Four of Pentacles — stability, security, holding on

Supervised by Usatoko WHITE
Professional tarot reader & spiritual advisor

Nyanta

Nekosuke, can you teach me about the Four of Pentacles today?

Nekosuke

Of course! The Four of Pentacles is a card that symbolizes "stability and foundation." It carries the power of the Earth element, showing a solid footing and a moment of rest. It's deeply connected to money and the results of your work!

"FOUR OF PENTACLES" is the English name for this card.

Tarot cards are, first and foremost, tools used for divination. Most people who consult a reader do so because they're anxious about something in their life and want advice on how to overcome it. A tarot reading can sometimes see straight through your past as if it had witnessed it, and it can even offer glimpses of the future. Many people assume you need specialized training to read tarot, but in fact anyone can learn to read for themselves.

In this article we'll look at the Four of Pentacles — one of the Minor Arcana cards — in both its upright and reversed positions, and we'll also introduce some easy reading methods that even beginners can try.

✦What Is the Four of Pentacles?

A tarot deck is made up of 78 cards in total: 22 Major Arcana and the remaining 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana capture problems in broad strokes and point toward a resolution, while the Minor Arcana lay out the same problem in concrete, easy-to-understand terms. The Major Arcana let you see the essence of an issue from a wide perspective, and the Minor Arcana show you who is involved and what situation you're currently in.

The Minor Arcana can go into far more detail than the Major Arcana. Reading with both together produces a more powerful result than relying on the Major Arcana alone.

The Four of Pentacles is one of the cards that make up this Minor Arcana suit. "Pentacles" represent coins.

The Four of Pentacles suggests that you'll obtain what you desire and achieve a certain measure of success — but it also hints at a conservative mindset that comes from a feeling of "I absolutely don't want to let go of what I already have." Because of this, the Four of Pentacles is generally interpreted as representing strong attachment and possessiveness. A deep desire for financial stability and a wish to protect your current position both show up vividly in this card. At the same time, it carries a positive meaning: the steady effort you've been putting toward your goal is finally bearing fruit, and you're about to achieve the success you've long hoped for.

If you're on the verge of giving up, if your heart feels close to breaking — hold on just a little longer. You're almost at the result you've been working toward.

That success can become something absolutely "stable" and "unshakeable" for you. "Stability" and "steadfastness" are the two main keywords of this card. It paints a picture of a future in which your strong desire for security has actually come true. Overall, it carries a solid, dependable feeling.

Upright

Let's look at what the Four of Pentacles means when it appears upright. In the upright position, it shows your desire to maintain a stable state both financially and materially.

To achieve that, make a point of acting carefully and steadily.

Doing so will let you preserve your current stability — and may even let you claim further success and victory. You'll be able to step up beyond where you are now.

If you haven't yet reached success, or feel you haven't quite gotten there, the steady effort you've been putting in quietly will bear fruit, drawing you toward a thread that leads to future progress.

Calm, composed action is key here.

If you find yourself facing the painful choice of picking one thing over another, this is exactly the moment to stay calm rather than panic, and to hold firm to the choice you believe is right.

Do that, and — however winding the road — success and opportunity will be waiting for you at the end.

If you're dissatisfied with your current situation and long for change, letting go of something you currently hold, or setting aside your pride, might be the very thing that opens up your world.

As what you've long wanted finally comes into your hands, you'll feel real joy and happiness.

Reversed

Reversed, this card means you've become too cautious, too rigid — clinging too tightly to money or status.

Excessive caution can leave you completely unable to move, and an overemphasis on protecting the status quo can cause you to miss out on further success and opportunity.

Don't fixate so hard on holding on to your current position that you lose sight of yourself.

Stay true to who you are and keep your own convictions while still acting with care.

Take care of yourself. Don't lose sight of — and don't let go of — what truly matters to you. For that, you need to give your heart some breathing room.

Try loosening the tension in that tightly-strung thread. Let your shoulders relax.

Fixating too much on one thing, or being too stubborn, is not a good idea.

Try listening to other people's ways of thinking, not just your own.

It might be worth deliberately shifting from being the one who speaks to being the one who listens.

