The Four of Pentacles is the card of possessions, but also of possessiveness. When it comes up in a reading, we may feel a strong desire to hold on to what we have, be it money, objects or people.The Three of Wands is the card of the future and it describes our expectations and the consequences of our actions. It also means that we've been through the first stages of a situation and we're waiting to reap the rewards. In this combination we have energies in contrast: the expansive nature of the Three of Wands versus the conservative, restrictive approach of the Four of Pentacles.
The elements of the cards are Earth (Four of Pentacles) and Fire (Three of Wands). The Fire card can energize and expand the energies of the Earth card, while the Earth card offers a stable base so that those energies are realized in an thoughtful and consistent manner. If the combination is beneficial it promises consistent results. If it's negative, the two cards fight each other, bringing an one step forward/two steps back dynamic.