Tarot Journey with Leisa ReFalo

A dark haired man sits with crossed arms and legs under a tree. There are three cups in front of him. An white hand and arm emerging from a cloud is offering an new cup.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

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.

4 Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana

Four.–Contrarieties. Reversed: Presentiment.

The Recurrence of Cards in Dealing

In the Natural Position: 4 Threes = progress; 3 Threes = unity 2 Threes = calm.
Reversed: 4 Threes = great success; 3 Threes = serenity; 2 Threes = safety.

The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus; tr. A. P Morton, [1896]

Signification of the Four Series of Minor Arcana in the Divining Tarot

CUPS. Preservation. Love. Instruction.

FOUR. Serious obstacles to the love. They arise from other persons, not from the lovers.

The Tarot by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1888]

Meanings of the Cards

46. Four of Cups.–Ennui, Displeasure, Discontent, Dissatisfaction; R. New Acquaintance, Conjecture, Sign, Presentiment.

Additional Remarks

The following additional remarks may be serviceable to the to the inexperienced Cartomancer. They are chiefly taken from Etteilla.

46. Four of Cups.–The following cards might show what the displeasure or anxiety was about; the preceding cards, whence it originated.

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

Cancer III

A man a Hunter with his lance and horne, bringing out dogs for to hunt; the signification of this is the contention of men, the pursuing of those who fly, the hunting and possessing of things by arms and brawlings.

Picatrix the Goal of the Wise by Ghayat Al-akim

Book "T" The Tarot

LVI. The Lord of Blended Pleasure:
Four of Chalices

FOUR cups: the two upper overflowing into the two lower, which do not overflow. An Angelic Hand grasps a branch of lotus, from which ascends a stem bearing one flower at the top of the card, from which the white water flows into the two upper cups. From the centre two leaves pass right and left, making, as it were, a cross between the four cups. Above and below are the symbols Moon and Cancer for the Decan.

Success or pleasure approaching their end. A stationary period in happiness, which may, or may not, continue. It does not mean love and marriage so much as the previous symbol. It is too passive a symbol to represent perfectly complete happiness. Swiftness, hunting and pursuing. Acquisition by contention: injustice sometimes; some drawbacks to pleasure implied.

Chesed of HB:H (Receiving pleasure or kindness from others, but some discomfort therewith).

Therein rule the great Angels HB:HYYAL and HB:MVMYH.

Often the General signification of the Majority of a particular suit and of the particular signification of the either 3 of 4 cards of a sort in a reading:

• A Majority of Cups Pleasure, merriment.
• 4 Fours Rest, peace.
• 3 Fours Industry.