The Four of Pentacles is one of those tarot cards that immediately evokes the same easy response from most tarotists. Almost everyone sees selfishness and greed within this card.

Eden Gray called the Four of Pentacles “The Miser”.

Those who practice Law of Attraction see a dangerous “lack mentality” in the Four of Pentacles.

Very often, the Four of Pentacles can speak of the insecurity that comes from the real or imagined fear that you won’t have the resources you need, or that others will try to take those resources from you.

I once read for the very possessive boyfriend of a young woman I knew. The Four of Pentacles appeared in the spread position designated as “love and romance”. Clearly, this young man feared losing his girlfriend. In the end, that fear and its manifestations drove her away from him. As soon as I saw the Four of Pentacles in that particular position it was clear to me that his fear would become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

What I learned from that reading is that the Four of Pentacles is not just about money, or material resources. The Four of Pentacles can speak of selfishness, jealousy, and hoarding behaviors. The resources in question can be anything a person finds valuable, either tangible or intangible. This asks us to stretch the limiting idea that the suit of Pentacles, or the element of Earth, will always refer to only tangible things.

Over time I learned there is even more to discover within the Four of Pentacles.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles is about creating healthy boundaries. It is true that, very often, when we set boundaries, others may accuse us of selfishness.

This means that the selfishness inherent in the Four of Pentacles may apply to the querent, or it may be something of which others accuse the querent.

The Four of Pentacles may appear to tell us that someone in question is being miserly or possessive. The Four of Pentacles may tell us that we need to look at our own fears of poverty or loss.

The Four of Pentacles may also tell us to conserve our resources. It may be time to save rather than spend.

The Four of Pentacles may also serve as a reminder to enforce good boundaries with others around us, even if the people with whom we set those boundaries think we are being selfish.

Any time we start to think about any tarot card as having a simple go-to meaning, there is always an opportunity to look deeper and find more. When we look deeper, what we find within the Four of Pentacles is the push-pull relationship between the need for prudence and the fear of poverty. When we see this card, we might be best to refrain from automatically assuming that the person in question is being selfish. Rather, we might instead explore whether boundaries need to be set, whether prudence is justified, and if and where fear of lack or loss is an issue.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles can be the greatest advocate for self-care. in the Crowley-Harris Thoth Tarot, the Four of Disks is the Lord of Earthly Power. Perhaps a deeper meditation on this card when it appears in a reading can help us understand how we can best cultivate and use our power wisely.