Four of Coins
Keywords
Protection, conservation, preservation, safety
Range of Meaning
Light: Saving for a rainy day. Fasting as part of a spiritual practice. Dieting in an effort to improve your body. Abstaining from sex as a way of honoring a spiritual tradition or personal promise. Being financially conservative. Establishing a trust fund. Opening a savings account.
Shadow: Being stingy. Refusing to spend money that needs to be spent. Withholding sex from your partner. Taking care of your own needs exclusively, without regard for the needs of others. Spending a dollar to save a penny. Failing to be a good manager of the blessings you've been given.
Correspondences
Numerology: 4 (The Status Quo: stability, equality, persistence)
Astrology: Sun in Capricorn
Affirmation: “I use my resources wisely.”
Story: The Main Character must carefully manage a resource—time, money, people—in order to succeed.
Advice
Relationships. Seek balance in both physical and financial matters. Too much spending and too much sex leave everyone feeling exhausted and dazed. Too little spending and too little sex starve the soul, making everyone bitter. The healthier the relationship, the more generous the spirits of those involved.
Work. Conservation makes sense—and can keep an effort afloat, even in difficult times. Taken to extremes, though, short-sighted savings can alienate customers and shatter opportunities. Every short-cut and every opportunity to save has a cost. Be sure your approach is appropriate for the time.
Spirituality. A stingy spirit hampers growth. You simply cannot give more than the Universe can return! Let love, compassion, and interest in others flow freely. Share insights and personal stories. Open yourself to new experiences, new companions, and new points of view. Review your charitable contributions; is it possible to give more?
Personal Growth. A mature person elects to be responsible for both the body and the bottom line. Try to understand better how your actions impact both your health and your wealth. Rather than obsess on restriction, think in terms of your goal. With it in mind, what actions are appropriate?
Fortune Telling. A rainy day is coming—it’s time to save.
When? Between January 10th and 19th.
Symbols and Insights
The Stingy King. By definition, the King owns it all; on many RWS-influenced cards, we see a ruler who takes this idea to extremes. His possessions are (literally) on his mind and close to his heart; they also anchor his feet to the ground. How might greed or stinginess be distorting your perspective today?
Reaching Limits. It’s possible to acquire so much, you render yourself incapable of receiving anything more. By letting something go you no longer need, you might open the door for new blessings.
Resisting Change. Sometimes we’re so intent on preserving what we have, we miss opportunities to have more. How might a blind dedication to protection be limiting your life?
The Marseilles Image. Four Coins surround an official seal. In your situation, what do the “authorities” have to say about your physical or financial situation? Are their verdicts designed to protect you—or their own authority?
Questions to Ask
- What factors determine how conservative or generous you are?
- What kinds of things must be preserved at all costs?
- When is greediness or stinginess a good trait to have? When might generosity work against you?