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Tarot Card Meanings and Interpretations

The Four of Pentacles – Tarot Card Meanings and Interpretations

 The Four of Pentacles

Key Words) Possessiveness, Stability, Frugality, Stinginess, Clingy, Hoarding, Not willing to invest out of fear of loss, Holding on to the old and familiar, Pinching pennies, Greed, Budgeting, Protecting yourself

The Four of Pentacles depicts a man holding onto his pentacles with all his might. It is as though he is afraid to let go and lose the limited amount that he has.

The Four of Pentacles can indicate you will be in this sort of scarcity mentality where you feel you have limited resources so you desperately try to hold onto what you do have out of fear.

Your focus on conserving may be hindering your ability to fully enjoy and appreciate what you already have, or it may be blocking new opportunities from entering your life.

In any case, this card signifies difficulty in letting go and trusting the process. When the Four of Pentacles appears, ask yourself, what am I afraid to release?

It is very difficult for something to grow if we don’t let go. How can a child fully grow into their own person if their parents smother them. At some point their child must leave the nest and find their own way in life otherwise they are stay stuck in childhood forever.

Similarly, if we hold onto our pennies and don’t invest them sensibly into our projects or business, how can it grow into more money? Yes this could be a risk but if we don’t invest it sensibly, we cannot grow it either. If we close ourselves off from others because of fear, we also close ourselves off from experiencing love. The Four of Pentacles can be an indication that we are blocking opportunities coming in because of this mindset.

General

The Four of Pentacles can mean you have a scarcity mindset regarding your financial and material resources. You may fear not having enough so you become overly cautious with your money, counting every penny and saving excessively.

Seeing The Four of Pentacles crop up in a general reading can mean that your finances are, or will be tight in the future. It can indicate you may go through a period of financial scarcity so you may need to find ways to scrimp, budget and save to get by.

Love

Seeing the Four of Pentacles appear in a love reading may indicate a few things. For one, it could mean that you are (or will be) involved with a partner who is very possessive of you.

I commonly see the Four of Pentacles represent partners who are very controlling. It can mean that you are, or will become involved with someone who wants to keep you all to themselves and watch and monitor your every move.

They may even attempt to control your dress, speech and try and prevent you from seeing other people. Seeing the Four of Pentacles can be a major red flag in this way so be cautious when you see this come up, especially if it appears with other cards such as the Knight of Swords.

The Four of Pentacles can also mean that you become involved with someone who is unwilling to open up to you. Whenever I see the imagery on The Four of Pentacles, I cannot help but notice that the figure is tightly crossing his arms where his chest is. It is like he is determined not to let anyone into his heart. This person you become involved with may be so frightened of getting hurt that you feel that you cannot get close to this person.

Alternatively, The Four of Pentacles may represent that you yourself are scared of opening up to others and getting hurt. You may actively reject potential partners, refuse to date or share your true feelings with anyone. You could block yourself off from experiencing great love due to this fear. Using your intuition will be key when coming up with the correct interpretation in your readings.

Feelings

The Four of Pentacles usually means that the person you are inquiring about feels possessive toward you. It could mean that they feel quite needy and clingy and feel they need some reassurance you aren’t going to abandon them.

As mentioned above, seeing The Four of Pentacles may be a major red flag as it could indicate that your person will exhibit controlling behavior toward you. They may see you as ‘theirs’ and feel unwilling to share you with anyone else.

It could indicate that your person may even be afraid to open up to you and fully let you in emotionally. As we can see, the figure on the card is holding onto the pentacle right by his chest. This can indicate that your person is closing you off, and refusing to let you into their heart.

Seeing The Four of Pentacles can also be a sign that your person does not wish to progress your relationship further. They may delay committing to you or show signs that they do not wish to move ahead with your connection for now.

Career

In a career reading, The Four of Pentacles can mean that you will experience stability in your career but a lack of growth. You may be so protective over your current position that you are scared to put any new ideas forward or trying out anything new for career growth. Perhaps taking a risk is advisable to experience growth in your career, especially if The Fool card comes out in an advisory position in your tarot spread.

