The number 4 represents stability, practical attainment, consolidation, and dependability.  It represents manifesting plans into reality; making your dreams come true; creating a foundation for the future.   Cups are associated with the element of water, with emotions, love, pleasure in life, matters pertaining to the unconscious, intuition and inner planes.

 "Now that you know what you're feeling, you're acting on it.  You're doing something to express your emotions.  You may be taking some steps toward creating a relationship or toward showing your emotions." - Gail Fairfield

Looking at the women on both these cards (and they both appear to be women), I get the sense of someone who has imbibed a bit too much and is trying to decide whether to have another or perhaps doubting the wisdom of drinking the cocktail she has already had.  All I can say is "been there, done that".  I'm sure there are many people out there who are responsible drinker and know their limits or perhaps they choose not to drink at all.  That has not been my approach to alcohol.  It's not that I drink all the time, on a regular basis or even a lot.  However there are times when I decide I'd like a few drinks and it soon turns into one too may.  There is also a wistfulness on the faces of these women - as though they had hoped for different outcomes or wished for dreams that still haven't come to fruition.  They look like one of the attractions of drinking is that they can forget for a little while - like the folks who visit the bar in Billy Joel's Piano Man.

I accept the physical consequences that often accompanying getting too drunk - headache, stomachache, etc.  What bothers me more is the feeling that I might have said of done something I will regret.  It doesn't happen often (anymore) but there are still occasions when I wake up and groan because I have a vague memory of having said something rude or inappropriate to someone.  Sometimes it's a case of "in vino veritas", while other times it's a misguided attempt at humor.  Regardless of my intent, the results are usually embarrassing and not something I want to repeat.  Having said that, I'm sure these cards are not trying to tell me that the way to live today to its fullest is to get drunk.

So I'm going to take another approach and view this card as a reminder that drinking to excess (and I don't see this card as indicating having one or two drinks) has never solved anything for me.  When I wake up or sober up what I usually find is just another regret added to the pile.  So although getting drunk may seem like a fun way to escape my problems for a while but it never works.  Instead of just being worried or stress I end up feeling physically ill and foolish on top of that (and I hate feeling foolish).

So maybe instead of drinking or relying on other pointless methods to escape from whatever is bothering me, I need to take another approach.  Maybe if I try to create some type of solid, reliable base upon which to pursue my dreams I would have better results.  I need to evaluate what brings pleasure into my life and develop a strategy for manifesting it and making it come true.  Of course, for me, this may prove harder that giving up alcohol.  I'm one of those folks who doesn't plan to fail but does fail to plan.  I have some time to really address this issue and I've been ducking it.  I guess my time of avoiding is over.  Otherwise I may feel more regrets than I've ever felt waking up after a drinking binge.  I also don't want to spend the rest of my life wishing and hoping for dreams that were never fulfilled rather than taking steps to manifest them in my life.