The Four of Pentacles is the card of ‘self-care’…..
The four of pentacles is a card about protecting what is yours; protecting your ‘energy’ be it health/money/position.
I just wish the illustration didn’t show a man looking so defensive!
The four of pentacles is holding on tight to what is his!
What is he so afraid of losing that makes him clutch one pentacle to his heart, stand on the other two, and carry a fourth on the top of his head. He can’t move. He looks stuck. He looks stubborn….you’re not taking this from me! And why not?
Sometimes we need to take stock and consolidate our energy, we don’t have enough spare to give others, it’s a time for self care. However there seems to be a conundrum inherent, ‘self care’ versus ‘selfishness’. When is it absolutely the right thing to do to say no and look after our own needs first….and when is that being selfish? Our society has very mixed messages. Sometimes being ‘selfish’ is a very wise decision because you are already spent caring for others and you need to take care of yourself. Maybe you are creating boundaries and grounding in order to do that?
When is the four of pentacles Sustenance or Materialism? Greed or protecting what is ours? That is for each individual to decide, the four of pentacles is a card that highlights the focus on self.
The suit of Pentacles in tarot represent health, money, social status, the more physical, practical aspects of life.
When I consider the journey of the pentacle suit from the Ace, brand new opportunity (the seed has been sown), to the Two, having to juggle things until we get to Three where we now can make plans to build firm foundations to the Four where we hold onto our position, protect what is ours, and don’t put our energy out into the world, to the five of pentacles, when we need to go into the warmth and welcome of the congregation, society, friends to avoid feeling left out in the cold, isolated, impoverished. We need to seek out the support we need from others and find our tribe.
At the six level we realise the law of reciprocity, we understand the balance between give and take, that what we give so we receive, onto the seven when now appreciate what we have achieved and have the tenacity still needed to arrive at the 8 level, the card of perfecting and honing our skills, to the 9 where we receive the lucky bonus, more than we expected, good things come back to us, extra, because we deserve it, because of the work we’ve done, to the 10 financial security/position in society/health, the legacy and reward of our endeavours.
All fours are a place where we gather for a moment and ground. There is often a pause (four of swords) as we take time out to align our thoughts, or our feelings (four of cups) where we realise life is not perfect and we need to take care not to miss an opportunity (and what is on offer). The four of wands however is a time to flourish, with fire energy grounded into a square, we have a base from which to thrive. The four of pentacles is the quintessential card for grounding. No wonder he’s not moving anywhere. He’s all spent out and needs to save his energy to pay the rent next month perhaps?
Feeling stuck or consolidating? It is often feel difficult to discern between the two. There’s a fine line between resting and feeling rested. Energy needs to move (rule one of Energy Medicine) hence why I’m not a fan of the card. Still it is well worth considering what you value about yourself and need to hold on to and protect. That’s how I am viewing the card today after receiving the four of pentacles followed by the ace of pentacles.
By holding onto what you value in yourself you sow a seed of new potential.