Also, The Four of Pentacles may indicate that you are, or will be closing yourself off to others you work with (or those that work in your industry). You may be hesitant to work or share your ideas or plans with them as you may be concerned that someone will try and steal your ideas and take credit for them. While this may be a valid concern, closing yourself off to others could prevent any sort of collaboration opportunity.

Business

The Four of Pentacles can indicate that you will be unwilling to invest money into your business which means it cannot grow. It can indicate you may be limited on funds and need to be frugal with your resources so expansion of your business does not look probable right now.

It could be because you are risk averse and are unwilling to invest your money into your business when necessary for growth. The Four of Pentacles may be encouraging you to invest in your business so that it can grow. After all you got to spend money to make money!

*(keep in mind to always consult professionals when making financial decisions).

Financial

Similarly, this card may indicate you are so unwilling to invest so there won’t be financial growth. It can indicate that you will be scrimping and saving and cutting back on expenditure for the foreseeable future. More positively, it can indicate that you will successfully save up a nice nest egg for yourself.

As a Blessing

As a blessing, The Four of Pentacles indicates that your ability to penny pinch and conserve resources will mean you are safe financially. You have saved your money so now you have something to fall back on in times of scarcity.

The Four of Pentacles can also predict that any investments you have made or will make in the future will pay off.

* Again, please consult a professional before making financial decisions.

As a Challenge

The Four of Pentacles as a challenge indicates that you are experiencing control issues. You may be trying hard to control a particular outcome and are so afraid to let go. Life is constantly fluctuating and changing, we cannot hold onto the same old situation whole lives, we need to let go of the old so the new can enter.

The Four of Pentacles may also indicate that you are so afraid of losing someone that you sabotage your relationship. You may constantly want someones assurance that they will stay so you may exert controlling behavior toward them. You may do this to the point that that they feel they cannot breathe or enjoy the relationship (or you yourself cannot fully enjoy it in the moment because you are too scared of losing them).

Conversely, it could represent that someone will show controlling and possessive behavior toward you. You feel as though you don’t have room to breathe because you are too busy trying to assure your partner.

Advice

More generally, The Four of Pentacles advises you to take a frugal approach with your resources and save your money. The Four of Pentacles also advises you to carefully invest your money into something as this could pay off. Using your intuition is key to knowing which meaning applies to you. Obviously, seeking the advice of a financial professional is advised here but this is what it could mean in a tarot reading.

The Four of Pentacles also advises you to cling to what you already have. For example, if you are inquiring about whether you should stay in a relationship, job or any other situation, the Four of Pentacles advises you to hold onto it.

Yes, No or Maybe?

The Four of Pentacles is typically a no but this does depend on the type of question you ask.

If you have asked whether you should invest your time, energy and resources into something or try something new, the answer is a no, not right now.

If you ask something like should you continue with your relationship, current job, the answer is yes, you ought to hold onto it for now.

When will it happen?

January 10th to January 19th

Reversed Interpretations

See reversal guide for reversed interpretations

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Don’t pull a ‘clarifier’ card when performing a tarot reading, pull out the book instead!

