According to The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, The Four of Cups as the following:
A young man is seated under a tree and contemplates three cups set on the grass before him; an arm issuing from a cloud offers him another cup. His expression notwithstanding is one of discontent with his environment."
Divinatory Meanings: Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations, as if the wine of this world had caused satiety only; another wine, as if a fairy gift, is now offered the wastrel, but he sees no consolation therein. This is also a card of blended pleasure.
Reversed: Novelty, presage, new instruction, new relations.
The Four of Cups suggests a weariness with things as they are right now. The figure on the card has three cups in front of him, but he looks disappointed with them. A magical, new cup is offered to him from out of nowhere, but still, he is unhappy. Perhaps on another day he would be thankful to have these cups, but today, they are not enough for him.
Keeping Passion Alive
Sometimes, things that once satisfied or thrilled us can leave us feeling unenthused. Maybe at age five you would have been over the moon to receive four whole cups of apple juice, but now, you would feel a bit nauseous at the thought of imbibing so much.
But what happens when the things we become weary of were once profoundly important to us? What if we had a deep passion for making apple juice, and now we couldn’t care less about it?
We cannot tell what it is that is making the Four of Cups figure weary, but you can likely tell what it is for you (hint: it’s probably not apple juice). Take a moment and ask yourself if there are things you once loved that you have convinced yourself to ignore.
The Damage We Do to Our Passions
Our passions will ebb, flow, and morph as we age. This is natural. What is not natural, however, is to talk yourself out of feeling true passion. To damage your passions is to damage your sense of self, as passion can be a huge part of identity. While it may not seem too calamitous to damage a hobby, it likely seems tragic to damage your character.
There are many reasons for us to try to convince ourselves that our passions are not worth pursuing. Maybe you haven’t made the progress you wanted to make already, or your passion is not “practical”. An outside influence may have suggested that you were wasting your time. Outside influences are often involved in the deterioration of passions, but if it is not their passion, then how could they possibly know its worth?
Today, make a conscious decision to not direct any further damage to your passions. Reflect on any interests you have been neglecting. Pick one—ideally one that you notice makes you feel sad or wistful when you think of how you have neglected it—and dedicate fifteen minutes of your day to it.
We often feel like there isn’t enough time in our days, but you have more time than you imagine. A couple of minutes saved here and there around breakfast or lunchtime, and you can have your extra fifteen minutes by dinner. Take advantage of them.
From dusting off an old instrument to bringing out a sketchbook or rekindling a love of reading—you can foster your passion today however you choose. It doesn’t have to be a creative task; it just has to be one that you miss.
Keeping Weariness Out of Our World
It’s true that life has its ups and downs—its good times and its times of great strife. But if we must already do our best to stay positive when life throws its worst our way, why should we give in to the temptation to feel weary about the things that should bring us joy?
See the figure on the Four of Cups, watch him ignore the new cup that is offered to him, and act differently yourself. Take this reading as your new cup, and accept it. As you go about your day today, consciously direct energy to the things you love that have fallen by the wayside. Bring passion back into the forefront of your life.
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