Pentacles · minor arcana · Earth
The Four of Pentacles tarot card meaning: upright, holding on tightly for security; reversed, letting go, generosity, or overspending after a period of restraint. Its Rider–Waite picture shows four pentacles.
Waite, Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911; Golden Dawn, Book T.
Holding on tightly for security. Saving and protecting resources is sensible — until it becomes control or fear of loss.
The Four of Pentacles is security and control: saving, holding on tightly and protecting what you have — sometimes too tightly. It is the card of the careful saver who will not take a risk — wise up to a point.
Letting go, generosity, or overspending after a period of restraint.
Reversed, the grip loosens: letting go, generosity, or swinging into overspending. Hoarding time, money or affection can leave you isolated.
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Primary source
“The surety of possessions, cleaving to that which one has, gift, legacy, inheritance.”
“Suspense, delay, opposition.”
The Four of Pentacles sits where the Fours row crosses the Pentacles column; its cell shows Sun in Capricorn, the Book T decan.
How this card is built
Golden Dawn correspondences
In Book T (1888) the Four of Pentacles is the Sun in Capricorn: the third decan of Capricorn, 20°–30°. In 2026 the Sun passes through it from Jan 10 to Jan 20, (UTC).
| Book T decan | Sun in Capricorn |
|---|---|
| Zodiac span | 20°–30° Capricorn decan 3 of 3 |
| Sun in this decan, 2026 | Jan 10 – Jan 20, 2026 UTC |
| Sign | Capricorn Sun there Dec 21, 2026 – Jan 20, 2027 |
| Other decans of Capricorn | Two of Pentacles Jupiter, 0°–10° Three of Pentacles Mars, 10°–20° |
| Major arcana card of Capricorn | The Devil |
The Capricorn page lists the modern decan rulers (Saturn, Venus, Mercury); Book T keeps the older Chaldean order — Jupiter, Mars, Sun.
Data, not interpretation
The Four of Pentacles is drawn on June 27, October 19 and December 8, every time upright. With three draws it ranks joint 51st of 78, level with 11 other cards. The longer of its two gaps runs from June 27 to October 19, 114 days. Not one lands during its decan.
The image
A crowned man sits with a coin clutched to his chest, another balanced on his head and two more under his feet, with a city behind him.
Upright, possessiveness or holding back emotionally. Reversed, opening up and letting go.
They are cautious and protective of their feelings.
Financial caution, budgeting or resistance to change in business. Saving and financial security; avoid being too tight-fisted.
Maybe. Upright it is a maybe, and reversed the spread leans it toward no. It has little company among the Pentacles, where only 3 of the 14 say maybe. Among the other Fours, the Four of Wands says yes and the Four of Cups says no, while the Four of Swords also says maybe.
Health: like every card of Pentacles, it points to the body itself, routine and material conditions. The suit of Pentacles →
If you drew it today
Protect what matters, and loosen your grip on what does not.
How neighboring cards change the reading of the Four of Pentacles →
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
AstroHot. “Four of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed.” Accessed October 27, 2026. https://astrohot.com/tarot/cards/four-of-pentacles/
{{cite web |title=Four of Pentacles Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed |url=https://astrohot.com/tarot/cards/four-of-pentacles/ |website=AstroHot |access-date=2026-10-27}}
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