What does the Four of Cups card mean in Tarot?

Four of Cups, Minor Arcana, Cups IV

The Four of Cups points at an inner state of being that’s affecting every bit of your outer life. It’s either that something specific happened to make you choose to close your heart, knowingly or unknowingly, or maybe you have always been like this. Regardless of how this came about, fact is, you have lost interest in what life has to offer.

Even when amazing opportunities knock on your door, you seem indifferent. You don’t believe anything truly good can come out of this thing called life, so you’re making do with what you already have, depending on your own ability to survive and live. You don’t want any extra support, neither from people nor from divine sources.

If the Four of Cups appears in your reading, you prefer alone-time over being with others, which in and of itself doesn’t have to be an issue. Sometimes solitude is a gift. But make sure you aren’t closing yourself to all the different things the universe can give you, as well. You might need time off from people and the riff-raff of modern life, which is understandable, but make sure this isn’t you needing time off from life in general.

Four of Cups can symbolize imminent depression, or just a time of psychological rest. Take your time and turn inwards to find out whether you’re inching towards depression, or you’re just taking a much-needed spiritual break. Either way, the cause seems to have to do with your having lost interest in people, opportunities, and growth.

If your reading is about your career and finances, the Four of Cups might mean you’ve had enough of office politics, ungrateful bosses and coworkers, and stress. You might feel a deep need to go your own way, maybe become a reclusive writer, or work from home where you don’t have to deal with people, or any other career where you can enjoy solitude.

If your reading is about finances specifically, the Four of Cups implies an inability to receive life’s generosity and create abundance. You might have underestimated your real needs, or underestimated how much your needs matter, so you’re acting like a little can go a long way, when in reality your needs list is much longer than any other to-do list. You are the one who doesn’t want to be helped, who doesn’t want to receive. Instead of accepting this truth, you turned the tables around and came to believe that the universe has nothing good to give.

What does the Four of Cups Tarot card mean for love?

For singles, having Four of Cups in your reading means you aren’t really interested in dating right now. You may say you are, maybe to please your mother or social circle, but deep down you know this isn’t the time to be out there, meet new people, or get physical with someone new. You don’t want your emotions to reawaken, not right now. It’s okay, sometimes the heart needs a fallow period, like winter. Things will get lively and exciting again, just not soon. Enjoy this time of rest and, if it sounds good to you, then use this time to work on yourself.

For couples, the Four of Cups might mean you two have lost interest in one another. It could be that you’re still together because you get along well, or that being with one another makes life much more convenient than otherwise. You might still feel love, too, but you don’t seem to harbor much interest in each other’s personality or even soul, anymore. It’s become all too familiar. The routine has taken over and the excitement is gone.

If you believe that you know everything there’s to know about your partner, the Four of Cups suggests otherwise. There’s still a lot more to discover but you stopped exploring. It might help to take some time off alone, so you can miss your partner and see them with new eyes when you come back.

What does Four of Cups reversed in Tarot mean?

The Four of Cups reversed shows being in a situation where you have to receive things from others and life. You aren’t feeling grateful, because you wish the situation hadn’t come to this. It could be that someone is taking care of you because you’re ill or unable to work, or that they are supporting you, financially or otherwise, and a part of you resents the situation – and maybe even the person – because you don’t want to feel needy.

Independence matters to you, but what you need to understand is that the opposite of independence doesn’t have to be dependence. There’s a third option, called co-dependence, where every person is relatively independent, but still depends on others to make life better for all involved. In reality, every person is co-dependent, because as humans we’re social animals, and we have to stick together to survive and to thrive.

Astrological association

All cup cards in the Minor Arcana are associated with the water element, which is associated with the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Because the Four of Cups is about having a staunch sustained refusal, it indicates “fixed” energy – therefore, it is most associated with the sign of Scorpio who has fixed water energy. Like ice – frozen and lifeless with intransigent emotions. Scorpios have great qualities too, but the Four of Cups specifically points at the negative qualities of the Scorpio constellation.

Scorpios are known to take their time to warm up to situations. When things don’t go as planned, they are prone to harboring resentment, as well. Four of Cups brings this energy into your life, or admits that this energy is already a part of you right now, whether you or your partner is a Scorpio or not.

This card has more to do with you, than with anyone else, so your reading might be pointing at a period of time where you’re going through life with this type of negative Scorpio energy. If all you want is a short break from everything and everyone, who’s to judge? Give your soul what it needs.