Western Tarot symbolism
Four of Pentacles
The source describes a crowned figure with a pentacle above the crown, another clasped in the arms and two beneath the feet. It summarises the action as holding to what one has and associates it with secure possessions and inheritance. The main reversed list gives delay and opposition. The supplementary list assigns pleasant news from a woman to a bachelor upright, and observation or hindrances reversed.
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In the sources
The card account
LiteraryThe source describes a crowned figure with a pentacle above the crown, another clasped in the arms and two beneath the feet. It summarises the action as holding to what one has and associates it with secure possessions and inheritance.
Comparing the lists
LiteraryThe main reversed list gives delay and opposition. The supplementary list assigns pleasant news from a woman to a bachelor upright, and observation or hindrances reversed.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. This entry follows that supplied edition’s card prose and supplementary lists. Historical divinatory assignments and period character labels are distinguished from the pictured symbolism and from independently supported judgements about people or future events.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
He holds to that which he has. Divinatory Meanings: The surety of possessions, cleaving to that which one has, gift, legacy, inheritance. Reversed: Suspense, delay, opposition.Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; card description, active reader leaf 144
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0144
- Original scan leaf
- 150
- Recorded leaf number
- 150
- Current Reader position
- 144
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
Four.—For a bachelor, pleasant news from a lady. Reversed: Observation, hindrances. Three.—If for a man, celebrity for his eldest son. Reversed: Depends on neighboring cards. Tivo.—TroublesOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; additional meanings, active reader leaf 152
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0152
- Original scan leaf
- 158
- Recorded leaf number
- 158
- Current Reader position
- 152
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ace of Pentacles
A cloud-borne pentacle raises a distinction between material prosperity and its benefit.
Shared source pageAce of Swords
A crowned sword represents force whose outcome is not uniformly favourable.
Shared source pageEight of Pentacles
Stone work supplies an image of craft that can be preparatory rather than complete.
Shared source pageFive of Pentacles
Two figures passing a lit window receive explicitly incompatible interpretations.