What does the card 4 of Cups mean in Tarot?

The 4 of Cups, in the Tarot appears to highlight the way you have been dealing with your emotions. It brings the message that, probably, you have not allowed yourself to live in a free way, because you feed negative feelings in relation to what is part of your life, due to the things you have not obtained.

This negative way of seeing the world has brought stagnation, lack of initiative to seek opportunities and conformism with what you dislike. There is also a lot of relevance of the past and frustrated expectations.

However, the 4 of Cups brings a positive charge, in the sense that it invites you to rethink the way you have been facing the opportunities that arise, and reminds you that only you have the power to change the perspective of things. It asks for detachment and surrender to the new, having self-knowledge as the primary path. In this article, we will explain the main aspects of this arcane in the Tarot. Check it out!

Basics of the 4 of Cups in Tarot

It is possible to make a deeper analysis of the Tarot cards if we are attentive to their elements. They always bring a spectacular design and their interpretation, which is necessarily linked to a mythological story or lyrical reference, can also help us understand the message they bring.

The 4 of Cups is no different. The idea of acceptance of life and openness to opportunities is also contained in its image and symbolism. Below, we put some interesting aspects in this sense!

History

There is more than one representation of the 4 of Cups in the Tarot. However, they all have in common the 4 cups. These elements represent the possibilities of life and the need to be attentive to receive them.

There are, in history, reports that the fourth cup would be the one offered by life, the one that would generate completeness and that, however, if we did not have our eyes attentive, we would not receive it.

Iconography

The 4 of Cups card brings 4 chalices arranged side by side. They represent water, which, in esoteric symbology and astrology, refers to emotions. The number 4, in turn, refers to security and firmness, to the point of touching stagnation.

Through these images, the 4 of Cups brings the central idea of the damming of emotions. Feelings are like the water of the river, which should keep flowing. This representation brings exactly the opposite situation, in which there is no emotional movement, because of a stagnation.

4 of Cups meaning in Tarot

From the drawing of the 4 of Cups, it is possible to absorb messages from different points of view, which have in common this call to rethink stagnation in the face of the opportunities that life offers.

Thus, comfort, dissatisfaction or even the analysis of the positive and negative meanings of this card are some ways to better absorb the messages that the 4 of Cups brings. Below, we bring the most relevant ones for this analysis. Check it out!

Commodity

The 4 of Cups brings the issue of self-indulgence. This card reflects a kind of inertia that is occurring in your life, which can reach all fields and cause a lack of interest in events. The root of this issue is the negative feelings that you have been carrying and that have generated a lack of movement in life.

This lack of movement comes, first of all, from a lack of initiative on your part, for not being able to see in the first moment something that makes you feel good.

Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction is associated with the 4th of Cups, in that you have lost interest in everything that is going on around you. You have not had much energy to carry out your plans and observe the opportunities that come into your life.

The causes of this dissatisfaction can be linked to sadness over situations which have occurred, or which have not occurred in the way you would like. You find yourself in a moment of paralysis, because you are not satisfied with what is revealed.

Living from the past

The main reason for the dissatisfaction and self-indulgence associated with the 4th of Cups is your insistence on dwelling on situations from the past. You are not satisfied with the outcome of certain situations and cannot accept life as it is.

This state of mind that you have been reinforcing is what, in fact, is preventing new possibilities from revealing themselves. To live in the past is to believe that the present has nothing positive to offer us and the result of this is a life of inertia, in which only rancor is fed.

Bright side

The positive side of the 4 of Cups reminds you that your feelings are valid and that if there is nothing to celebrate at this time, it's because you need to recycle your way of looking at situations and accept life as it is.

Negative experiences should be seen as opportunities for growth. This chart alerts you to possibilities that you have missed, because you cannot see life with good eyes. It is always time to start over and rediscover the good experiences.

Downside

The 4 of Cups has its negative side, which demonstrates that your inertia in observing the world around you and paying more attention to events is being the cause of getting deeper and deeper into this comfort zone, which has distanced you from a full life.

You are already complacent, without the energy to seek out experiences or to make new possibilities blossom. Refusing to listen or to see the opportunities that, even if timidly, arrive, will only make you more and more immersed in this colorless and motionless flow of your life.

4 of Cups in the Tarot in different areas of life

The drawing of the 4 of Cups can be very significant for the analysis of various areas of life. Thus, from its main message, it is possible to employ a new way of analysing your love, professional and health areas.

The 4 of Cups brings the message that you need to accept things as they are and try to see your reality from a more optimistic perspective. Below, we explain the interpretations to facilitate this analysis!

In love

In love, for those in a relationship, the 4 of Cups says that perhaps you are paying too much attention to your partner's faults or mistakes and failing to enjoy the love that is available to you. If you are single, you have been overly critical or distanced yourself from people for small reasons and this has hindered your happiness in this sector.

For either case, this letter warns of the need to forget past expectations and try to look to the future with optimism and understanding.

At work

In matters of work, the 4 of Cups highlights that your dissatisfactions hide something bigger. It is likely that you are not happy in your job, or even in your career, and this has shown itself on a daily basis, by the lack of interest in your activities.

Don't be discouraged. You need to see this moment as a transition, in which you are learning to identify what you don't like, so that, when you mature, you will have strength and certainty about which path, in fact, you want to follow. It's possible that, in the near future, you start thinking about changing occupation.

In health

As far as health is concerned, the drawing of the 4 of Cups in the Tarot points to excessive fatigue and a lack of physical energy for daily activities. Pay attention to what is draining your energy. It is very likely that this sector of your life is calling for urgent changes.

A little more about the card 4 of Cups in Tarot

The 4 of Cups, despite bringing a not so positive message about the way you are looking at your life, invites you to rethink your experiences and expectations. It is important to think that this can be applied in several areas of life.

Below, we present some different points of view on this card, which increase its usefulness. Check it out!

Inverted card

When the 4 of Cups appears inverted, there is a sign that you need to withdraw. The inverted drawing asks for introspection and re-examination of your life's movement, so that you can make decisions with more confidence.

This card can also communicate that you have made positive use of a moment of dissatisfaction you have experienced, to lead to a phase of transformation. It is likely that you will begin to receive good opportunities, because you are ready for them.

Challenges

The biggest challenge that the 4 of Cups reveals is the need to let go of old expectations and feelings that no longer fit you, to accept life as it has shown itself.

It is often difficult to accept that things don't turn out the way we would like them to. However, it is common that our eyes are addicted to what we want to see and are unable to see the beauty in adversity. This card invites you to accept life and the opportunities it offers, exactly as they are. If you do so, you are likely to be surprised.

Tips

The 4 of Cups appears mainly to poke a wound and to show that you are missing opportunities and that this is what has caused frustrations in your life. However, this same interpretation, in the opposite direction, shows that you already have everything you need to be well, you just can't accept it.

Try to reflect on your experiences: your work, your relationships and the people you live with in general. Does everyone have a problem or are you being too critical? If you find that, in fact, this context does not suit you, know that it is always time to change. Change your home, your work, or even your relationship. The important thing is to feel the positive flow in yourself.

Does the 4 of Cups mean you need to change the way you look at life?

The drawing of the 4 of Cups in the Tarot brings the message that yes, it is necessary to change the way you face life. It reminds you that everything that comes to you is the result of the way you lead your path and accept or not the opportunities that appear.

Accept whatever is necessary from the past, but also get rid of it. The world is new, every day, and you need to see with optimism the opportunities, however small they may be, that appear on your path. Criticizing people or situations too much only makes you get stuck in situations that do you no good. Renew yourself and accept what life offers you with gratitude.