Could 4 of pentacles indicate secret relationship?

drprakertik

I was doing a reading for someone as the type of relationship someone wants one of the cards was 4 of pentacles.
Although 4 of pentacles talks about being possessive.
When i saw the card, I just thought could it indicate a secret relationship so I picked a clarification card and it was high priestess.
Now my suspicion is stronger as high priestess is all about secrets.

Even if 4 of pentacles alone cant indicate that what should be the surrounding cards?

What are your thoughts?
 

Grizabella

I haven't ever seen the 4 of Pentacles as the hint of an affair but in one sense I might. I might see the possessiveness and jealousy of a partner causing them to always be looking for and suspecting affairs. When one partner is exceedingly possessive and jealous, that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's a smothering form of love and that never works. Love is slowly choked out and the partner just can't stand to live that way anymore so they break the relationship off.

Many times we can fall into the trap of finding what we're looking for even when it isn't there. If we wonder whether or not there's cheating, we can read it into the cards that come up even if it isn't likely that the cards mean that.

I don't read on "is he/she cheating" so I don't look for it in my spreads. If I were to see it, though, it would require more than one card to speak that to me. :) As readers, we're never totally 100% right with readings and to tell someone their SO is cheating could do a whole lot of damage, from breaking up a family to even worse results.

For instance, I'd need to see something like 3 of Swords, 7 of Swords and Devil or something like that for me to wonder if there's cheating going on. Those cards together wouldn't always mean that. I've just given an example. :)
 

rwcarter

Moderator Note

Hi drprakertik,

You've listed the clarifier, but haven't actually interpreted it. Please edit your post to provide an interpretation or remove it from the post if you think it's not relevant to the question you've asked about a secret relationship.
 

FemaleRonin

If your intuition or immediate impression was that the 4 of pants meant a possible secret relationship than I would definitely not disregard it and given the fact that the clarifier also potentially reinforced that initial idea you got, I would say it's prolly a good idea to do a separate reading on what exactly the 4 of pents meant and if it was a secret relationship what does that entail? Maybe it's meaning to keep things low key, nothing "open" or social- maybe the person tends to be possessive and doesn't like sharing their partner with others per say. Maybe they don't feel comfortable with intimacy or opening themselves up sometimes because doing so would be a possibility of getting hurt so they don't let people in their hearts very easily, so that limits The openness and sharing between people. I usually get the feeling of someone who's quite possibly very selfish or deep seeded sense of fear/and or insecurity when this card comes up in romance. But there are of course more positive spins on it as well depending on other cards and context.

Those are some possible meanings I'd consider maybe and I also see them relating to the question but I would definitely do a spread for it separately to get more clarification and further insight.
 

headincloud

I think you may be looking from a warped perspective, you may be looking for deceit instead of reading what the cards say, self awareness is the first lesson of the tarot imho. 4P suggests problems or a blockage such as possessiveness but without the other cards it's impossible to put into context.
 

Curious1

The 4 of pence is very conservative - not a risk taker. An affair is very risky business, so I don't see the card as an affair.
 

drprakertik

If your intuition or immediate impression was that the 4 of pants meant a possible secret relationship than I would definitely not disregard it and given the fact that the clarifier also potentially reinforced that initial idea you got, I would say it's prolly a good idea to do a separate reading on what exactly the 4 of pents meant and if it was a secret relationship what does that entail? Maybe it's meaning to keep things low key, nothing "open" or social- maybe the person tends to be possessive and doesn't like sharing their partner with others per say. Maybe they don't feel comfortable with intimacy or opening themselves up sometimes because doing so would be a possibility of getting hurt so they don't let people in their hearts very easily, so that limits The openness and sharing between people. I usually get the feeling of someone who's quite possibly very selfish or deep seeded sense of fear/and or insecurity when this card comes up in romance. But there are of course more positive spins on it as well depending on other cards and context.

Those are some possible meanings I'd consider maybe and I also see them relating to the question but I would definitely do a spread for it separately to get more clarification and further insight.

This is exactly what I meant. Keeping the relationship hidden from other people.

A seperate reading would give more clarity.
Thank you for your insight.
 

drprakertik

I haven't ever seen the 4 of Pentacles as the hint of an affair but in one sense I might. I might see the possessiveness and jealousy of a partner causing them to always be looking for and suspecting affairs. When one partner is exceedingly possessive and jealous, that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's a smothering form of love and that never works. Love is slowly choked out and the partner just can't stand to live that way anymore so they break the relationship off.

Many times we can fall into the trap of finding what we're looking for even when it isn't there. If we wonder whether or not there's cheating, we can read it into the cards that come up even if it isn't likely that the cards mean that.

I don't read on "is he/she cheating" so I don't look for it in my spreads. If I were to see it, though, it would require more than one card to speak that to me. :) As readers, we're never totally 100% right with readings and to tell someone their SO is cheating could do a whole lot of damage, from breaking up a family to even worse results.

For instance, I'd need to see something like 3 of Swords, 7 of Swords and Devil or something like that for me to wonder if there's cheating going on. Those cards together wouldn't always mean that. I've just given an example. :)

I was not looking for cheating. Just the kind of relationship the person expects to have.
You are absolutely correct about not being sure 100% about the reading.
But you know sometimes the cards are spot on and you just know that it would not mean something else, even though each card is associated with variety of meanings specially with surrounding cards.
 

drprakertik

The 4 of pence is very conservative - not a risk taker. An affair is very risky business, so I don't see the card as an affair.

This is why i thought keeping the relationship secret from others would be easier than letting everyone know and inviting trouble.
 

drprakertik

Other cards in the reading suggested confused state of mind or rather having unclarity for a decisive action.
I always give more emphasis on the first card of the reading, kind of forming the base of the reading.