The figure stubbornly refuses to accept the cup offered to him. Fixated on the three cups ahead of him, which may be out of reach, he must overcome his self-absorption through introspection, and a re-evaluation of his north star.
| Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|
| apathy, contemplation, feeling disconnected, melancholy, boredom, indifference, discontent | clarity, awareness, acceptance, choosing happiness, depression, negativity |
The Four of Cups displays a young man sitting under a tree on a mountaintop, far from others. He seems to be in contemplation and meditation. In front of him are three cups laying on the grass while another cup is being offered to him by a hand in the air. The man has crossed his hand and legs, and he is looking down at the three cups, unimpressed, such that he cannot see the cup being presented to him by the stretched arm.
The Four of Cups represents our tendency to take for granted the things that we have, making it hard for us to see what treasures the universe presents us with. We tend to have the answers to our troubles right around us, but we tend to focus too much on what we do not have.
Reversed
While in the upright four of cups, you may be suffering from apathy and ignore the opportunities that the universe offers you, the reversed four of cups signals the desire to have a new start.
The sudden awareness of the transient beauty of life may strike you now, while previously you may have been too deeply disconnected from yourself to see it. You are coming to the understanding that though life is not perfect, there is beauty in it, and joy comes from choosing to see this beauty.
Embrace new ideas, new people and new places; because you never know where these adventures can take you. Many may miss these chances because they are too confined in their own beliefs and ambitions.
In love
You may be exiting a time of withdrawal and contemplation with the reversed 4 of Cups tarot love meaning, and you may be becoming more active in your romantic life again, this time, with a better understanding and appreciation for what it brings you. If you are recovering from a breakup, you may be just starting to let go of past suffering, and the future seems full of promise. Be excited for what the future brings you. With a better understanding of what you want and who you are, the potential loves that you encounter now can be refreshingly different.