Daring to go along with someone else's thinking might open up a new path for you — a new connection. Sometimes you need to let yourself go with the flow. Do only what's within your own capacity, then step back and watch over the rest. Don't push yourself too hard.

If you're carrying a load heavier than you can bear, sort out what's necessary from what isn't, and let go of what you don't need.

Otherwise, when you really need something, you may find you can't get to it. Choosing only what's essential can be difficult — but the freedom you're losing by holding on to unnecessary things may be greater than you realize. Clutter can stagnate your fortune, and this reversed card represents the antithesis of that: a call to release it.

Letting go makes it easier to find your own answers and to move through your days with a clearer mind. Caution and steadiness matter, but overdoing them is also a problem.

Rather than fixating solely on grasping the one result you want most right now, cutting away what's unnecessary inside you can open the door to positive change and to discovering new possibilities within yourself.

✦Four of Pentacles — Career Advice

Nyanta

How does the interpretation change between upright and reversed?

Nekosuke

Upright, the Four of Pentacles shows a state where your stability and foundation are solid — true to its Earth element, that stabilizing power is firmly in place. Reversed, it shows that stability crumbling or stagnating. Let's look at each in turn!

Upright

If you're asking about work and the Four of Pentacles comes up upright, things are currently going smoothly for you. Your luck is on an upward trend.

Your standing at work holds steady at a solid level, and there's no issue as long as you keep doing your job normally.

You're deeply trusted by the people around you, and work keeps flowing your way continuously.

You'll be able to keep building your career steadily from here.

Steady, patient effort — like studying for a qualification exam — will make your career luck even more stable.

If you keep handling the work you've taken on responsibly, just as you have been, you'll achieve results better than you imagined. Right now you hold limitless potential.

Rather than chasing one huge windfall, aim for steady, reliable gains.

Small accumulated efforts will build your reputation, and the ambition you've been quietly holding will finally become reality. A chance to expand the scope of your work will come your way. If you're considering changing jobs or starting a business, now is a good time to act.

Luck is clearly on your side, so act with confidence.

You'll be able to navigate carefully and skillfully enough to avoid failure.

The flow of money is trending well too, so your financial luck is strong. Just be careful not to hoard money excessively.

Go ahead and invest in things you genuinely trust.

Reversed

Reversed, this shows that your ambition has grown too strong. It may also mean that a sense of responsibility toward work has you taking on far too much.

However big an opportunity looks, if it doesn't suit your actual capacity, it will only push you into a corner. Don't overextend yourself.

To succeed in your work going forward, you'll need the inner strength not to be defeated by feelings you can't quite be honest about. Rather than trying to make a big profit, move forward steadily, one step at a time.

Small accumulated steps will become your foundation.

Letting a sense of responsibility push you to shoulder everything alone is not a good idea.

Be selective about taking on only work that suits your actual capacity. Sometimes it helps to listen to the people around you and flexibly incorporate their ideas — you might gain more than you expect.

Sharing the way you see things with how others see them could give rise to a new business idea you'd never have thought of alone.

This could be the turning point to flip your previous way of thinking 180 degrees. Adapting to the needs of changing times will also raise your results at work.

Trying to push everything through on your own leads to failure. Avoid overexertion, and remember to stay considerate of those around you.

♡Four of Pentacles — Advice for the Future

Upright

If you have concerns about the future of your love life or marriage, the Four of Pentacles can offer guidance there too.

Let's start by looking at what it says about your romantic future.

You're seeking stability in love. You're feeling ready for a settled, committed relationship. Your partner, too, isn't opposed to the idea of marriage — they hold you in high regard and, in many cases, are already thinking of the relationship as leading toward marriage.

That said, your partner may still be preparing themselves for marriage, quietly gauging whether you're the right match for them. The chances of this relationship reaching fruition are very high.

If you both reach a point where neither of you wants to let the other go, talk of marriage will likely follow. That said, your partner may be overly cautious about making a decision, so even if things do move in a good direction, it could take a while. Maintaining the relationship as it currently is can also be a valid choice.

Don't rush — for now, watch how things unfold.

