Tarot Card Meanings: The Conservative Fours
The Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck tells a fascinating story that unfolds through cards Ace to King across the four suits in the Tarot. Many secrets are hidden within a deck of Tarot cards. In this series, we are exploring Minor Arcana card meanings in a way that is simple to understand and easy to remember for your Tarot card readings.
Minor Arcana Tarot Card Meanings
When learning the Tarot card meanings of the Minor Arcana, it helps to understand how the Tarot deck came to be.
The Tarot card deck has 78 cards, 22 of which are the Major Arcana. These 22 cards are thought to be the original Tarot deck and hold the deepest secrets of the Tarot. They talk about the journey of the human soul, include universal archetypes and esoteric meanings.
The other 56 cards were added later and make up the Minor Arcana. They come from a deck playing cards that were used for cartomancy and divination, and have the same 4 suits and numbers (the Tarot also has Pages in addition to Knights, Queens and Kings).
A great way to learn Minor Arcana Tarot card meanings is to understand the sequence and significance of each number and then interpret it in the context of the suit. We’ve already explored the Aces, Twos and Threes in previous posts, and now we examine the Fours.
The Fours
Keywords: secure, structured, stable, rigid, unmoving, confined
The energy of the Fours has slowed down and is not moving. Like the four legs of a chair or the four walls of a room, it is predictable and creates security. It develops after the creative expression of the Threes and is meant to preserve... However not everything feels at home in the stable 4.
4 of Swords - a time of peace and quiet. After the painful time in the 3 of Swords, the Four brings a much needed time of rest and healing. The Swords have been laid down, the mind is quiet.
4 of Wands - celebrations among family and community. In the previous card, goals were set in motion with a long term vision. This has now developed into a stable business and successful relationships. Enjoy!
4 of Cups - disappointment, ingratitude, unfulfillment. Perhaps the enjoyment in the previous card went too far, or maybe some things were overlooked in the heat of moment. Now in the 4 of Cups a disappointing reality has set in and getting more of the same thing doesn't feel fulfilling. The energy of Cups doesn't like to feel stagnant, as emotions are meant to flow and be felt.
4 of Pentacles - preserving what you have, mistaking what you have amassed so far for your end goal, being inflexible. All the energy is being put into preserving the status quo, afraid of any changes, not allowing room for growth. The energy has rigidified. You are not finished yet, don't stop midway.
Next, things get exciting in the disruptive Fives!
→ Learn about the Fives