Renaissance Tarot (Jones / Lyle) - 4 of Cups

Sulis

A figure sits huddled in the middle of this card. He has his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms are wrapped around his knees.
The background colour is a lovely pale blue and a golden cup stands in each corner of the card.

He looks withdrawn and as if he is trying to feel safe.

Fours are stable.
They give us walls and boundaries as well as foundations.
They are logical and disciplined.
They give us a pause, a chance to consolidate what we've done so far.
They're the sort of pause that we don't want to stay too long in because we know that we'll get stuck.

Cups contain and represent the element of water.
Water likes to flow.
It also likes to sit still but not for too long or it becomes stagnant and smelly.
Water is reflective and takes on the form of whatever vessel holds it.

Water and Earth together make mud.
Water and Earth don't seem to me to work that well with each other.

This card says that we have emotional stability and that's a good thing but too much of a good thing is bad. Too much emotional stability can make us feel stuck, withdrawn, bored, as if we need to break free and start to flow again.

So this guy feels safe but maybe safety isn't what he needs, maybe he needs to get up and stretch himself, take a few chances and live a bit.
 

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Papageno

Sulis said:
Fours are stable.
They give us walls and boundaries as well as foundations.
They are logical and disciplined.
They give us a pause, a chance to consolidate what we've done so far.
They're the sort of pause that we don't want to stay too long in because we know that we'll get stuck.

Cups contain and represent the element of water.
Water likes to flow.
It also likes to sit still but not for too long or it becomes stagnant and smelly.
Water is reflective and takes on the form of whatever vessel holds it.

Water and Earth together make mud.
Water and Earth don't seem to me to work that well with each other.

such a contrast to the outstreched figure of the 4/coins.

yep, stagnation and putrification, lack of flow.........lack of sunshine, the 4's can also be tomb-like as we discussed on the 4/swords thread.
I love this, it's so perfect.

mud.......that's a really interesting observation, but mud makes bricks which builds foundations........or should we read this as being unable to make muddy waters clear?
 

Little Baron

I love your 'stuck in the mud' association Sulis. That's great.

LB
 

Enchanted

This card really encapsulates that "four of cups" feeling for me. Withdrawn, closed off from what is around you, melancholy and brooding. Being emotionally stagnant and not open to anything.

The four cups are all the same, nothing looks appealing or different. I really like what you said Sulis about this guy needing to stretch himself and take a few chances. He just doesn't seem to know how or what to do.

I love the association with mud, and being stuck in the mud. Sometimes this card feels like quicksand, the more you struggle against these feelings of apathy, because it is annoying to feel ho-hum, the faster you sink, maybe by being still, allowing himself to feel this way, he can discover what it is that is really causing these feelings and make the appropriate movement, instead of grabbing blindly at whatever comes along, hoping that will change things.
 

WooMonkey

I was struck by how familiar the figure looks to that on the 9 Swords. The cups are not threatening however, but he still will not reach for one. Perhaps he's been hurt before, and is scared to try again. Maybe he's waiting for a sure thing (he could be waiting for a long time!).