Some of you may not yet be in a relationship, and are dealing with unrequited feelings instead. You might be wondering how compatible you are with that person, or what they think of you. Let's look next at how that person you have feelings for actually feels about you.

Their feelings toward you aren't bad at all. They'd like to get closer to you if the chance arises. You both want to know each other better.

Staying in touch and building up small, everyday moments could turn this into a relationship, depending on how things go.

Closing the distance little by little is what matters. Start with something close and familiar.

If you get more chances to see each other outside of any formal setting, they may find themselves drawn to a new side of you they hadn't seen before.

As the desire to make this person yours — to not let them go — grows stronger, the two of you can form a strong bond.

Treasuring your kindness and your feelings toward the other person will help build an even better relationship.

Reversed

If the reversed Four of Pentacles appears regarding love, some kind of change is coming to a relationship that has until now been stable.

You're keeping a certain distance from your partner.

If you've been unable to speak up about something you want to say to them, gather your courage and voice your dissatisfaction. If their feelings for you are still there, they may take steps to address what's bothering you. It's fine to act on your own wishes a little. Avoid being stubborn with each other, and value flexibility when it's called for.

Rather than blaming or trying to restrict your partner, what matters is having confidence in the relationship itself.

Try opening your heart just a little more, and make an effort to accept each other.

Rather than fighting against the current, it's also important to let yourself go with the flow.

Try not to become too attached to any one thing. The Four of Pentacles also carries a warning against excessive attachment.

If you're still holding on to an ex-partner, or have been carrying unrequited feelings for a long time, give yourself permission to close that chapter. Bring it to an end within yourself.

This card also carries the meaning of "letting go," so if you're carrying a burden, it suggests you're able to clear that feeling and find relief.

Staying stuck in place won't change anything about your current situation.

Start clearing away the murky feelings inside you.

Throw out what you don't need and let it go.

The Four of Pentacles also hints at a new romance on the horizon, so don't miss the chance in front of you — move toward it actively so you don't let a new path in love slip away.

That new encounter may well be what heals your wounds.

Whatever your situation, you'll be able to find a positive frame of mind.

Let go of your old ideas about love and step forward with a clean slate.

If you're looking for new connections, opening your heart will let you move forward toward a good encounter.

You'll be able to resolve whatever romantic trauma you're carrying.

Forgetting someone you once loved is genuinely hard — but keep your eyes forward and keep walking.

✧Four of Pentacles — Practical Reading Methods

Tarot Readings You Can Do at Home

Here we'll introduce some tarot reading methods you can try at home. For beginners, a single-card "One Oracle" draw is a great place to start.

If you want to set the mood for a reading, burning herbs or incense is a nice touch — it's said to purify negative energy floating in the air.

If smoke or scent bothers you, ringing a bell or clapping your hands can have a similar cleansing effect.

One Oracle

When reading with the Minor Arcana alone, shuffle the Minor Arcana cards, ask yourself a question, and treat the card you draw on intuition as the answer.

This method only reveals the outcome of your question, but combining it with another card lets you also read what action to take — this is called a "Two Oracle" reading. Combining the Major and Minor Arcana this way is recommended for getting a more detailed result.

Note that, just like the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana carry different meanings depending on whether they're upright or reversed, so be careful not to flip a card's orientation while reading.

Phalanx

Some readers use only the Minor Arcana court cards (the "people" cards). This method is called the Phalanx.

The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits — Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles — each made up of number cards 1 through 10 plus four court cards.

The Phalanx spread uses only the court cards from each suit, and lets you read your love, career, social, and health luck across four time frames: now, one year from now, three years from now, and five years from now.

To read it, shuffle the cards, hold them in your left hand, and lay out four cards in a row from right to left.

Repeat this downward three more times until all 16 cards are laid out.

You can lay every card face down and reveal them later, but since the Phalanx ultimately turns every card face up anyway, it's fine to lay them face up from the start.

Reading from right to left, the cards represent love luck, career luck, social luck, and health luck; the 1st row is the present, the 2nd row is one year from now, the 3rd row is three years from now, and the 4th row is five years from now.

This is a fairly advanced method for beginners and takes time to master, but it's a great way to study the Minor Arcana, and it's especially good when you want to read your overall fortune several years into the future.

