This card shows different ways of providing for oneself, from a healthy impulse toward survival and self-nurturance to an over-reliance on material things. The people at the well understand the necessity of taking care of themselves, yet they know they cannot do it alone. Honoring the life source that sustains them, they are able to give with generosity and receive with gratitude.

Then we have the miser, clinging jealously to what is hers. She fails to see her interdependence with the rest of the tribe: that her own survival and well-being are intimately bound up with others. Mistrusting, even amid abundance, she hoards her possessions and becomes a slave to them.

The Four of Pentacles reminds us not to depend on what we own for our sense of security. The pursuit of material gain alone is barren and destructive to both individuals and the larger organism of life. A culture that has survived for so long in the desert knows that the best insurance is the love and support of community. If one falls, the others will be there to support them. This true wealth can't be hoarded.

This card may represent a time when survival insticts are needed. A genuine danger to your security could be at hand, so clever stewardship of resources is important. At the same time, don't let irrational fears of deprivation take over. You are being asked to honestly examine your relationship with money and possessions. Recognize and appreciate the forces that sustain your life. Failure to do so brings stagnation and an ironic scarcity of funds.