FOUR OF PENTACLES

• POSSESSIVENESS
• CONTROL
• BLOCKED CHANGE

ACTIONS

wanting to possess

keeping what you have
getting your share
acquiring material goods
hanging on to someone
being greedy
penny-pinching
declaring ownership
saving

maintaining control

wanting to be in charge
denying weakness
directing
demanding compliance
insisting on your own way
imposing structure
setting limits and rules
creating order

blocking change

maintaining the status quo
wanting everything to stay the same
refusing to look at new approaches
stagnating
obstructing new developments
holding on to the present
resisting the flow

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities

• Fool - being spontaneous, impulsive
• Empress - openhearted, lavish
• Wheel of Fortune - movement, rapid changes
• Hanged Man - letting go, not trying to control

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities

• Emperor - control, structure, order
• Chariot - control
• Two of Swords - stalemate, blockage
• Ten of Pentacles - liking the status quo, conserving

DESCRIPTION

Spend time with a 2-year-old, and you will soon hear the sounds of the Four of Pentacles: "No!" and Mine!" These are the cries of the ego, which is just developing in the young child. The ego tries to guarantee power by imposing its will. The desire for control is the hallmark of the Four of Pentacles.

Some control is valuable. In chaotic situations, a firm hand is needed to provide structure and organization. Too often, however, the urge for control gets out of hand, stifling creativity and individual expression. In readings, this card asks you to weigh carefully the level of control in your situation.

The Four of Pentacles can stand for issues of ownership. You may be involved in getting and keeping money or some other commodity. You may be having problems with possessiveness or jealousy. Use the energy of this card to preserve and defend, but not to lay claim. People need to be free to determine their own lives.

The Four of Pentacles also implies blocked change. It's as if the stubborn little man on the card is thwarting your every move. Opposition may come from those who want to maintain the status quo. It may also come from within yourself. Are you resisting change that is truly needed? We often cling to the familiar even when we know it's not for the best.

The lesson of the Four of Pentacles is that control is impossible. We stand in the world as in a great ocean. Who could manage or possess such power? The only way to keep from drowning is to ride the currents. The ocean will support us as long as we swim with the flow.

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