for goods and staff.
On the other hand, your problem could relate to being bled dry by those around you. You may have some hangers-on who can always rely on a free lunch when you are around. There could be friends and family who rely on you to support them. They may see you as having more than enough so feel it is only fair that you should be happy to hand it over when they come with their hands out. If you have status or power you may have friends who feel famous by association. The demands being made on you may not be purely financial but may relate to your time or attention. Everyone wants a bit of you and it can all become overbearing.
In relationships you may find a financially unstable partner or one who is happy to spend yours while they hold onto their own. “What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is my own” may apply. You may be in a relationship where you give more than you ever receive. There could be guilt on either side with being in the relationship only for financial gain or status. You may love your partner’s money more than you love them. You could be involved with a fortune hunter or gambler who is thieving from your account, wallet or purse. By the time you find out, your savings may have disappeared along with your partner. However, it may purely suggest that one partner is currently unemployed and relying on the other financially through no fault of their own. You really need to use your common sense and intuitive response to determine what the case may be so look to the surrounding cards, go back to the question and communicate with the querant as this is a tricky card when it appears reversed.
The controlling aspect of the upright Four of Pentacles can become extreme in the reversed as one partner completely dominates the other. Jealousy and possessivness may be intense. Money may be used as a weapon in the relationship or withheld as punishment. You may discover that your partner has had a secret bank account.
Security may be an issue with the reversed Four of Pentacles. Something of value, worth, or importance is not being properly guarded or looked after. You may be at risk of losing something or having it taken from you. There may be opportunists or thieves around and you have become to laid back. Make sure your house, car, valuables and savings are secure.
With the letting go aspect of the reversed Four this could have a negative reaction in you depending on your personality and circumstances. You may find it impossible to hold onto anything as the having and getting goes into overdrive. Nothing holds it appeal for long and you are constantly replacing that which you have just got. You may find no real value or worth in anything. Nothing is important to you in your life and nothing is for keeps. You are never content with the way things are and could be constantly doing up the house and changing things.
In business there could be a significant financial loss and would generally suggest a financially unstable business establishment. Investments could collapse or payment for goods or services withheld. Staff could be let go and problems with redundancy pay may surface as companies go bankrupt. This card could represent a company or business that has gone under because they failed to keep up with the times. Outdated services, methods and systems may leave them drowning in a sea of state of the art competitors. As a business person you may be guilty of being out of touch with your clients and the market. You may be reluctant to invest in new equipment or technology but you must remember that money is an energy and sometimes it has to be spent in order to generate more.
Due to recession, you may feel blocked from advancement in your career or resent salary cuts and obligatory unpaid overtime.
This card reversed traditionally does not augur well for students as it can suggest failure in exams and lack of qualifications. This may be down to crashing for exams or lack of commitment. The student is not able to retain sufficient knowledge to pass the exam.
The Emperor is extremely unsettled and will be anxious to get his house in order again and as soon as possible.
Brief Versions – Ace of Pentacles 2 (II) of Pentacles 3 (III) of Pentacles 4 (IV) of Pentacles 5 (V) of Pentacles 6 (VI) of Pentacles 7 (VII) of Pentacles 8 (VIII) of Pentacles 9 (IX) of Pentacles 10 (X) of Pentacles
Brief Versions – Wands Cups Swords Pentacles
The 78 Cards – Detailed Study Version (Card Description, Keywords, Upright & Reversed Meanings)
The 78 Cards – Shortened Version (Keywords, Upright & Reversed Meanings)
Copyright © 2006-2013 Vivien Ní Dhuinn
Truly Teach Me Tarot Part I
Copyright © 2006 - 2013 Vivien Ní Dhuinn
Truly Teach Me Tarot 
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