The Four of Cups card is about feeling so unfulfilled and bored with your life that you’ve become blind to the many gifts and opportunities right in front of you. The only cure for your apathy is looking inward to identify your core values and desires, and identifying and acknowledging the good inspiring things in your life.
Here you’re asked to bring this new sense of identity to life with passion and enthusiasm, no matter what anyone else thinks. Review your core values and check in with yourself emotionally before accepting new opportunities that come your way.
The reversed Four of Cups card can be a sign that you’re coming out of a period of isolation and contemplation. You’ve been retreating to your inner world to recharge, meditate, and ground yourself, but now you’re ready to reemerge, or you will be soon.
The reversed Four of Cups can also show that you’re starting to notice and appreciate the beauty in life again. The simple things might have escaped your attention before, but now you’re looking at them with fresh eyes and newfound appreciation. This is an outlook you can apply to your relationships, career, or creative projects to bring the spark of life and excitement back to your daily routine.
Reading this reversed card using the “blocked/restricted” meaning
Alright, so let’s discuss how to read your reversed Four of Cups card. First, you can use the “blocked/restricted” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards like this, you look for an obstacle standing in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For The Four of Cups, this means something is blocking your contemplation and self-reflection. You’re not able to do this inner work because something is standing in your way. To get to your core values and beliefs, you must identify the hurdle.
Say you pull the reversed Four of Cups card while thinking about your home life. You live with a partner who balances you out in a lot of ways.
They’re a talkative extrovert, and you’re a quiet homebody. Your partner pushes you to make friends and go on adventures, so they’re good for you in a lot of ways. On the other hand, they’re loud, and they often fill your home with noise and excitement. This can make it hard to find a place for quiet self-reflection when you need it.
Here, the reversed Four of Cups card tells you it’s essential you find time and space for yourself and your peaceful reflection. Without it, you will burn out eventually or lose sight of your priorities.
Talk to your partner about designating a spot in your home for your quiet work—somewhere you can fully immerse yourself in your thoughts. If your place isn’t big enough, assign a period of “quiet time” to your schedule each day or week.
The home will be peaceful, and you can lose yourself in your mind without worry. Perhaps your partner will come to appreciate this downtime as well.
Reading this reversed card using the “opposite” meaning
You can also use the “opposite” card meaning to read your reversed Four of Cups card. When you read your cards this way, you’re looking for the opposite of the card’s upright meaning.
With the reversed Four of Cups, instead of apathy, boredom, and contemplation, you have passion, excitement, and thoughtlessness. Things are heating up and getting wild, but it’s important to stay grounded and keep your head on your shoulders.
For example, you might pull the reversed Four of Cups when thinking about your career. You’ve started a new job as a graphic designer for a successful startup. You’re learning a lot and the office environment is fun and upbeat.
But you also go out for drinks every night after work and sometimes even have a beer or two with lunch. Because you’re so comfortable being yourself, you’re often joking around with your co-workers and CEO and not watching what you say.
Here, the reversed Four of Cups card tells you it’s important to use your common sense in the workplace. This is a passionate and exciting office, but remember that you’re still at work. Just because things are relaxed doesn’t mean you should drop all office etiquette.
Getting sloppy every night with your co-workers and burnt out from beer at lunch can come back to bite you. So can those racy jokes. Use your head and discretion before things get out of hand. Focus your energy on the work rather than turning your office into a party.
Reading this reversed card using the “worse” meaning
Another way to read your reversed Four of Cups card is using the “worse” reversed card meaning. When you read your cards this way, you put the card’s upright meaning in a negative light.
So for The Four of Cups, this means your period of contemplation and self-reflection is causing some issues in your life. Maybe you’re getting so caught up in your head it’s keeping you from taking care of important tasks and obligations. Or maybe you’ve been ignoring those close to you.
Say you pull the reversed Four of Cups card thinking about a passion project you’re working on. You’re finally writing that novel, but it’s slow-going.
You’re caught up in your head all day and night, and you’re always thinking of your story. Even worse, you haven’t been spending time outside or with friends and family since you started.
They respect your need for alone time, but they’re worried and want to at least get together for lunch. Here, the reversed Four of Cups card reminds you not to ignore your friends and family completely.
Try getting out of your rut by taking them up on their offer for lunch and get out of your head for a bit. You need to reemerge and expose yourself to the excitement of the outside world to gain inspiration for your book, too. You won’t have anything interesting to write about if you’re living a boring life!
Reading this reversed card using the “no/not” meaning
You can also use the “no/not” card meaning to read your reversed Four of Cups card. When you look at your cards like this, you put a “no” or a “not” in front of the card’s upright meaning.
For The Four of Cups, this means “no clarity” or “no awareness.” You don’t know how you’re feeling about a situation and you’re ignoring your inner desires or the surrounding circumstances.
You might pull the reversed Four of Cups card thinking about your family. Your grandparents are from Greece, and they own a popular diner downtown. Your father cooks there, and your mom comes in every day for lunch.
The restaurant is the core of your entire family, and you’ve worked in the kitchen every summer since you were a kid. Now that you’ve graduated college with a business degree, your grandfather has been suggesting you take over.
You always knew this was a possibility, but now that the opportunity is in front of you, you’re hesitating. You’ve been looking at entry-level positions in the tech world that seem very exciting.
Here, the reversed Four of Cups card tells you to practice deep meditation to understand your desires. Don’t rush into accepting your grandfather’s offer.
You don’t have to go into the family business if it doesn’t align with your personal values and the life you want to build. Investigate career opportunities for your degree and find some people who can mentor you and help you decide your next steps.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll use your business degree to help take the family business in a new direction. Or maybe you’ll go off on your own. Only you can know what is right for you and your future goals.