4 of Pentacles

furiana

Description

Inside a dim room with one window, a brown-bearded man kneels in front of a large trunk. He's holding a gray bag by his left side. It looks like something heavy is inside, but the bag's flap covers the opening so the viewer can't see inside. In the man's right hand is a key, which he has inserted into the trunk's lock.

The trunk is mainly decorated with yellow metal on the edges. It also has a strip of metal that bisects the front, dividing the lid and the front into two sections each. Each section has a metal pentacle with a red background, four in all.


Personal thoughts
To me this card represents growth that's humble and slow, but SHOCKS you with how much it accumulates!

For example, when I was younger I saved one or two dollars at a time as I got paid for chores. I ended up with $70 to spend on a shopping spree with my best friend! I felt so good whenever I added to the pile; I would recount the money and admire how much I'd saved. It felt slow sometimes, but man, there was a lot in the end! :D

This card also makes me think of:
* long hair: imperceptible daily growth that takes you from baldness to butt-length hair
* retirement money that goes directly to savings, until you have thousands of dollars in the bank - even millions!
* flexibility that creeps up while you do daily stretches
* etc.
 

furiana

self-esteem and self-worth

You know, it occurred to me that self worth is a Four of Pentacles thing! At least, the process to develop self-esteem smacks of this card.

Basically, the slow accumulation of accomplishments builds up self-esteem until it becomes a long-lasting feeling. :) Jennifer Reitz describes the process beautifully, so go to her page for the rest of it. I dunno, I think it fits!
 

vhrsn

Hi to all,
Thanks for the description of the card! Yes, I see what you mean, or maybe you're taking new ideas and putting the rest away. In other words in terms of this card, it's about being able to keep things safe, I've allways seen it.
All the best,
Veronica
 

hopena

This card came up for me in a reading, along with the Two of Cups (I felt the need to choose both for one position). The reading was about my relationship with the boyfriend of a family member, a man who had brought a lot of strife into the household when visiting (he doesn't live in the States); we have clashed several times (I hardly ever get as angry as I've been with him).

I was nervous at the thought of being under the same roof as him, for more than a day, since my sister wanted him to visit for Christmas... as soon as I turned the cards over, I saw why I'd chosen both of them: The Two of Cups showed my wanting to be friends with him, to make peace and have everything go smoothly, but the Four of Pentacles showed my reluctance and my (over)protectiveness concerning my family.
 

hopena

Earlier on, the Four of Pentacles fell out as I shuffled, and it made no sense to me at first. I've only just realized that I have been making vegetable broth/stock, soup, and making juices and smoothies in advance (to refrigerate or freeze), in an effort to stop losing money to vegetables that end up going to waste, due to my stomach problem.

The man on the card holds a key to a treasure box: we really need to save money, and get a few things seen to (important things). It's a constant worry, and food always spoiling doesn't help matters. So this side of it isn't about greed: I stockpile food, hoping to cut down on trips into walmart during the week, and we all just want to save some money.
 

Disa

Although the man in this card has a key, it seemed to me at first that he was "picking the lock". There's something secretive about this card that I can't quite put my finger on.

I see he has a bag beside him and I'm assuming he is opening the lock so that he can put whatever is inside the bag, into the locked box.

His storage box(safe) is very ornately decorated, The golden scroll on the top of it has a red jewel on each side. There is also a little image of a face on the side. I cannot tell if it's a wooden box with golden trim, or if the trim is just a different color of wood that's intricately carved and placed. His clothing, on the other hand doesn't seem to be as fancy. He seems to be of the working class, but really appreciating fine workmanship and saving up every penny he can.

It does seem as though he is hoarding the money though, keeping it away from someone. He isn't spending the money on fancy clothes, so he may not want anyone to know he has it. The safe is in a barren room, no furniture, no rug, no pictures on the wall. I can't help but wonder if he isn't being a little too miserly with his money. Though it is a great quality to have, saving all your money means you aren't enjoying any of it.
 

Ann Yu

The safe is in a barren room, no furniture, no rug, no pictures on the wall. I can't help but wonder if he isn't being a little too miserly with his money. Though it is a great quality to have, saving all your money means you aren't enjoying any of it.

I love this idea.
In my opinion, the little face on the safe really strikes me. It looks miserable somehow, I think that it presents the man's face, or it can even be the safe's face. Both are so miserable to think how to keep the asset all the time. It's the face of worry of losing all money saved.
 

Yuliya

This card absolutely gives me the impression of something secret- stashed away, no one knows, keeping it out of sight (even the light reflected on the floor doesn't touch the safe box). The face on the corner of the chest (I can only assume there is a matching one on the other side) is a stern, grouchy, almost greedy-type creature looking at whomever is approaching, saying "this is mine, don't touch, go away, there is nothing to see here".
This man is stocking up, saving up, keeping a stash in case of a rainy day. A sense of security, a sense of having a back up plan, a plan B situation.
What I can't make out is something that almost appears to look like the blue planet/ball right above the chest... perhaps it's just meant to be a reflection of the wall, blue for calm- that it gives a sense of calm.