3 Things About The Cups!

1. LOVE

2. HAPPINESS

3. CREATIVITY

We know that in readings cups are emotions and represent the three water signs- Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. But there are a wide variety of emotions and like ice cream, they come in many different flavors. I have been teaching lately and incorporating into my readings that the three things mentioned above are the primary themes associated with the Cups suit. 

It helps us to strip this complicated suit to it's basic core. 

Judge Judy Queen Swords

THIS LIBRA WOMAN WEIGHS MATTERS MENTALLY

THEN RAISES HER HAND TO MAKE A DECISION

SO DOES THIS ONE

BUT DOES THAT MEAN SHE'S FAIR?

A quick note about Libra before we talk about the woman that the Queen of Swords represents. Most people think of balance by the symbolic image of the scales, yes? But what we forget to keep in mind is that the scales are in motion! They are going back and forth most of the time and it is the lucky one with good timing that catches the Libra person at that one moment when the scales are perfectly balanced. 

As usual with court cards, the Queen of Swords represents a person in your life, in this case a Libra women or other air sign woman, but can also represent a part of your own personality rising to the surface. It's all about the mental spinning of the wheels with these people. This card corresponds to water in air, symbolizing the creative, enduring, and elastic qualities of air as well as it's power of transference. She is the bright, rational image of inspiration and idea. She has the persistence to bring her ideas into manifestation. With a severity inherent to her nature, her characteristics are sharpness of thought and confident authority, but she can be malicious and deadly. 

She never shows her emotional side but her judgment can sometimes be swayed by her heart. Because of this conflict, she is neither a good confidante nor a completely fair judge. Ironically, her negative side stems from her honesty and desire for the truth. Once she has a view of the situation, she lets everyone involved know her opinion and god help them if they disagree! Her sharp-as-a-razor mind will then begin to cut the perceived liars. 

The 3 Angels Of The Tarot

THE ANGEL "RAPHAEL" IN THE LOVERS CARD

RAPHAEL MEANS "HEALING POWER OF GOD"

LOVE HEALS!

THE ANGEL "MICHAEL" IN TEMPERANCE

MICHAEL MEANS "WHO IS LIKE UNTO GOD"

WE DISCOVER OUR OWN DIVINE NATURE

THE ANGEL "GABRIEL" IN JUDGMENT 

GABRIEL MEANS "GOD IS MY STRENGTH"

BLOWS HIS TRUMPET AND FORETELLS THE 

BEGINNING OF A MAJOR INNER CHANGE (AWAKENING)

The appearance of any of these cards in your spread indicates a divine influence in your life. You're being watched over and protected. Blessings are being manifest. Also can strongly imply a healing gift or other special gift. Provides comfort in turbulent times. Receiving prophetic heavenly communication or messages. In the Celtic Cross spread, especially powerful in the "crowning position" (top of cross portion of spread) 

THE HANGED MAN

HOLD ON A MINUTE! BREAK TIME!

TREE OF LIFE DIAGRAM

SEE ANY SIMILARITIES? 

DA DA DA DA REST! DA DA DA DA

If you're no stranger to the Tarot cards, you probably already know that THE HANGED MAN is not a card to be feared, in fact it is a very positive card, a card of spirituality. I liken it to a rest in music. A man is walking along his journey, he stops and hangs himself upside down on a tree to gain further illumination on the spiritual plane. When he is finished he will continue along his journey. By being a living entitiy and hanging himself upside down, he literally represents life being suspended while the illumination takes place. 

ILLUMINATION- (Merrium-Webster dictionary) 

The action of illuminating or state of being illuminated as in-

A. Spiritual or intellectual enlightenment 

B. Lighting up or lighting effects

C. Decoration by the art of illuminating 

The Golden Dawn correspondence for the card is water and it's name is The Spirit Of The Mighty Waters. In this context, the card represents a kind of baptism in water. It is a kind of trance-state, or suspended animation. It is a state of meditation which is deeply self-examining. It is a process of self-crucifixion and an essentially intellectual experience that is crucial to anyone desiring to aspire to the higher realms of spirituality. 

When it shows up in a spread, besides all the aforementioned, it can also indicate punishment, loss, and general suffering but all to the betterment of the individual. 

Here Comes THE SUN

THAT SPECIAL PLACE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE

MAYBE YOU'RE THERE NOW? 

THE SUN is a card that has a variety of meanings and is very broad in it's application. The first thing and most important is that it's an extremely positive card. It may be one of the few cards in the deck that it's almost impossible to find any negative aspect. I always like to describe it as that special place you've always wanted to be, and I have found from experience that here in the desert, it often represents the desert cause a lot of us love to live and be here. 

The baby, the horse, and four sunflowers (which are a subtle reflection of the four elements, or kinds of astrological signs) all can not exist without the power of the Sun. The scene is grey cause it takes place in the astral realm. The banner is there as a matter of pride. How often have we used the expression, "Just another day in paradise"? 

The Sun is the center of our world and the giver of light, but too much Sun can be too harmful, so steady as she goes, yes? Other meanings in a spread are glory, riches, gain, and display. 

KNIGHT OF PENTACLES

IN THE ZONE WITH FINANCES

I am always saying the Knights are in the zone of whatever element they represent, in this case, pentacles or "coins" as they are called in some decks. They are in the center of the action to make things happen, and this knight wants to make things happen with a financial or material situation. A.E. Waite says he rides a "slow, enduring, heavy horse, to which his own aspect corresponds," indicating some of the nature of this earth sign person he represents in your spread. 

He's Capricorn so he's also good in business matters, but as with all the court cards he can also represent the two other signs in his element, in this case, Virgo or Taurus. He is clever, capable, and thoughtful, as well as energetic and practical, slow to anger but if pushed too far can have a violent temper. When he shows up in a spread he indicates increase of matter, solidification, things coming together in a practical manner, and the coming or going of someone reliable.