If you are a beginner in tarot, it’s common to ask your question, draw the cards, and then struggle to interpret their meaning. Many people turn to books or Google to find the right interpretation, even if they’ve been reading for years. And that’s totally fine.
In fact, I believe it can benefit you and actually help you become a more intuitive reader in the long run. So don’t be hard on yourself if you rely on external resources. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad reader or incapable of learning. Eventually, you’ll come across the “right” interpretation that resonates with you during this process anyhow.
There’s a common myth that reading from the book while doing a tarot reading is somehow a bad thing and disconnects you from your intuition. Many courses and teachers promote the idea of reading without relying on books as soon as possible. But why?
It’s funny because most people understand that learning from various tarot resources is essential, regardless of how long they’ve been reading. Yet, when you consult a book during a reading, it’s seen as wrong.
This doesn’t make sense. Of course, if you’re reading professionally and charging for your services, there’s an expectation to have a certain level of proficiency and be able to intuitively understand the cards. It’s understandable to aim for confidently interpreting the cards without relying on a book, especially in a professional setting.
However, when we are in the learning process and practicing readings for ourselves, friends, family, or anyone else, it is perfectly fine to refer to the book. There seems to be a lot of pressure to skip this phase nowadays, as if you should first memorize everything and then interpret the cards from memory.
Yes, reading this way may seem more impressive, but when you’re just starting out, it’s actually advisable to consult the book when performing readings. In doing so, this will expand your knowledge base.
Many tarot teachers advocate reading intuitively without the book. While it’s something to aspire to, it’s worth noting that the reason they can read intuitively without the book and you can’t is because they have accumulated a great deal of tarot knowledge and have years of experience reading for others.
Sometimes we forget how we started as beginners. They can say this because they are more advanced and have already developed the ability to read intuitively. However, you still need to go through the learning process, and there’s no shame in that!
It’s like telling someone who has never ridden a bike to just ride it and it will come naturally; it doesn’t work that way. If you know how to ride a bike, you do it intuitively, but if you’re a beginner, you need stabilizers and step-by-step instructions.
After practice, riding a bike becomes intuitive, but you would never dream of telling a beginner to just ride it. It’s the same when we tell others to just look at the cards and “let the message come to you.”
Unfortunately, if you are a beginner, you don’t have the knowledge and skills to do that yet. This is a process you have to go through to become an intuitive reader, and it’s not an overnight process by any means. It’s the “get rich quick scheme” of the tarot world, if you ask me.
You can’t just stare down the cards and wait for something to come to you and suddenly become an intuitive reader. Yes, anyone can pick up something by doing this, even if they’ve never read tarot before, but they won’t be as good as someone with more experience and knowledge.
Experts and novices think very differently from each other, which can be seen in virtually any field or profession. When faced with new problems, experts rely more on intuition, drawing on past experience and a wide array of knowledge they have acquired over the years. Novices, on the other hand, rely on their reasoning faculties and follow instructions rigidly.
There’s no shame in being a novice; it’s just part of the learning process. You become an intuitive reader when you advance in tarot; you don’t become a more advanced tarot reader by learning to read intuitively.
Intuition isn’t really a magical superpower. I believe in all sorts of weird, supernatural things, but intuition isn’t a magical ability. It is the ability to automatically know something based on accumulated patterns and knowledge over time.
Thus, it takes a lot of practice and study before one can read intuitively. This also means that even if you don’t consider yourself an intuitive reader or never will, if you have been practicing for a number of years, you become one by default.
There are things we can learn from more experienced readers or other experts to aid our learning process and help us reach their level. However, putting down the book during readings is not one of them. So don’t beat yourself up if you feel the need to refer to the book while you’re still learning.
In fact, not referring to it may actually hinder your learning. You will acquire important and relevant information that will stay with you if you take a moment to look up the possible meanings in the book.
I think the idea that pulling out the book during a reading is bad encourages a habit that is very detrimental to your learning, namely pulling “clarifier” cards. If you’re stuck on the meaning of a card, you might be tempted to draw another card to supposedly help clarify its meaning instead of turning to the book. Just a heads up: this doesn’t work.

Chances are, if you are still learning, you might not know how to interpret the next card that comes out. In this case, you might keep pulling cards until you draw one that you can interpret, if at all. However, this approach doesn’t actually teach you anything or help you gain a better understanding of the original card that was drawn.

It would be more beneficial to look up the meaning of the original card because doing so will allow you to learn something new about that specific card. This new knowledge will likely assist you in interpreting it the next time it appears in a reading.

Using “clarifiers” (NOT picking up the book) can hinder your progress in mastering tarot because they can prevent you from learning new meanings and alternative interpretations of the cards. The reason you feel the need for a “clarifier” is because you currently lack knowledge about that particular card. By consulting a book or other resources for its meaning, you can overcome this lack of knowledge and expand your understanding.

Don’t hold yourself to any impossible standard when you are just starting out (including being able to read intuitively). The next time you find yourself stuck during a reading, don’t hesitate to pick up a book or seek out other sources for guidance. Gradually, this habit will help you build up your knowledge and eventually enable you to perform more fluent and intuitive readings in the future.

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Tarot Tarot Card Meanings and Interpretations

The Four of Swords – Tarot Card Meaning and Interpretations

Four of Swords

Key Words) Respite, Taking a break, Recuperation, Retreat

The four of swords suggests that you are battle weary and in desperate need of a break. This card signifies that you have pushed yourself to the brink of exhaustion and now it’s time to take a well-deserved pause and recharge your batteries.

