Upright Meaning:
In a career reading, the Four of Swords can be an indication that you are working too hard or under too much pressure at your job, and it is time to take a step outside of the realm of your career for a moment to focus on your mental health. If you feel that you are financially unable to do this, just remember that if you cannot make space in your life to do this consciously, your body may do it unconsciously for you in the form of illness.
Even if you can’t plan a vacation, make sure you are incorporating moments of stillness into your daily routine. Financially, the Four of Swords indicates struggle and doubt seeping into and causing stress. You may be experiencing an overwhelming amount of pressure on your finances. Before this leads to a breaking point, try to quiet your mind so that you can actually come up with solutions aside from anxiety.
Reversed Meaning:
Career-wise, the Four of Swords in reverse can signal that it is time to get back to work after a period of rest, or that you have achieved a level of burnout that is no longer able to be ignored, and you must take care to remedy the situation before you have passed the point of no return. It could be time to start looking for a new job.
Financially you could either be coming out of a difficult financial period or have reached a point where you need to start looking into financial alternatives and asking for help. It all depends on how you choose to read reversals or what the situation at hand is.