Playing Cards and Decans: Cancer III — The Four of Hearts
See the master post on my 2024 decan walk and playing cards
Four of Hearts
Cancer III is the decan of Cancer 20° to 29° (inclusive). Astrologically, it is ruled by the Moon, in a sign ruled by the Moon.
The traditional English method divinatory meanings for this card are:
- A marriage bed.
- Domestic troubles caused by jealousy.
- shows that the person will not be married until very late in life, and that this will proceed from too great a delicacy in making a choice.
- A person near you, not easily convinced.
- A person not easily won.
Reflection
I’m opening this post directly with Agrippa’s image for this decan:
in the third face ascendeth 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
This puts forward my key association of this card: the lunar hunter. Moon is stacked on Moon, accelerating both the moist emotional intensity of the Moon, and its swiftness.
Breslaw, Source 1, our oldest written source from 1784, simply lists ‘A marriage bed’. But soon we get to jealousy, and then a structure of delay and decision. A person will get married late, due to indecision, and will not be easily convinced or won over. Whether this is the querent or the questied, the joining of two will only come about after some time and convincing. There is a pursuit and a physicality to this card, something that requires strenuous movement. Unlike Cancer II and the Three of Hearts, with its implications of infidelity, this almost feels like a hyperfidelity — a dogged pursuit of a goal, even if it causes troubles.
The Rider-Waite Tarot’s image is a lot quieter than this sounds:
Four of Cups
Yet the focus is here. The figure is looking at the cups ahead, in a process perhaps of decision paralysis, introspection, or overthinking.
Peace,
⭕