We all know that feeling of being energetically drained after being immersed in a high-pressure and overstimulating environment, and this is precisely what this card symbolizes.

Think about those moments when you’ve pushed yourself to put in extra hours at work, when you’ve gone to countless social events and absorbed the energy of those around you.

Now, you are left feeling completely drained, craving solitude, and have the desire to disconnect from the outside world, to not utter a word or engage in anything.

General

The four of swords suggests that you will enter a quiet phase in your life. This a good sign if you’ve been experiencing a lot of chaos in your life. You will finally have some much-needed time for yourself!

Love

If you happen to be single, the four of swords suggests that you will continue to be for the foreseeable future. It indicates that you will be taking some time out away from the dating scene. That’s not to say you won’t enjoy your own company but you may not be very active in your love life for now.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Seeing the Four of Swords crop up can mean that some time out is just what you need. It can help you come to a better understanding about your own desires and needs. This in turn can help you attract a desirable partner in the future. Also, being single gives you a sense of freedom. You can live life on your own terms!

However, if you are craving companionship seeing the four of swords isn’t exactly the best sign to see as it does indicate you will be alone for the forseeable future.

I have seen the Four of Swords crop up when someone feels fed up of dating as well. It can mean that you have been on your fair share of failed dates that you are taking the initiaive and are actively taking yourself out of the dating scene.

If you happen to be in a relationship, you or your partner may decide to take a break from one another. Remember, this break may only be temporary and it may actually help to strengthen your relationship.

Feelings

Whoever you are asking about wants to take a break from you. This does not indicate a lack of love, but rather a need for some personal space at the moment.

They may be feeling overwhelmed or irritated by your presence, and simply want some time to themselves. Alternatively, they might be feeling lost in the relationship and want to reconnect with their own identity.

Remember the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. With some time and space apart, their feelings may grow.

Career

The Four of Swords predicts that you will push yourself to the point of burnout. It indicates that you will need to take a much-needed rest after overworking yourself. Instead of focusing on your career goals, you will have to take some time off to prioritize self-care.

Business

There may be a lull in your business. Sales may slow or come to a stop entirely. This may or may not be self-imposed. It could indicate that you have taken on more than you can handle so you burn yourself out to the point of exhaustion. Your business won’t grow for the foreseeable future while you recuperate.

Financial

You may be too exhausted to try and earn money. You may not have the energy to put yourself out there and hustle as you have pushed yourself too hard. Spending time alone doing nothing at home or in nature will build up your energy reserves.

This is nothing to feel bad about, the four of swords is a sign you have overdone it and now you have no leftover energy to try and earn right. You cannot pour from an empty cup nor are you a robot. After a period of rest, you will have the vigor to hustle.

As a Blessing

You will experience some much needed tranquility and peace after a stressful period. Taking a break will heal you, boost your energy and make you feel more like yourself again.

You won’t need to worry about experiencing any unnecessary stress or drama, peace and quiet will be a theme in your life.

The four of swords is a sign that all will be well after a break. If you are concerned about the future of a relationship or career path, you need not be as all you need is to take a break from this person or situation and all will resolve on their own accord.

As a Challenge

You will feel a sense of lethargy and exhaustion. The four of swords is a sign you have worked to the point of burn out and have no fuel left in the engine, figuratively speaking.

You may want to put yourself out there and date, work on your career or whatever else but you are mentally and physically drained and cannot do so.

The four of swords can predict illness or hospitalization. However, I would be cautious when making health predictions, tarot is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

Advice

The Four of Swords advises you to take a much-needed rest. Whether it’s from work, a business project, or a relationship, you must acknowledge that you’re pushing yourself too hard. Failure and burnout are inevitable if you continue to neglect self-care and don’t take some time for yourself.

Yes, No or Maybe?

The four of swords is a maybe. You need to give this issue some space.

When will it happen?

13th-22nd of October

Reversed Interpretations

Refer to the guide for reversals for help with interpretations.

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Are there questions we should avoid asking the tarot?

