Hello julian I have a tarot question - how to interpret 4 of cups? Some people see it as dissatisfaction with a connection and some say as someone is thinking a lot about you, both are different meanings which one is accurate or how to fit this.
The card can be interpreted like you said here in your ask, but the first is closer to the common interpretation of the card.
You can interpret a tarot card by looking at the card before and after it. 4 of Cups is the card after 3 of Cups, and before 5 of Cups.
4 of Cups RWS interpretation:
In 3 of Cups, we can see people celebrating in a group. The energy is pretty joyful; the energy is active and it moves outward and around the space. Just imagine the picture in motion, what would you see? People dancing, toasting the cups they're holding.
In 5 of Cups, we can see a person grieving and facing the three spilled cups, with two standing cups behind him. The energy is heavy and depressing. Imagine the picture in motion, you would probably see the person not moving much, but we know there are a lot of things going on internally, because the cups are spilled and there's a river in the card. Emotions are everywhere. So imo, the energy is internally active, you can see signs of it.
4 of Cups is usually the energy between those two cards. The sky is blue and everything is bright just like 3 of Cups instead of grey and depressing like 5 of Cups. You can see three cups in front of him, and another cup floating next to him. The floating cup resembles the Ace of Cups (i.e. a hand on a cloud holding a cup), so from this, we know that the floating cup represents an opportunity, a new possibility, a new offering, potential. But the person in 4 of Cups isn't moving. He closes his eyes or he looks down, hugging himself. So from this, we know that the energy is quite still; it's bright, but quiet. Not many external changes we can see besides the cup probably floating up and down next to him.
Thus, 4 of Cups can be interpreted as a period when you are not feeling emotionally open or receptive to emotional connection and emotional engagement. This can be a lack of openness to either your existing connections OR new ones, OR both. Connection here isn't just referring to a relationship; it can represent anything that typically elicits emotions from people, anything that people emotionally engage with. Like a hobby, for example, or life itself.
The nuances depend on the deck you're using, the surrounding cards in your spread, and your question.
The person in 4 of Cups can be interpreted as being disengaged, bored, dissatisfied, distant or aloof, unimpressed, jaded, apathetic, stagnant, or in meditation.
However, he can also be interpreted as feeling content with what he has (three cups) and not looking for anything else (the floating cup). He can be interpreted as someone who's emotionally independent and self-contained.
He can also be interpreted as wishing for something else (the floating cup) and not feeling appreciative of what he has (three cups), but because he's not grateful, he can't see the floating cup either. Or because he's not doing anything, he will not get a new cup despite fantasizing about it.
Regardless of the nuances, the energy is still and unreceptive.
So to answer your question,
Both interpretations you gave here can be true, but it depends on the situation. I can interpret 4 of Cups as someone thinking about you and hoping for more emotional connection with you, if the question is about what they feel after a romantic date, and there are The Chariot and Knight of Cups next to 4 of Cups. I can see 4 of Cups as the person not feeling satisfied with just one date. The Chariot and the Knight bring a focused and forward-moving energy. The Knight brings a romantic energy into the spread. Thus, I can also say that this person is quite focused on you, considering asking for another date, and has enough determination to ask for more.
You can also look at the number when you're interpreting. The number 4 in the tarot suits feels contained imo, and most cards show a solitary individual, except for 4 of Wands. But 4 of Wands can also carry that contained energy, because it can represent a home, or a community; it's a bit enclosed, there are four wands acting like a gateway, and we feel like we are entering a shared space. But it feels pretty happy. 4 of Wands is the card that welcomes you after the travel and progress you make in 3 of Wands.
So in tarot, context matters.
Read more:
101: The first guide you need: the bones & meat of tarot
101: Dominant energy in a tarot reading