Four of Wands - four pillars of success?

[firemaiden]

I think of the four of coins as being about the solid foundation. I guess both fours could be about foundation... but how to differentiate? --maybe the coins hold the foundation on the earth, and the wands are the structures like pillars which reach for the sky? or the tent stakes which pin reality down...

 

[TemperanceAngel]

FM, I see the fours as 'stability and structure' or lack of it. Wands as growth, amongst other things and I often think the Four of Wands is a culmination of efforts and manifestations: the seeds that were planted have now grown and it is time to reap (or is it reep?) ones harvest aka rewards....a culmination of success one might say
Efforts being rewarded, but with that 'what's the next stage/step?'

Tht's why I would see this card as engagement, and not marriage.

XTAX

 

[Thirteen]

Quote:Originally posted by firemaiden
I think of the four of coins as being about the solid foundation. I guess both fours could be about foundation... but how to differentiate?

The difference is that 4/coins isn't about a solid foundation--it's about having a lot, and being afraid of letting any of it go. In romance, this means you've GOT the one you love--but you want them to stay at home, with you, all the time. In business, this means a successful business, but you're afraid to branch out, to spend money. In career this means you're successful, but you're not going to share any secrets to that success, they're yours and yours alone.

You get the idea.

This is very different from working so VERY hard to create a solid relationship with the one you love. Living together, working out differences together--to the point where you feel that YES, it's time to tie the knot. Or building up your career to the point where you feel, YES, from here, you can get to the top.

Think of it this way: 4/Coins: a guy sells baked goods out of his home. Suddenly, his business takes off. His special cookies and cakes are in demand. He makes tons of money. "Why not use all that money to invest it in bakery?" someone asks. "No way!" He answers. "If I do that, I may lose it all! This money stays here, and I'll keep selling out of my house." Very frugal.

4/Wands is the opposite. A man says, "I want to open a bakery!" So he gets a small business loan for the bakery and the equiptment, he interviewes and hires employees to work behind the counter, he puts out advertising, works on the recipes....months and months of setting everything up. And now, everything is baked up and on display, the employees are in place and....4/Wands. Time to open the doors and see what this baby can do. And if they did everything right, laid a strong foundation, then that business will do well.

See the difference? But if "Foundation" is throwing you off, let's try this. A writer who's been sending out their first novel--and getting repeated rejections--comes to me and asks, "Will I ever be a famous author?" They get 4/Wands. I say, "That novel you've been sending out--someone's going to publish it."

Now that's not their ultimate goal. Their ultimate goal is to be a "Famous Author"--but the first essential and important step to achieving that is, well, to get published. And they'll certainly celebrate that first publication. 4/Wands. The first, important step to achieving your ultimate goal has been reached. Like getting to the first plateau on a climb up to the mountain top. There are many more steps to go, including setbacks and victories, but you can take a minute, rest and celebrate that first modest, but all important achievement.

 

[Macavity]

I always think more of contractual completions - not very romantic! For the Thoth deck, I generally supposed the latter comes from the astrology... Venus in Aries (ruler Mars) etc.

Macavity

 

[contrascarpe]

I think it's interesting that the word "foundation" was brought up here ...... I pull a card a day with the Sacred Circle deck and my card today was the Three of Wands. The keyword on this particular card is foundation. Just shows how different interpretations can go with different decks.

 

[miss_apples]

The four of wands came up as the present position in one of my readings one day. I was using the Gendron tarot. In the card I saw the usual happy couple...but then I looked and standing to the side was a woman and she was looking down at her feet like she felt left out. I realized that woman was me!

So...with that...on the negative/down side...can the four of cups mean that theres a party going on without you?

 

[WalesWoman]

What I like about the tarot, especially Wands is the progession, Ace, a guy follows his dream and decides to start baking, the two of wands is success, but his house just seems to be too small, so maybe he needs a loan to increase his abilities or needs something from outside to improve his business and starts looking for a new location, the three of Wands is very much the man who's bread and goodies are selling like hotcakes and has decided to take the plunge and expand his business, the four of wands would definately be the grand opening of it ( really liked the way you explained this Thirteen.)

So basically how well you lay your foundations with the first three Wands will determine how you will fare with the inevitable difficulties you will encounter with the rest of the progression. Maybe 5 Wands would be competition with the other bakers down the street or even a Bake Off, 6 or Wands surviving the first few years of struggle and on and on until you reach the King?

I usually think of it as laying foundations, like graduation, or marriage or anything that is still in it's early stages of development, something to rejoice and celebrate about.