Are there questions we should avoid asking the tarot?

Tarot cards are an incredible tool that can uncover valuable information that might otherwise remain hidden. Sure, the library may have volumes on volumes of books, but those books can’t give you a clear “yes” or “no” answer, and they certainly can’t predict the future or tell you how your lover feels. Some people might argue, “Well, isn’t the uncertainty what makes life exciting?” but I don’t necessarily agree. What if you want to be prepared for what’s to come? What if your significant other isn’t exactly truthful with you? What if a straight-up “yes” or “no” answer is exactly what you need?

That’s where tarot comes in. In my personal experience, tarot has been a reliable source of truth and insight. Of course, it’s not a foolproof method, but then, neither is the weather forecast, and that doesn’t stop us from checking it! Asking the tarot may have its limitations, but it’s ultimately up to you to decide what questions to ask. Nobody should tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing with your tarot cards.

Perhaps you’ve had a fantastic experience with tarot in the past and feel inspired to tell others to use tarot for self-improvement, rather than relying on it to predict the future. It’s wonderful that you have had this experience and wish to help others. However, it can be problematic to impose your personal beliefs and ideals on others.

Introducing new ways of practicing tarot is great, but dictating what others should or should not do is not. It’s vital to remember that what works for you may not work for everyone else.

While the tarot can guide us towards achieving something, it’s not a guarantee that the advice will be beneficial. We have free will and are free to decide whether we want to follow the guidance or not. Emotional, mental, and spiritual readiness play a significant role. We may not be, and shouldn’t be judged for not being ready to make changes. Sometimes the tarot suggests something that doesn’t align with our nature or goes against our moral code, and we may not follow it.

When it comes to predicting with tarot, one might ask, “But wait, don’t we have free will?” After all, some people believe that the future is not predetermined. However, the debate between free will and determinism has been ongoing for quite some time without a universal consensus. While some may believe that the future is fixed, or at least partially so, others turn to tarot to confirm what may come to pass and prepare themselves mentally for upcoming events, or sometimes even attempt to change them according to their beliefs.

As for “morally questionable” questions (I.e. reading for third parties), it is not your place, nor anyone else’s, to force moral beliefs on others. Therefore, it’s best to adhere to your moral compass and decide for yourself regarding the reading of others’ lives or feelings. If you think it’s always inappropriate, avoid it. If you think it’s appropriate, proceed.

Some people say that tarot isn’t fit for yes or no questions. However, while tarot is great at answering open-ended questions, it can provide a yes or no answer. I’ve even witnessed and personally used tarot for answering such questions.

It’s important to acknowledge that some people simply want a yes or no answer, without the need or desire for further details. Tarot can provide these answers and it’s crucial to respect the individual’s right to block out any information they don’t wish to know.

Let’s say you’re curious whether or not you’ll pass an exam. In this moment, you may just want a straightforward answer – either a yes or a no. You may not need or want a lengthy explanation on the exam itself, just the outcome.

Some may argue that it would be better to receive guidance on how to pass the exam to the best of your ability. But not everyone feels this way. What if the tarot advises cheating, which is not an option for you? Or study hard when you simply don’t have the time or energy? Sometimes it’s nice to have a clear indication of your chances, and then seek guidance on how to proceed accordingly. So yes, answering these questions with tarot is possible and can be quite helpful!

The beauty of the tarot is that there truly are no right or wrong questions to ask. It’s all about following your heart’s intuition and seeking the knowledge you want to know in that moment. Whether you’re looking for guidance or simply curious, the tarot is a resource that is available to you. We all have the freedom to inquire about whatever information we desire to know using the tarot, and this intellectual and spiritual freedom is truly a beautiful thing.

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Tarot Tarot Card Meanings and Interpretations

The Hanged Man – Tarot Card Meaning and Interpretations

The Hanged Man

Key Words ) Sacrifice, Gaining a new perspective, Uncertainty

The hanged man represents being in a state of ‘limbo’. Think of times when you are unable to move forward because you are waiting for answers from someone. It means you will be left ‘hanging’ so to speak.

