Alright, let’s get into the Four of Cups. This one’s shown up for me quite a bit over the years, sometimes in readings, sometimes just reflecting on things. It’s not exactly the most exciting card, you know?
When I first started learning tarot, I remember pulling this card and just feeling… stuck. You see the person sitting under the tree, arms crossed, looking kinda bored or grumpy. There are three cups in front of them, looking perfectly fine, but they’re not paying attention. Then there’s this fourth cup being offered, seemingly out of nowhere, and they’re ignoring that too. My first thought was always, “What’s this person’s problem? Cheer up, look what’s being offered!”
Getting Past the Surface
But just looking at it like that didn’t really help me understand it. I had to actually sit with it. I started thinking about times I felt like that guy under the tree. You know, when you’re just feeling flat, maybe a bit sorry for yourself, or just plain uninterested in anything. You might have good things around you, people trying to help or new opportunities popping up, but you’re just not feeling it. You’re stuck in your own head, maybe focused on what you don’t have or what went wrong before.
I remember a time, years back, I was really down about my job. Hated it, felt stuck, underappreciated, the whole deal. I spent weeks just moping, complaining to anyone who would listen, basically living in that Four of Cups energy. My focus was entirely on how bad things were. During that time, an old colleague reached out, mentioned a potential opening at their company. It wasn’t my ‘dream job’ on paper, but it was different, maybe better.
What Happened Next
You know what I did? I basically ignored it. I mumbled something non-committal and changed the subject back to how awful my current job was. I was so wrapped up in being miserable that I couldn’t even see this potential way out being handed to me. It was like I wanted to stay unhappy because it felt familiar. It took me another few months of being miserable before I snapped out of it and actually started looking properly, but that specific opportunity was long gone.
Looking back, that was such a Four of Cups moment. I was the person under the tree, ignoring the cup being offered because I was too busy staring at the ones I already had (and wasn’t happy with) or just staring into space, lost in my own dissatisfaction.
How I See It Now
So now, when this card comes up, I don’t just see boredom or apathy. I see a reminder to check myself.
- Am I withdrawing too much?
- Am I stuck in a rut emotionally?
- Am I overlooking opportunities or gifts because I’m too focused on what’s wrong?
- Do I need a perspective shift?
It’s a call to look up, basically. To acknowledge the feelings of discontent or boredom, sure, but also to consciously scan the horizon and see if there’s a cup being offered that I might be missing. It’s about realizing that sometimes the way out of the funk is to accept something new, even if it doesn’t seem perfect at first glance. It’s a prompt to get out of my own head and engage with the world again, even if I don’t totally feel like it yet.
