A man sits under a tree, arms crossed, his gaze downward. Three cups are at his feet; one emerges from a cloud. Four of Cups is about emotional stability. But since the essence of emotion is that it stirs us, this card is generally interpreted in a negative way: the situation is not so much stable as stagnant. The man is dissatisfied with his three cups, taking them for granted. As Aldous Huxley wrote, "Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted." At the same time, he is not seizing the opportunity for change. Perhaps he is too preoccupied, too cynical, too stubborn, or too fearful to do so.

 

In a sense, the problem in Four of Cups is opposite to that of Four of Wands. That card is about a happy stability, with the danger of it leading to unproductive complacency. This card, in contrast is about an unhappy stagnancy, and the danger of throwing away a good thing because of ungratefulness and apathy. Four of Cups doesn't say, 'go find something else that does interest you', because that would be a temporary solution at best. The fault is not with the cups. People don't feel bored because there is nothing interesting to do; they feel bored because they are unable to generate interest for anything. 

 

If we want to deal with these kinds of feelings, we must first accept that no interest stays shiny and new forever. After a while, relationships may get stuck in a rut. Spontaneous whims may be just that. We will either have to work hard to renew our feelings, or (because of course that is always an option) come to the conclusion that we'd better follow our hearts elsewhere. Either way, we need to actively work towards real contentment. Let your dissatisfaction be a motivation instead of something that holds you back.