April’s Full Pink Moon Wants You to Play
- Meredyth
- Apr 9
- 6 min read
The Four of Wands and the April Full Moon: A Ritual for Joyful Restoration
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping—spring has arrived with confetti in its pockets. This April Full Moon, often called the Pink Moon, rises just in time to remind us: joy is part of the plan.
On Saturday, April 12th at 5:22 PM PT, the Full Pink Moon reaches its apex.
This lunation falls in the middle of Aries season and at the heart of a global season of renewal. Ramadan, Passover, and Easter coincide with Cambodia’s Choul Chnam Thmey (Lunar New Year), and many parts of Asia celebrate Solar New Year.
As a collective, we are shaking off the darkness of winter. As the light returns, so does the invitation to reconnect with what brings us alive—not just through rest, but through restoration.
And in the Tarot, that kind of joyful restoration belongs to the Four of Wands.
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” ~ Carl Jung
Learning from the Tarot: How Majors Teach the Minors
When we study Tarot, we don’t read the Minor Arcana in isolation. Each number in the Minor Arcana draws meaning from its Major counterpart.
The Major Arcana cards are the deep archetypal energies—the spiritual seasons. The Minors show us how those energies take shape in our lived experience.
So when we look at the Fours in the Minor Arcana, we begin with Card IV in the Majors: The Emperor.
The Emperor is the builder, the guardian, the sovereign. He is not about domination but about protection—offering structure and steadiness so growth can take root. He is ruled by Aries, and like the suit of Wands, he belongs to the element of fire.
That shared elemental resonance matters. Because while every Minor Four expresses the Emperor’s core teachings, the Four of Wands does so most directly. It’s where structure meets spirit, and boundaries become an invitation.
The Fours: Boundaries That Restore
All of the Fours in the Tarot share something essential: they teach us about boundaries. But not all boundaries are about saying no.
Some are quiet refusals:
No to emotional overload.
No to mental exhaustion.
No to burning through physical reserves.
Others—like the Four of Wands—are boundaries that behave like a joyful yes.
Let’s look at how these energies play out in each suit:
The Four of Cups: A figure turns away from a fourth cup being offered. This card affirms emotional discernment. When you feel full, it’s okay to say no. Your inner knowing can be trusted. The Four of Cups assures us that if something is meant for you, you cannot miss it.
The Four of Swords: A figure lies in stillness beneath a stained-glass window. Though the three swords may be pointing down, the figure is able to peacefully rest inside the church, atop the fourth sword, knowing that there is literally nothing the divine cannot handle. The Four of Swords gives the brain a structure for rest by saying no to needless worry.
The Four of Pentacles: A figure balances coins at the feet, heart, and crown. This card teaches physical conservation. When we have enough energy, force, money, or conviction, we don't need to immediately start spending or sharing. The Four of Pentacles says no to expending our resources without feeling guilt or constraint.
And, finally, our card for this Pink Moon moment:
The Four of Wands: The Four of Wands creates a structure for play. It instructs us to say no to work and yes to celebration. In the Rider-Waite depiction, the Four of Wands looks like a Medieval rave—two figures dancing beneath a flower-adorned arch.
Like The Emperor, the Four of Wands is also ruled by fire and Aries. Throughout the suit of Wands, we explore our inner fire—our passions, purpose, and how we fuel our hustle.
When we are working in the Wands, we are pursuing our passions, so there aren’t many days off in the Wands, except for in the Four of Wands.
The Four of Wands teaches us that joy needs structure—play needs a framework—especially when we’re doing meaningful work. Without ritual and celebration, even our soul-aligned labor will drain us.
If you've completed some milestone in your job, your studies, or whatever your hustle is, you may be tempted to simply take a bath, but if the Four of Wands is showing up for you, it's time to go rollerskating instead.
The Four of Wands teaches that play doesn’t take you off your path. It’s how you stay on it.
“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.” ~ Alan W. Watts
Rituals for the Full Pink Moon: How Much Fun Can You Make It?
For this Pink Moon, the Four of Wands is a moment to realign with the parts of ourselves that have been sleeping through winter. Not as a reward for work, but as a celebration all by itself. But if play feels like a language you haven’t spoken in a while, here are a few joyful rituals to reconnect with that part of yourself:
✷ Artist Date: Dream a Little
Inspired by The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron: Make a list of seven imaginary lives you’d love to live. Would you be a puppeteer? A museum curator? A forest ranger? Choose one and do something small to embody it this week. Let it be imperfect. Let it be fun.
Begin by making a list of imaginary lives you’d be interested in living and what you would do in them. For example, I would be a shepherd, a travel writer, a photographer, a fashion designer, a landscape architect, a pop star, and a hotelier.
Once you have your list, select one, and then do it! If you put down 'sculptor', treat yourself to some molding clay. If you put 'star athlete', play a round of mini-golf with your pals. The point is to give yourself the assignment to have fun in order to trick the brain into receiving joy.
Too often, we quit before we even begin with thoughts that tell us if we can’t make money at it or be the best, then it is pointless. Not so!
The Four of Wands is here to support your play-fort ideas, just like when you were a child. In fact, that play is where the boundless energy of childhood comes from.
✷ Your Joy Playlist
Make a list of 20 things you love to do. Write down the last time you did each one.
This is now your go-to Four of Wands playlist. Use it whenever your stressors are screaming that you must keep working, that is actually when your inner kiddo is screaming to get out and play!
Do one this week—not as a reward for being productive, but as a way to be present. Return to your list at least once a month.
✷ Springtime Egg Hunt (With a Twist)
Inspired by the creators at Oh Happy Day:
Get your Easter eggs dyed, then hollow them out with a toothpick. Fill the eggs with confetti or fruit loops or birdseed, then cover the holes with a little papier mache or stickers. Make one egg the special ‘golden’ egg by filling it with glitter.
Gather your friends on Easter or any day for an old-fashioned egg hunt, with a twist. You must playfully crack the eggs over each other’s heads to find out which one is the glitter egg “winner”!
Let Celebration Be a Practice
Remember, the process of creation is muddy, and waking up from our winter season can feel like energetic fits and spurts, but know that the fire that you are warming with, the play that you embrace, is bringing forward something beautiful in you. Your gifts are rare, and your joy is needed.
The Four of Wands reminds us: joy is not the opposite of discipline—it’s what makes it sustainable. It’s not something we earn at the end of the work. It’s what lets us keep going.
So, under this April Full Moon, ask yourself: How much fun can I make it?
Let that question guide your rituals. Let it shape your rest. Let it restore your fire.
Your gifts are rare. Your joy is needed.
Wishing you warmth, wonder, and a little bit of glitter under this Full Pink Moon.
P.S. In case you still need a little humor, this bit from Jim Gaffigan poking fun at spring made me smile. ;-)
Comments