Spiral Tarot 8 of Cups

Spiral Tarot by Kay Steventon US Games 1997

I like the Spiral Tarot a lot, but it's such a shame about those borders. I even cropped them off a deck, but then it felt denuded and wrong, so I passed that deck along to someone else and bought a fresh copy. You just have to wonder - why? Why purple and white marbling? Why a red and white inner border? Why the white on red italic, why outline that in white? Did the artist come up with this or was it the publisher? (Shaking my head.)

Anyway, I do like the Spiral Tarot. A lot of the cards depart from traditional meaning, like this one, 8 of Cups. The LWB says: 'The goddess is returning to the underworld for the winter cycle. A need to go into your inner world to find what is missing from your life. Unfulfilled love. Leaving an unhappy situation.'

Okay, 'leaving a situation' is a common interpretation of 8 of Cups. But descending to the underworld, or going within, is not seen so much. That would make this figure Persephone (or in Roman mythology, Proserpina). Persephone was abducted by Hades, which you'd think would be a bad thing, but Persephone adapts so well to the Underworld that she becomes its strong and powerful queen. She loves it down there, and loves Hades, too. When her mother Demeter finally finds her, Persephone doesn't want to come back, but she agrees because, well, it's her mother. But she had tasted the pomegranate in Hades (which has all sorts of juicy connotations having to do with awakenings of various appetites, ahem) and is no longer 'pure'. She's tied to the light and to the velvet dark. So for part of the year she visits her mother in the light, and brings with her growth and life, and for part of the year she goes back to the arms of Hades and her role as Queen of the Dead, so the earth lies dormant and cold for lack of her presence.

Well now, that brings up all sorts of possibilities for reading this card.  But the crux of it is changing directions, or turning away from one path to follow another, or moving your attention from one thing you love to another thing you love. It could even be moving into the underlying or deeper levels of a situation, or examining its hidden or shadow side, particularly of emotions, as this is a cups card. Eight of Cups is Water of Water, so this is the 'feelings of feelings' card. Maybe it's a time for doing some introspective journaling, or listening to music that amplifies your mood and just going with it, or immersing yourself in a book or film that brings out your emotions. Anything that helps you experience your emotions more fully and perhaps explore what lies beneath them. Most importantly, like Persephone, you get to come back from this journey. You don't have to choose one or the other. You can have both.

Or maybe you just need a big juicy bite of pomegranate, if you know what I'm sayin'.

Reading using directionality and reversals

Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Tarot  

This is the reading I've been exploring in my journal for the last few days. I'd drawn cards of the number 5 two days in a row (not pictured). Five being associated with finding balance, I asked 'What is attempting to find balance in my life right now? What is out of balance? and What is maintaining equilibrium?' I drew Magician Rx, Strength, Star.

So, a weakened Magician is attempting to find balance right now. Personal power is not being used to bring my needs into reality. I am not identifying my true needs. Strength has come forward as what is out of balance right now -- again a card of personal power and taking the bull by the horns (or lion by the jaw). The Star has maintained equilibrium -- hope has not been lost. I have felt all along that there is plenty of time to address my issues. I just haven't done anything about them. (The reason why is seen in 9 of Pentacles later).

To rectify the reversed Magician, I drew Hermit and placed it above Magician. I can identify my true needs and establish balance in my personal power within myself, or with the help of a mentor, or in a spiritual tradition or practice. wondering what the Hermit's lamp was lighting, I drew another card to see what was in his line of sight. Queen of Cups. Her posture echoes that of the Hermit -- both facing to the left, both intent upon the item they are holding, for the Hermit, the lamp of enlightenment, for the Queen it's the world's craziest cup, shaped like the Ark of the Covenant with the seraphim on either side (if the Ark of the Covenant were made of spare pipe and hood ornaments nicked from the cars of pimps in Starsky and Hutch.)  Queen of Cups is Water of Water -- and so was the daily card that prompted this draw (not in the photo), 5 of Cups, another Water of Water card. This imbalance or disturbance is in the realm of emotions and relationships and personal power.

 Looking at the Queen of Cups and Hermit makes one long to know what is in their line of sight -- so I drew another card to see what they are looking at and got 8 of Cups reversed. Another Water of Water card! 8 of Cups is recognition of time to move on; reversed suggests confusion or delay in making that move.

How can I overcome this confusion, find some clarity? I drew a card to rectify the 8 of Cups reversed and got -- King of Swords reversed! Fire of Air, reversed. I am Aquarius, and King of Swords is the card associated with Aquarius. He's sort of my default setting. But here, to overcome my confusion about what needs looking at and changing, I can't do it through King of Swords, but through King of Swords reversed. Usually, I tend to be rational about things but now that is not what is needed. To clarify this, I remembered a technique of identifying reversed court cards by identifying their elemental opposite. If King of Swords is Fire of Air, his opposite would be Air of Fire --Knight of Wands!

Knight of Wands, that maker of 'down and dirty' plans, that explorer and adventurer, that risk taker! Knight of Wands? How the heck do I access Knight of Wands energy when I don't even feel that I remotely have it right now?