7 Days

Once you've gotten used to tarot reading, the "7 Days" spread is another great method to try. It reveals your fortune for the coming week.

The 7 Days spread gives you a theme for each of the seven days, plus a lucky person and lucky item for the week as a whole, so you can get a sense of the overall mood of the week ahead.

By reading each day's theme one at a time, you can trace the flow of your fortune across the week. Also known as the "9-card draw," 7 Days can reveal your overall weekly luck as well as your love and career luck for the week at the same time.

It's a great option if you want to plan out your week or decide which day to schedule something important.

To do it, first divide the full 78-card deck into three groups: the Minor Arcana number cards (numeral cards), the Minor Arcana court cards, and the Major Arcana.

Then draw seven number cards from the Minor Arcana and lay them out as follows.

Lay the cards out in order from 1 to 7.

Cards 1 through 7 each represent the theme for one day of the week. For example, the first card is "Day 1's theme," and the third card is "Day 3's theme."

Because you can read a theme for each of the seven days, this gives you hints about what kind of week you're heading into.

Next, draw one Minor Arcana court card and place it below the seven cards you've already laid out. This 8th card reveals your lucky person — a hint at who you might have a meaningful connection with during the week you're reading for. Keeping that lucky person in mind as you go through the week can help you seize chances for new encounters, or notice the "someone" who's there to support you.

Next, draw one Major Arcana card.

This 9th card represents your "lucky item."

The 9th card holds a hint about an item that can make your week shine even more.

When reading this 9th card, trust your intuition above all. Whatever object appears in the scene you imagine when you look at the card is likely the hint pointing you to your lucky item.

Nyanta

I really get the message of the Four of Pentacles now! It's a card about stability!

Nekosuke

Exactly! When this card shows up, it's important to pause for a moment on your finances or work results and solidify your foundation. Trust the steady power of the Earth element, and keep moving forward step by step!

✦Summary

The Minor Arcana let you draw out even more specific detail than the Major Arcana alone can provide. You can read with the Minor Arcana on its own, but combining it with the Major Arcana gives you practical advice you can actually act on.

In tarot, upright and reversed often carry contrasting or opposite meanings — but the Four of Pentacles is a card that always points toward living your life with a forward-looking attitude. A turning point is coming for you, whether in work or in love.

That turning point is sure to reveal a bright future ahead of you.

And it offers guidance on exactly what you need to do to reach that bright future: caution and steady, reliable action are the keys.

Fortune is undoubtedly leaning your way. This could be a good moment to take a bold step forward. You're sure to gain a good result from it.

Life still has a long way to go — you're almost at the future you've been hoping for.

If you're close to giving up, hang in there just a little longer.

This card signals that the effort you've been steadily building up is finally about to take shape, so you can receive it with a positive outlook.

A reversed card in tarot can seem, at first glance, to carry a negative connotation — but this is a card that can be read positively whether it's upright or reversed.

Tarot can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the spread you use, so if you're curious, why not give it a try yourself?

✧Four of Pentacles Keywords

These are the essential keywords that capture the core of the Four of Pentacles. Use them as a reference when reading this card.

• Possession
• Attachment
• A focus on security

⚖Four of Pentacles — YES/NO

Here's how to read the Four of Pentacles for a YES/NO question.

♡Their Feelings When the Four of Pentacles Appears

Here's how to read the other person's feelings when the Four of Pentacles appears in a love reading, upright or reversed.

Their Feelings — Upright

With a theme of "possession," the other person is holding feelings shaped by the influence of Pentacles — material things, money, and practical matters. The messages of possession, attachment, and a focus on security are showing up in their true feelings.

Their Feelings — Reversed

Reversed, the same feelings from the upright reading have weakened, or the person isn't able to express them. Their feelings may be turned inward.

✦Frequently Asked Questions About the Four of Pentacles

The classic Rider–Waite–Smith Four of Pentacles

Reviewed by

Usatoko WHITE

Professional fortune teller specialising in tarot, oracle and Lenormand reading. Usatoko supervises every divination guide at Luna Factory to keep them accurate and beginner-friendly.

Written by the Luna Factory Editorial Team