A lone man sits under a tree with his arms folded on his chest. There are three cups in front of him, but he closes his eyes to them. A hand is coming out through the cosmic clouds of wisdom with another golden goblet. This is the golden yod of God reaching out to give the man more. Hidden wisdom is available to him. Indeed, he seems in deep meditation over whether to take the cup or not.

The cups are symbolic gifts from God. The man might not even be aware of the 4^th cup since the cup is emanating from the non-physical reality. That is the only world where a cup can materialize from a cloud suspended in the air. He is deeply connected to the world of feelings and finding a way to stabilize his emotions.

He seems very content and calm, but there could be deeper feelings. Is he frustrated he doesn’t see the 4^th cup? Or is he actively avoiding the cup? Either way he is coming to terms with his feelings.

Four of Cups Interpretation and Divination

The Four of Cups often signals a refusal of some kind.

The Four of Cups can indicate someone making a hasty “no” decision without regard to thinking it through. The Four of Cups suggests that you should weigh all your options at this time.

On the other hand, the Four of Cups can indicate severe boredom and lack of interest that you will probably not regret. You could be on a date where you’d rather be doing almost anything else.

The Four of Cups suggests that you are depressed and perhaps too depressed to make good judgment calls. You may be missing good opportunities because you are so sad. This sadness maybe caused by outside forces that you have no control over.

The Four of Cups can indicate being so hung over that you can’t bear the sight of alcohol anymore. You are so hung over that you refuse drinking for some time. The sight and smell of alcohol makes you sick.

Physical Representation of the Four of Cups

Coming soon

In the traditional Celtic Cross Tarot Spread, often the card you place over the Situation Card will reveal whether the crux of the situation is an obstacle (hindering) or helping (strengthening).  This placement is the second card drawn in a traditional Celtic Cross Tarot Spread. 

Four of Cups as a Strength

The Four of Cups as an obstacle denotes emotional upheavals, depression and melancholia. You could be rejecting very good opportunities that you might not get again. Likewise, you could be rejecting a new beau who is good for you, but you can’t see through the cloud of sadness.

The Four of Cups as an obstacle denotes obsessions that are cyclical in nature. You could be obsessing over a former boyfriend or girlfriend. They probably don’t want you back, so you have to move on. You are refusing to move on from your past relationship. The cyclic Moon in Cancer element to the Four of Cups means that someone better will come along very soon.

Moon in Cancer brings in a sense of moodiness and despondency that is needed. The Moon rules Cancer and is in its natural home in the Four of Cups, this means that the moon needs it’s time to make its cyclic journey. Emotions can be up and down and with that comes melancholy. Maybe there was too much of a good thing in the Three of Cups, so in the Four of Cups we need to have a time out to reflect on what is passing. Give yourself sometime to relax, meditate and reject those things which do not serve you anymore. It’s okay to go New Moon and disappear for a few days and like all things cyclic this one is only temporary.

When the Four of Cups comes up as the outcome in a general reading it indicates that while the querent has a fulfilling material life, there’s a sense of longing for an emotional connection.

Perhaps the person thought money could fill a void, so they went on shopping sprees that filled them up temporarily. Most people know that feeling when we go shopping and have pretty, new things. Those things usually don’t give us a lasting “high.”

Things in life that give us real satisfaction always come from good friends, supportive family and emotional completion.

To conclude, the Four of Cups as an outcome is almost always dissatisfaction. To find completion, the querent needs to look within themselves. As an outcome, it could denote that the querent is not flowing properly. They are looking in all the wrong places for the answers. The literal hand of God is reaching out to a person whose eyes are closed!  

Esoterically, the Suit of Cups and the Suit of Earth exist on the material plane more than the Suits of Fire and Air. When we go down the Tree of Life, both the Four of Cups and the Four of Pentacles lack emotional support. It’s only until we get to the 9s and 10s that we see actual emotional attainment and completion.

The 4s in Tarot often seem like they offer some kind of “completion,” but they come right before the 5s, which always bring ruin, defeat and worry. There is more mental acuity for air and fire, which is why the Four of Wands is welcoming and the Four of Swords is a resting period. There is stability in the number 4, but the querent needs to understand that completion should be sought on all levels of existence.