Rider Waite Tarot » Minor Arcana » Suit of cups » Four of Cups

Four of Cups in the Rider Waite Tarot

Four of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot

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Four of Cups Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation

Minor Arcana
Arcana
Minor
Element Water
Element
Water
Planet Moon
Planet Cancer
Moon in Cancer

The Four of Cups is a card of introspection, temporary emotional withdrawal, emotional saturation or existential boredom. It does not represent intense suffering, but rather a feeling of emptiness or disconnection, as if what surrounds you no longer touches you. Yet in the image, a hand is holding out a cup to you: a new emotional beginning is possible, but you need to wake up from your torpor to see it. This card invites you to take a conscious pause, to observe your feelings, but without shutting yourself away. The danger here is emotional immobility, forgetting gratitude, or rejecting outstretched hands. The Four of Cups tells you: look closely – what you’re looking for may already be there, you just can’t see it yet. A gentle inner jolt can change everything.

RWS Tarot : Arcana Four of Cups readings

Love / Sentimental reading
with the card Four of Cups

In love, the Four of Cups indicates a period of emotional stagnation, temporary disinterest or emotional withdrawal. If you’re in a relationship, you or your partner may feel a kind of boredom, a loss of connection or a sense that emotions are on hold. This is not necessarily a major crisis, but rather a need to redefine what you want from the relationship. For singles, this card can show a lack of desire to open your heart, mistrust or emotional fatigue that prevents you from seizing opportunities for love, even if they present themselves. The message of the Four of Cups: something beautiful may be trying to reach you, but you can’t see it because you’re too inward-looking. It invites you to reconnect with your deepest desires, and to remain open to the possibilities.

Professional / Work reading
with the card Four of Cups

Professionally, the Four of Cups reflects emotional disengagement, a feeling of lack of motivation or an inner emptiness about work. You may have the impression that what you do no longer nourishes you, that projects lack meaning, or that the opportunities that present themselves don’t excite you. This card evokes a kind of routine that weighs you down, of professional disenchantment. However, it invites you to look around you: an opportunity could appear, but you don’t see it yet. The advice here is not to get stuck in passive waiting, but to dare to ask questions: what would make me tick again? What can I change in my daily life to bring back the soul? The Four of Cups tells you: it’s not the world that’s empty, it’s your vision that needs to be revitalised.

Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card Four of Cups

In the financial sphere, the Four of Cups signals latent dissatisfaction, a lack of interest in the solutions open to you, or a tendency to close yourself off out of fear or weariness. You may feel that you are making no progress materially, or that you no longer know how to bring your situation back into balance. However, this card suggests that help, an idea or an opportunity may be within your reach, but that you’re not noticing it, too focused on what’s not working. It invites you to change your perspective, not to turn down a chance simply because it’s not what you expected. It’s also a card for emotional wisdom when it comes to managing money: sometimes you need to take a step back to avoid making impulsive choices. It encourages you to think about the real value of what you already own.

Family reading
with the card Four of Cups

In the family sphere, the Four of Cups may indicate emotional estrangement, difficulty in expressing your feelings, or a period of temporary emotional coldness. You may feel a lack of understanding, listening or support, even if those around you are not necessarily malicious. Sometimes this card refers to unfulfilled expectations, or a feeling of being ‘disconnected’ from your family. It can also refer to a young person (a teenager, for example) who is closing in on him or herself. The advice is to welcome this need for introspection, without cutting the link. Warmth can return if we create a space for sincere dialogue, without pressure or judgement. This card reminds us that reconnection often begins with ourselves: by refocusing, we can reopen our hearts to those we love.

Spiritual reading
with the card Four of Cups

On a spiritual level, the Four of Cups is the card of inner refocusing, of a period of withdrawal needed to re-evaluate what you really feel. You may feel disconnected from your spiritual path, or experience an emotional low point or inner silence. But far from being negative, this moment encourages you to get back to basics, to listen to what’s stirring inside you, to let the void be filled so that a new light can enter. This is a card of purification through calm, of returning to yourself before the next stage of expansion. It’s telling you: let go of the outer turmoil, listen to what’s slowly rising within you. A new spiritual current may present itself – but to see it, you must first open your eyes and your heart.

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5-Card spread
Four of Cups and its positions in a 5-card draw.

Four of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Want to better understand how to interpret the card Four of Cups according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card Four of Cups in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.

Four of Cups 5-Card spread Rider Waite

In the same card series : Suit of cups

Ace of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Ace of Cups
Two of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Two of Cups
Three of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Three of Cups
Five of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Five of Cups
Six of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Six of Cups
Seven of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Seven of Cups
Eight of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Eight of Cups
Nine of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Nine of Cups
Ten of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Ten of Cups
Page of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Page of Cups
Knight of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Knight of Cups
Queen of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
Queen of Cups
King of Cups - Rider Waite Smith Tarot
King of Cups