To me, seeing the hanged man is the absolute worst. Even if the answer is no, I would rather know the truth than be in a perpetual state of suspense. In fact, I would rather experience a ‘tower moment’ than be in the energy of the hanged man. That is just my personal preference though 🙂

The hanged man means you will need to make a sacrifice to make something work. Perhaps you will need to give up a part of yourself to make a relationship work with someone you love. Perhaps you will need to give up an hour of your free time so you can build a successful business.

To understand the hanged man, think about the times when you have felt stuck because you were waiting on an answer from someone. Has a lover ever told you they need time and space to think about things? Think about when you had to sacrifice yourself in some way in order to get what you want (I.e a person, job role etc.). That is the energy of the hanged man.

General

The hanged man indicates you will be left ‘hanging’. This card is a sign that you won’t be able to move forwards just yet because you will first need to wait for answers.

You may be waiting for an answer from your lover because they need time to think about the relationship. You could be waiting to receive examination results before you make plans to go on to the next stage of your education. The hanged man indicates you won’t have all the answers yet. This means that you will feel stuck for a while before you can make a choice.

Love

The hanged man can mean that you will need to give up parts of yourself so you can be with (or attract) someone else. You feel you need to suppress personality traits or abandon your values just to make the relationship work.

The hanged man can mean that if you are with someone, they will get cold feet. They may put the whole relationship on pause because they will suddenly feel uncertain about you. This might not necessarily be permanent but they may need time to think about this connection before moving forwards.

If you are dating, the hanged man could be a sign you will be stood up by someone.

It could be you that pulls the plug though. Look to spread positions and use your intuition to make a judgement about this.

Feelings

As feelings, the hanged man is a sign that they feel uncertain about you. They don’t know what direction they want this relationship to go.

It means that they do not want to make a serious commitment with you right now. They need time to think about things before moving forwards with you.

This card can indicate that your person resents you because they feel they make too many sacrifices for you. They feel they cannot be themselves just so they can make you happy.

Career

The hanged man indicates that you will be at a crossroads in your career. You will feel uncertain about the current career path you are on so you will need to take a step backward to assess how you are going to move forwards.

The hanged man can indicate that you may need to take some time out to help you reignite your passion or to help you solve a problem that you are stuck on.

The card can also mean that you will be required to put in more hours working to see results i.e getting that promotion.

Business

If you are in a business partnership with someone, the hanged man can be a sign that they will pull out of any business plans that they make with you. If the hanged man appears, it would be wise not to make too many plans or investments with them because they may not be able to move forwards with your plans. The hanged man can be a sign it is best to wait to see how things unfold before making any business plans with them.

Seeing the hanged man here may indicate that you need to make sacrifices for your business to succeed. I.e. you may need to stay up later or get up earlier or give up a hobby so you have time to work on your business and see the success you’re after.

The hanged man could also be advising you to take some time out from your business to gain a new perspective. You may be so engrossed in your work that you are failing to see solutions to your problems. Taking some time out will help you see things from a new angle and allow you to solve the problems you are facing.

You may need to gain a new perspective from someone else. The hanged man advises you to ask for another persons advice to help you solve business related problems as well.

Financial

The hanged man can be a sign that you are coming up to a time where your budget is tighter. You will need to think about cutting back on your expenditure. You may not be able to afford as many ‘luxuries’ as you usually would.

As a blessing

The hanged man indicates you will gain a fresh new perspective which will help you solve any problems you have been facing. The hanged man is a sign that you will be able to see a new way of doing things which will get you out of the rut you are in.

As a challenge

The hanged man means that you will need to make sacrifices that you won’t like. It can also mean that you will be left in a state of uncertainty or suspense as you wait for answers (which obviously isn’t pleasant!).

As advice

The hanged man advises you to take some time out. You are currently swept up in the drama and madness of life so you are unable to see a way out. Taking some time to yourself, meditating or walking in nature will help you gain a new perspective which will enable you to solve problems and move forwards.

Yes, No or Maybe?

Maybe, although sometimes a no, this depends on the context.

Timing/When will it happen?

18th February – March 20th (Sun in Pisces)

The Hanged Man can also mean the timing is unknown. There are too many variables hanging in the balance so you must wait for things to unfold.

Reversed Interpretations

Refer to the guide for reversals for help with interpretations.