IV of Pentacles
Keywords: control, stability, security, grounded, reality-focused, down to earth, conservative, cautious materialism, miserliness, greed, close-minded, stuck, emotionally distant, resistant to change, focused on work and money
Reversed: unstable, out of control, releasing control, surrender, connection with spirit, spending generously, wasting money on trivialities, outside of your comfort zone, ungrounded
Associated card: The Emperor
The IV of Pentacles is about grounding and connecting fully with the physical world. The Pentacles represent Earth energy, the world of all that is tangible- this computer, that tree, those people over there. All of the things that can be assessed with the five senses of touch, smell, sight, hearing, and taste. The number four is numerological representative of stability. It is the square that solidly plants itself in reality. The IV of Pentacles is a reminder to be physically connected to reality. When the IV of Pentacles appears in a reading, it asks you to question how you can bring yourself back to reality? How can you keep yourself grounded in the physical world you inhabit?
The IV of Pentacles is often perceived as a somewhat “negative” card, because it can signify miserliness, greed, and close-minded resistance to change. It is often about making money, working to further your career, and valuing possessions over everything else in life. These are not concepts we generally put a high value on in the tarot business world. The card can come as a warning not to value money over all else. Money cannot buy you emotional security and your possessions do not define you. The old expressions "you can't take it with you" comes to mind, as a warning when this card shows up in your reading. Materialism can be the opposite of being grounded.
When I see the dragon in the IV of Pentacles from the Shadowscapes Tarot above, I notice his tail turning to gold. This could be a sign of money taking possession of him, but it can also be seen as the golden value of being connected with the Earth. The dragon ages and dies and slowly decays, and that whole cycle adds value to the Earth and to the dragon. So this is a perfect time to ask yourself whether you are too closely identified with possessing the earth, rather than being a part of the earth. There may be a need to be cautious or conservative in your approach. If you have been working extra hard for security and peace of mind in your financial situation, know that you have achieved that goal now, and don't go overboard. You don't have to keep working overtime or seeking further promotions at work. Perhaps you have found just the right comfort spot for yourself and can rest easy for a while.
The IV of Pentacles from the Wild Unknown Tarot easily depicts the sense of interconnectedness that I’m talking about between yourself and the physical world of the senses. Appreciating that interconnectedness and deeply experiencing it can bring color and value to your life. When you draw the IV of Pentacles in a reading, check your money attitude for sure, but also check your reality-o-meter. Are you living in a cloud? Are you ignoring important physical truths? We are here on Earth, in this reality, for a reason, so don’t discount this physical world in search of a higher truth. You will find that truth here. Think about how your body feels, reacts, grows, and diminishes in vitality with the seasons. Get in touch with the comfort that security and stability in your body evokes in you. Paying careful attention to your physical health will increase your mental contentment as well.
The IV of Pentacles reversed:
The IV of Pentacles reversed can indicate that you are ready to release control and surrender to fate at this time. These actions may be somewhat out of your comfort zone, but life is about taking risks. You cannot grow as a person if you do not think outside of the box a little bit and try new things. You will benefit from thinking less about your money in terms of watching it pile up, and think more about what that money can create in the world. Spend generously on others who are in greater need than you, especially if those people or projects you invest in are helping the earth, nature, or our environment.
You may be feeling slightly ungrounded, or disconnected from the earth with the IV of Pentacles reversed. This could mean a stronger connection to spirit, an emphasis on thinking or feeling, or just a general ignorance of your physical needs. Make sure you pay special attention to your body when this card comes up in a reading. You could be neglecting your physical health, especially if you are focusing too much on work and not enough time on self care, exercise, and your diet. Bring your attention to your body and ask it if it is feeling vibrant, how you can align your energy with your physical well-being, and what will nourish and nurture you at this time.
The reversed IV of Pentacles can also denote a sense of wildness. Things are out of control. You are feeling uncomfortable or unstable with your work, financial situation, or the direction your career is heading. It could be that your employment is not secure. You may find that you have been wasting your money on things that do not bring meaning or joy into your life. Remember, that things do not buy happiness. Happiness is not for sale. If you want to bring order and security back into your world, write down all the things you really need to survive. Pull your mind away from material objects, think of just the bare minimum. Then focus in on the relationships, experiences and feelings that you want to bring into your life. Balancing these elements of your life will help you deal with the insecurity of the IV of Pentacles reversed.
The IV of Pentacles in a Relationship Reading
Asking the questions: Should I stay or should I go?
The IV of Pentacles gives you a clear message of stability and security in your relationship. Things are set. This is a closed loop. You’re solid, committed, and have a steady way of being together. But you’re wondering if you want things to continue like this long-term or if you’d like to make a change. Your partner want to stay together but you can’t help feeling like perhaps things are stale or too routine. Now whether you should stay or you should go depends on how you yourself interpret the messages of the IV of Pentacles. You need to know why you are considering leaving. What goal does leaving accomplish? What are you trying to express within yourself by leaving?
One likely reason that you want to leave is that you feel like you’re ready to grow and evolve and the relationship is holding you back. Your partnership is stale, set in a pattern, not pushing you to grow. You’ve asked your partner to step it up and do some evolving work with you but they are not up for it, perhaps they don’t even understand the ask. Everything is great, why change? It seems obvious to you that life is about growth and people can’t just stay the same forever. You feel that in order to take your personal evolution to the next level, you’ll need to be with a different person who can do this work with you. Or you think that the process of finding a different partner will help you figure things out about you and push you to grow. Either way, you want to work with others on a romantic level to grow and evolve.
Another way of looking at this scenario is that you have a solid partnership that you don’t have to worry about disrupting you or disturbing your efforts to grow and evolve as a person. You’re committed, loving, and all set when it comes to romance, so you have time to focus on other aspects of your life, like your personal growth. Your partner can stay the same and you can grow. They will give you the space to do that and love you through your explorations and hard work of self discovery. Perhaps you will work with people on a non-romantic level to do this work, like a counselor or a spiritual group. You will be the kind of person who still loves and stays committed to their current partner even has you grow and change.
Now which of these scenarios sounds more appealing or more intuitively “right” to you? The IV of Pentacles offers you the idea that both are acceptable and on offer, it’s a matter of what you want your life to look like going forward. Do you want to get out of a stagnant romantic situation and use the social power of other romantic interests or pursuits to assist you in your personal development? Or do you want to use the stability of your current romantic situation to act as solid ground as you shift and grow other dimensions of your life? The choice is yours and you can take all the time you need to think about and feel into what is the right direction for you going forward. The IV of Pentacles doesn’t rush or hurry you along, it lets you sit comfortably and work out this situation in your our way and on your own timeframe.