Four of Coins shows a man tightly holding onto his possessions. On the positive side, we can say that he has been able to attain a position of status, health, and prosperity, and his situation is very stable and secure. He's also quite self-sufficient. On the other hand, his posture seems awfully defensive. He is afraid he might lose what he gained, valuing it above all else. And because he's so concerned with keeping things still and unchanging, he has no freedom whatsoever. He's not investing or spending or sharing - he's not even really enjoying what he has. All he can do is just sit there.

 

Sometimes this conservative strategy is a good one to follow. Good opportunities may be scarce, you might want to build up some savings, it might not be a good time for risk-taking. If you're a spendthrift or a shopaholic, it would probably do you good to be more like the man in Four of Coins.

 

The sad thing is that Four of Coins is at its best motivated by fear, and at its worst motivated by sheer possessiveness and greed. These are qualities that do not have a positive effect on the people around you, and they also make yourself miserable. Research shows that caring about status, fame, power, and material possessions consistently has a negative impact on happiness, while generosity and sharing have a positive impact. If we take this card to be about actual material possessions, you probably have to continue working hard for the rest of your life to generate an income to sustain this standard of living, a prisoner of the status quo. Of course, Four of Coins doesn't have to be about money and status. People can also be possessive of other people; jealous and demanding in their relationships. Here again, fear often plays a major role. And it is letting go of that fear - and reconsidering your priorities - which can help us better deal with these tendencies.