As I was thinking of moving on from the Hanged Man, fascinating though he is, I thought of several cards that are particularly interesting to me. I mentioned before that I've never been especially interested in the Major Arcana; the Minor Arcana, with its "everyday" symbolism speaks to me much more.

One of those cards is the Four of Cups.

In Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack says:

The three cups symbolize the person's past experience. Bored by what life has given him he does not recognize the new opportunities being offered to him by the fourth cup. The resemblance of that cup to the Ace suggests that the new possibilities can lead to happiness and satisfaction. In the main, however, the card shows a situation when everything in life has come to appear the same. The card sometimes shows apathy resulting from a dull, unstimulating environment.

Compare this card with the Five of Cups. Of the Five, Pollack says:

The picture depicts sorrow but also acceptance. Three cups lie spilled out, but two remain standing, even if at the moment the figure concentrates on the three.

. . .

She needs to accept that some happiness has suddenly vanished, been knocked over. She does not yet realize that something remains, for first she must understand and accept the loss. Has she herself knocked over the cups, either through recklessness or by taking them for granted?

. . .

With its deep evocation of regret the card forms another Gate, bringing us to that sense of spiritual loss and separation which all over the world has given rise to myths of a fall or an exile from Paradise.

Both of these cards indicate that your attention is focused on one thing, while another thing is waiting for you. In the Four, your attention is on the three cups in front of you, cups that you may be taking for granted, cups that represent your ordinary, day to day life, while you are being offered a fourth cup that you are ignoring.

The fourth cup could also be seen as something that you are wishing for, i.e., the three cups represent that same boring, day to day life, while you are wishing that something more exciting would be handed to you, or drop down out of the clouds. In either case, the card represents self-absorption, apathy, boredom, wishing that things were other than they are.

Learntarot.com says:

On this card, we see a man who is unaware of the cup being offered to him. He misses this gift because he's turned within. In readings, the Four of Cups can indicate that you are wrapped up for the moment in your own world.

Her interpretations tend to be very positive (which is why I like them). She goes on:

In some situations, you must focus on yourself. When life is too stressful, you need to devote time and energy to yourself or you will feel swamped. The Four of Cups can represent a positive period of self-reflection and renewal. By taking the time to go within to dream, muse and reflect, you restore your emotional balance.

The Four of Cups is sometimes a sign of apathy. You don't really care much about anything. Your life seems stale and flat because you've lost interest in the activities that used to bring you pleasure. You're not motivated to make much of an effort in any direction. At such times, the Four of Cups can show that you're stuck emotionally. You need something to focus on that will so engage your mind and heart that your path down river becomes clear again. Open yourself to your surroundings. Soon you will be on your way again.

The Fives in all of the suits represent struggle. Pollack says that "Cups show the emotional reaction to loss." The Five shows a figure in mourning, grieving for what is lost, be it tangible or intangible. The figure's back is turned away from the two cups that remain standing as he/she concentrates on the three that are overturned, but the general feeling is that once the loss is mourned and accepted, the two cups that are still standing will be there, waiting for when they can again be appreciated.