I took the card out of the pack and looked at it for a while. I noticed the pyramids in the background. The Knight of Wands is not drawing energy from his surroundings, which are dry and barren. His passion is inside him. So it must be somewhere inside of me, even when there is nothing in my environment or situation to feed it. What is the Knight of Wands charging toward? What is he charging away from?

I put the card back in the pack and shuffled to find out which cards he would end up between. I found the Knight of Wands and laid him out with the cards on either side of him: Chariot, Knight of Wands, 9 of Pentacles.

The Knight of Wands is moving away from 9 of Pentacles (Air of Earth), whose energy and line of sight are directed away from him (though her body posture is still open to his direction). Her attention is definitely elsewhere, focused on her bird (Air) of prey (Earth). As Air of Earth, she contemplates the material/physical realm. Her satisfaction with her status quo is evident. She is complacent, self-congratulatory, self-satisfied. These are not bad things, but the way she spends her leisure time may no longer be balanced -- too long standing still. Too long watching others move (her bird of prey, which she will presumably set loose to watch fly).

How does the Knight of Wands move me from too much physical luxury? What does he move me toward? The Chariot, a Water card, associated with Cancer and the Moon. Okay, so the Water of Water cards led me to draw a variety of Water cards that have laid me a path to -- a Water major! The emotional plane is dominant in this issue. Not the material plane or the logical plane, but the emotional plane, and how to take action with balanced emotions.

'Cancer is the gateway to incarnation, as Capricorn (its opposite) is the gateway to ascension. Cancer's energy guides us to learn the distinctions of our emotional and logical reasoning so we can recognise how they don't always agree' - agent64.com/cancer-the-chariot

Like a Cancerian crab, the Chariot has a hard shell and a soft centre -- appearing tough on the outside but deep down quite sensitive and vulnerable.

The Chariot card is full of this tension between opposing forces: black and white sphinxes, male and female, facing in opposite directions, meant to be pulling the chariot but not hitched to it and lying down (they seem ambivalent), the lingam and yoni on the shield (which to me looks like a top that spins in place but doesn't actually get anywhere), the chariot is a conveyance but is built like a cube of concrete, no reins and no motion in the charioteer who is encased in the concrete cube (he seems ambivalent), chariots are often associated with the sun ('chariots of fire') but this one is decorated with moons and starry night skies and is associated with the moon.

In other words, the Knight of Wands is me progressing, through my own inner drive,  toward a state of balance created by acknowledging that there is always a state of perpetual tension, and harnessing that tension to drive my life forward. I have been looking for balance rather than acknowledging constant tension. In fact, I have turned from acknowledgement of tension, turned from the areas that need attention (Water and Fire) and settled into some complacent wallowing in the material realm. And there I've wallowed for quite some time.

'To be useful, either to herself or any higher purpose, she had to use her ambivalence as a driving force in her life, a force that would power the Chariot' (Rachel Pollack, The Forest of Souls, 75).

Much to ponder. The Chariot and the Knight of Wands are going on my altar.

Some of these techniques were shared by Caitlin Matthews in a session at the UK Tarot Conference, October 2015. A webinar and DVD of line of sight and rectifying reversals, etc,  may be available at some point. Visit her website at Hallowquest.

Other techniques seen herein have been shared by Alison Cross in TABI conferences, by Benebell Wen in her book Holistic Tarot, and many others.

Tarot journal - 5 of Cups

Cool me off, lady

The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson (Llewellyn 1995)

It's the Queen of Cups today. I tell you I wish I were sitting in a chair in the midst of the wash and spray of the sea! It's too hot here -- we hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever! Today it is meant to get up to 30 C (that's 86 F). Now, I know where I come from, this is the temperature in late March, but I don't live where I come from anymore and furthermore virtually no one has air conditioning (including my workplace) and it is too hot! I hope this heat wave passes quickly. Me no likey, not at all.

Anyway, today's watery Queen of Cups reminds me to exercise some compassion and empathy today -- and that includes for myself. Tempers could fray in this heat, especially mine. Yesterday for example, I had a bad moment when I learned that a course I've gone on is incomplete, that I not only have one more paper to write for it, but I also have several papers that need revision. My first instinct was to just say, 'Screw this' and tell them to fail me. After all, earning this certificate will have no effect whatsoever on my pay or my position. When I signed up for this course, my colleagues all said, 'That sounds like a lot of work for nothing,' and guess what. It's turned out to be a lot of work for nothing. I can say it's for personal growth, but right now it just feels like a big bloody inconvenience and burden, a whip I made for my own back. So, I could do with some cool, watery thoughts from the Queen of Cups to help me explore my emotions and get them under control so I can make a rational decision about what to do. I wrote to the company and asked if I could have an extension until the end of November, and they are okay with that. So maybe after the rush + short staff of summer is over, when the weather is back to normal, I will feel more like dealing with doing something I hate -- facing the fact that I have not performed 'perfectly' and work has been sent back to me with RED MARKS to do over. (I hate not getting things right the first time.)

