
Sometimes the images in the Smith Waite deck can give cards a bad rap.
The Four of Pentacles is a great example of this.
The dude in the picture looks like he’s clutching his money too tight. Like he’s possessive. Miserly. Reminiscent of Scrooge in The Christmas Carol.
He wants to own.
He wants to control.
He wants to prevent others from touching these gifts as well.
But it’s important to remember that every Tarot card has a positive, as well as a negative, implication.
The Four of Pentacles can also indicate the need to hold onto what you have. Or that you’ve made material gains that you deserve to take credit for!
Don’t assume just because the picture on a card looks ‘bad’ that its meaning should be taken this way. Smith and Waite would have had their own subconscious biases when designing them.
Would you agree?
