The Four of Cups displays a young man sitting under a tree on a mountaintop, far from others. He seems to be in contemplation and meditation. In front of him are three cups laying on the grass while another cup is being offered to him by a hand in the air. The man has crossed his hand and legs, and he is looking down at the three cups, unimpressed, such that he cannot see the cup being presented to him by the stretched arm.
The Four of Cups represents our tendency to take for granted the things that we have, making it hard for us to see what treasures the universe presents us with. We tend to have the answers to our troubles right around us, but we tend to focus too much on what we do not have.
Upright Meaning Guide
Four of Cups Upright Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Regret, refusing offers, missed opportunities, stagnation, apathy, disillusion, focusing on the negative, self-absorption, depression, boredom, nostalgia, remorse, yearning, frustration, weariness, meditation, day-dreaming, fantasising
General Meaning and Interpretation (Upright)
In a general context, the Four of Cups Tarot Card can represent missed opportunities, remorse or regret. It can also signify becoming self-absorbed due to depression, negativity or apathy. The Four of Cups can indicate that you are feeling bored or disillusioned with your life, you may be focusing on the negative or feeling like the grass is greener on the other side. You may feel like you have lost your passion and motivation for life. When this Minor Arcana card appears in your Tarot spread it comes with a warning to be mindful of the opportunities or offers available to you. You may be inclined to dismiss them as insignificant now but you could realise later that they would have led on to amazing things. The Four of Cups can also represent feeling nostalgic, daydreaming or fantasising.
Love & Relationships (Upright)
In a love Tarot spread, if you are single, the Four of Cups can indicate that you may be regretting past mistakes in the love department. It can indicate that you are so focused on what is missing in your love life or the relationships you’ve had that didn’t work out, that you are missing the opportunities for love that are right in front of you. If you miss this opportunity, you may find that you deeply regret it later on so don’t dismiss potential partners or offers of dates out of hand. Sometimes we find love where we least expect it. If you are in a relationship, the Four of Cups can indicate that you have become complacent in relationship or are so caught up in a fantasy of what you want your relationship to be like that you are not appreciating it for what it is. Consider if this is a good use of your energy and what you could accomplish if you put that energy back into appreciating your partner for who they are.
Money & Career (Upright)
In a career context, the Four of Cups can indicate that you feel bored or unsatisfied in your career. You may feel like your career has become stagnant. In terms of both money and career, The Four of Cups Tarot card can signify that you are oblivious to the opportunities around you because you are too busy envying what others have. Focus on yourself, find gratitude for what you already have and open yourself up to the opportunities all around you and you will find that things will improve.
Health (Upright)
In a health context, the Four of Cups Tarot card can indicate that health issues have left you feeling depressed, weary or frustrated. You may be feeling sad about the restrictions your health woes are putting on you. Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t and don’t be afraid to reach out to support groups or a professional counsellor for support if you are struggling to keep a positive outlook. Sometimes just talking about things and knowing that you are not alone can make a world of difference.
Spirituality (Upright)
In a spiritual context, the Four of Cups can indicate that you have been feeling disillusioned or are wishing your life away wondering what if. You need to let go of the regrets from your past and focus on the good things that are happening all around you. A great way to do this is to think of one or two things that you are grateful for in each day, it will help you to focus on the present and on the positive. Meditation and Reiki would be helpful to bring you back into balance and help to release the negative energy you have been carrying.
Reversed Meaning Guide
Four of Cups Reversed Tarot Card Key Meanings:
Seizing opportunities, letting go of regret, end of stagnation, motivation, enthusiasm, being proactive, interest, focus, self-awareness, focusing on the positive, gratitude, zest for life, re-energised
General meaning and interpretation (Reversed)
In a general context, the Four of Cups Tarot card reversed indicates that you are pulling yourself out of the rut you have been in. While your life may have previously felt stagnant, that is now coming to an end. The Four of Cups reversed represent leaving regrets, remorse and wishful thinking in the past and focusing on the present and moving forward in a positive direction. You will be seizing opportunities with enthusiasm and focus. It signifies that you have realised that you have been detached from the world and caught up in self-absorption and that has now been replaced with self-awareness and a zest for life. You are done with fantasising about what your life could be or wallowing in grief or self-pity and are ready to re-join the world and take a proactive approach to making things happen. You may be letting go of patterns or people in your life that are no longer good for you when this Minor Arcana card appears. The Four of Cups reversed can also represent acting spoilt as a result of pandered to too much by others. If you are engaging in this sort of behaviour you need to take responsibility for yourself and stop expecting others to do everything for you. If you don’t, it will be to your own detriment.
Love & Relationships (Reversed)
In a love Tarot reading, if you are single, the Four of Cups Tarot card reversed can indicate that you are coming out a period of detachment or solitude where you were not interested in dating or starting a relationship. You may have withdrawn from the world due to the trauma of a bad breakup to give yourself time to heal. The Four of Cups reversed indicates that you are done wallowing in your heartbreak and are ready for a fresh start. If you are in a relationship, the Four of Cups reversed indicates that after a long period of soul-searching, you may have realised that the relationship no longer works and you may be ready to let it go. Alternatively, you may be ready to focus on the relationship and suddenly find you have newfound enthusiasm and interest in making the relationship work.
Money & Career (Reversed)
In a career context, the Four of Cups reversed indicates that you have been going through a period of stagnation in your career which is about to suddenly change. You will be aware of the opportunities that are opening up to you. The Fours of Cups in a reversed position sees you taking a proactive approach to improving your career and finances. You are focused and full of positivity energy, ready to go out and get what you want. You may be feeling grateful for what you have after a period of being overly focused on what you didn’t have and being jealous or envious of others.
Health (Reversed)
In a health context, the Four of Cups Tarot card in a reversed position shows you feeling re-energised and positive. Know that if health issues have been dragging you down, things are about to change. If you have been letting health issues affect you outlook on life in general or stop you from doing things, your focus and outlook should become much more positive when this card appears and you will find new enthusiasm for life.
Spirituality (Reversed)
In a spiritual context, the Four of Cups reversed indicates that you are ready to break out of the spiritual rut you’ve been in. You are ready to let go of the remorse, regrets and what ifs of the past and focus on the beauty and positivity that is all around you. This can only mean good things for your spiritual path as you begin to live an attitude of gratitude and take a proactive approach to discovering your spiritual path.
Reference:
Labyrinthos, 2019, 10/31/19, (https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/four-of-cups-meaning-tarot-card-meanings)
Lisa, 2019, 10/31/19, (https://www.thetarotguide.com/four-of-cups)