Cunning folk

Chrysalis Tarot, Brooks & Sierra 2014 

Oh look, another court card from Chrysalis Tarot. This time it's Queen of Mirrors (aka Queen of Cups). Well, we won't worry about the fact that she's got a fire sign with her staff and an air sign with the owl but there is no mirror in sight (unless you count the moon) nor any water. Let's give her a chance.

You know, I can see I need to let go of the tarot courts when it comes to this deck. If the card says 'The Watcher', it is just going to have to be 'The Watcher' and I won't worry about how it could possibly be the Queen of Cups. Whew, that's a relief.

The Watcher is 'intuitive, contemplative, a mystic', according to the LWB. To me, she looks like the Cunning Woman of old. That's who she's going to be for me when I use this deck. The Cunning Woman. In fact, the LWB says she is likely the person interpreting your Chrysalis Tarot reading (though I doubt cunning folk had tarot decks. Maybe she's got some runes or ogham sticks in that pouch of hers).

The moon stands for the mysteries, the owl for wisdom. She's a crone, leaning on her stick. Yeah, she's the Cunning Woman.

I think the card is telling me today is a good day for divination. I believe I will do a reading for myself. If you would like a reading, click 'Order' above and let me know your question!

Queen of Ocean and Emotion

Morgan Greer Tarot

Today's card is Queen of Cups. It's supposed to be very rainy and blowy today. Hope I don't drown! :)

I do think this card has a lot to do with the weather today.

I'm off to the hospital for a first consultation about treatment of tinnitus. Hubby is graciously giving me a lift, because going on the train involves two changes and a long walk. I've been to the hospital on my own several times and have had to walk it, and did tell him it took about 40 minutes to walk, but until he looked at the map last night, I don't think he realized how far it is. It's okay as long as the weather is okay. But today it's supposed to rain a lot--so I'm glad of the lift.

I like this Queen of Cups, though I wish the courts in the Morgan Greer deck weren't all in profile. Well, they aren't all, but most of them seem to be. I don't really like that. It's bad enough they are in close-up and not really doing anything to help you understand them. They then have to be in profile so you can't even seen their faces. No wonder so many people have trouble with court cards. I like the pearls on her dress and crown and earringings, and the sea foam colour of her dress, and how her crown is made of shells. I like her little crescent moon pendant with a teardrop shaped pearl. Nice touches, all, for a queen of Water and emotion.

Watery lady

Thoth Tarot

I blogged about this card a bit over a year ago. It sure doesn't seem like it's been that long! Where does the time go?

Today calls for me to be sensitive to the feelings of others. I need to look at things from the perspective of other people. I can practice reflecting what people say, verbalizing what they may be feeling in order to facilitate communication and understanding between us. I must be on my guard against feeling weak or resentful. It is also a day to seek beauty and to be creative and imaginative.

I wanted to see how this card was aspected today, so I drew the next two: 2 of Wands, 2 of Swords. The message seems to be --

Be sensitive and reflective today in the way you assert yourself, and in this way you can find peace or a truce.

That makes sense in my current situation, so I'll take it. :)

Hey Britannia, I dig that dress

Legend Arthurian, 1995

The Queen of Cups in the Legend Arthurian Tarot (Ferguson, Llewellyn 1995) is Britannia, also known as Brigit or Brigantia. To be honest, I'm having a hard time making a connection between Queen of Cups and Britannia. Surely the land would be the Queen of Pentacles. Perhaps this has to do with my innate aversion to the Queen of Cups, who I find a bit too fragile and needy for my taste.

Anna-Marie Ferguson clears up the confusion (sort of) in her companion book to the deck called A Keeper of Words: 'In the stories Peredur (approx 13th centuryWelsh) and Perlesvaus (13th century French,, the Grail bearer appears as both the beautiful maid and the repulsive crone. In light of this, it seems logical to assume that the figure who bears the Grail in the home of the Fisher King is the Sovereignty of Britain, sometimes called Brigid, Brigantia or Brittania.'

Oh. Is it logical? I guess it is to Anna-Marie Ferguson. So as near as I can figure, she's saying the Queen of Cups is the Grail Bearer from the Fisher King's palace, who is also Britannia, and might also be Elaine (the chick from 9 of Swords who starves herself and floats down the river to be buried at Camelot, for love of Lancelot). I can see how Elaine might be Queen of Cups (or at least her shadow aspect), and I can see how the Grail Bearer might be seen as Britannia, but I can't see how Britannia is Queen of Cups.

But no matter! It's still a female figure and a cup's on the card, so we can read it like any Queen of Cups in any deck. She's an emotional woman, quite empathetic to others, but she has a tendency to go a bit codependent if she's not careful.

The Queen of Cups? You're kidding, right?

Celtic Tarot, Davis 1990

I asked for advice on how to deal with work next week, and I drew Queen of Cups. My draw (based on a technique described by Espearite) suggests that before I can deal with anything else, I must start with this. Queen of Cups? Really? This is not how I want to deal with the issue that I had in mind. For one thing, I'm not the Queen of Cups--normally. Usually, I am Queen of Swords. (More on her later). But the draw advises me, the first thing I need to do to deal with this issue next week is to address the Queen of Cups. So, who is this woman, and why should I start with her?