4 OF EARTH

Decan Title: Material Power

RWS Description: A figure wears a mural crown that is designed like the city’s walls and towers. There is a pentacle over his crown, and he holds another pentacle in his arms, while two pentacles act as placeholders under his feet. He is clothed entirely in red and furs. The kingly figure sits on a stone block in the foreground and there is a city in the background.

RWS Symbols:

Red Clothes: Passion

The pentacles surrounding the figure: What he acquires is for himself alone and not for the good of his people.

City in the background: He is distant from the will of society.

Keywords:

UPRIGHT: Ownership, Financial Stability, Accumulation, Preservation, Economical

REVERSE: Covetous, Greed, Overspending, Financial Instability, Scarcity

Interpretation: As the title “Material Power” suggests, this decan is about earned control over one’s environment through the protection and organization of one’s resources. With the Sun in Capricorn, the Illuminator and the Materialist are the majors associated with the 4 of Earth. The Sun establishes a framework for resource accumulation and preservation, transforming abstract potential into concrete outcomes and affirming practical power. The 4 of Earth, which signifies the structure of resources, represents the organization of goods or capital.

Myth: This decan is associated with myths about the pinnacle of material mastery, established authority, executive intelligence, and the weight of power and responsibility.

Correspondences

Keys: The Illuminator and The Materialist

Planet (Sun): 3 of Fire, 10 of Air, 8 of Earth, 6 of Water

Sequence (2-3-4 of Earth): 2 of Earth and 3 of Earth

Sephira (Chesed): 4 of Fire, 4 of Water, 4 of Air

Card Details

Decan Ruler (Sun): The Sun governs this decan, highlighting its association with leadership and responsibility. The figures in this decan may not always enjoy the burdens they accept, but they are the ones who say yes when called upon—especially in group dynamics. Since this is a solar decan in a heavy earth sign ruled by Saturn, they are grounded, functional, and results-driven. The coins, the capital, and the ability to shape the world to one’s will are not handed out arbitrarily but earned through the sound operation of structure. This decan speaks of ambition and the struggle to shape the world of form. Power, once attained, reveals its cost—freedom traded for duty, authority bound to responsibility. The heights reached are unwelcoming, the climb is steep and the summit is cold and solitary. Those born with this placement are endowed with a natural authority—visionary, resourceful, and adept at shaping their environment. Their path to greatness lies in fully embracing their role, for they are destined to lead and to bear the weight of their responsibilities with honor.

Decan (Capricorn): The grand endeavor of the second decan reaches fulfillment, and the powerful figures of the third decan are enthroned upon the heights. This is the pinnacle of material mastery. This domain is not of makers, but of rulers who command from a seat of authority. Often associated with the Sun, this decan shines with the presence of the religious leader, the CEO, and the King. By this stage in the sign’s progression, the foundation has been chosen, the structure has been built, and the task is no longer construction but governance. The third decan of Capricorn reflects the weight of power and responsibility. Those at the top of a hierarchy often bear the full pressure of everything beneath them rather than being above it all. Therefore, the question becomes is one in control of their position or is one confined by it? This decan is about getting a position of responsibility, becoming the decision-maker in situations that shape the course of people’s lives, or earning the trust of those in power. 

4: Fours represent structure in the world of the element.

Tree of Life (Chesed in Assiah): The Four of Pentacles corresponds to Chesed in Assiah. In the material world, Chesed is the structure of resources.

Sephira (Chesed): All fours deal with the framework of manifestation, and correspond to the fourth sephira, Chesed, which is commonly referred to by Qabalists as “Mercy.” Chesed is associated with generous, expansive Jupiter. Jupiter represents the renewed manifestation of the four primordial elements of Kether, establishing the archetypal pattern for matter fully realized in the divided elements of Malkuth. The Jupiter archetype expands possibilities, broadening our perspective to embrace new opportunities, and encouraging us to grow by venturing beyond our comfort zones with faith and optimism. 

World (Assiah): All Pentacles correspond to the last of the four worlds, Assiah (“The World of Action”), which is also called the material world. The element associated with the World of Assiah is earth.

The Story of Earth: The element of earth, traditionally symbolized by the suit of pentacles in the Tarot system, exhibits an intrinsic association with the physical resources and the material realm. Earth is the heaviest and most stable of the four classical elements that constitute the foundational components of the manifest world. In stark contrast to fire, earth is the least dynamic element, yet paradoxically, it is also the most enduring and long-lasting in its manifestation within the physical plane. Earth symbolizes stability, grounding, and an inherent sense of solidity and permanence. The narratives and stories aligned with the earth element revolve thematically around the cultivation, acquisition, and harvesting of tangible resources from the physical world.

Time of Year: January 10/11/12 – January 19/20

Zodiacal Longitude: 20°00’–29°59’ Capricorn

Color (Hex Code): #000080