The Four of Pentacles is about emotional and financial resources under tight watch.
You might be pinching pennies, guarding your heart, or wondering when–and if–the gate to prosperity (or love) will open up again. It’s a fight-or-flight moment. Or it will be after you come out of freeze mode!
You might be in a difficult spot with funds or constrained in your career; you’re sticking to a job for practical reasons. On a personal level, you could be under lock and key because you’re scared of getting hurt or lack the emotional bandwidth to move forward.
The need for protection might be self-preservation. You might be conserving energy because there’s nothing more to give, or you might not be hip to taking risks.
The restrained energy of this card can also indicate selfishness. You or someone else could hold tight to their financial and emotional resources, barring entry. There’s an unwillingness to share.
If inquiring about someone else, they’re trying to retain power and control or are stuck in a tight spot in life and haven’t been able to problem-solve their way out. This can make movement slow or non-existent.
In pursuing dreams, this card indicates things won’t come easily. However, through steady efforts, patience, and planning, the door will likely crack open. You might also need to re-route or consider different paths that still lead toward the same goal.
When drawn reversed, this card can indicate extreme barriers, restraints, and stagnation. Career pathways are closing, or on an emotional level, hearts are locked away and self-serving. Alternatively, you might need to shift your life but hold on to what keeps you stagnant and oppressed.
In a relationship inquiry, you or the person(s) you desire could be work or money-obsessed. You might also find that the relationship revolves around them and their needs.
This card is about restraint. Sometimes, conserving is necessary, and other times, it’s a barrier to growth. The Four of Pentacles asks you to examine the walls you’ve built and whether now is the right time to build up or break out.
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Tarot Spread
If you are drawn to the financial aspect of the Four of Pentacles and want to dig deeper, get them out of your deck, make them your mascot, and draw some cards from the rest of the deck with this tarot spread I created!
