THE FIVE OF CUPS

TODAY'S CARD is the Five of Cups. This version is from the Blue Rose Tarot, by Paula Gibby (link is to the Tarot Passages page where you can view all of the cards from this deck and email the artist).



For comparison, here's the Five of Cups in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:



THE FIVE OF CUPS: I chose the Five of Cups for today because I just ran across the Blue Rose version above and was very moved by its unique AIDS quilt take on the card.

DIFFERENT TAKES ON THE FIVE OF CUPS:

I find that fives in general in the Tarot have a sense of "separating one's self from the herd." E.g., during times of emotional and psychological growth, especially in the sword and pentacle fives.

Illness, but not necessarily serious.

Time to walk away from the situation lovingly (the Two of Cups upright is behind in the RWS version).

Stop thinking about it and do it! I.e, commit to and take action, whether that be to stay or to go.

Standing firm and taking responsbility for both the mess and the caring.

Try to understand how you got to this pass.

I often recall the expression "What you resist, persists" when I see this card in the RWS version. Another way to put this might be that what you focus on you tend to give energy to. In the RWS version, the focus is on what is spilled, while right behind is the upright and brimming Two of Cups -- usually a rather positive card.

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Resource: Care2.com's click to donate page; given the Blue Rose's Five of Cups theme above, I thought I'd put up this site where you can make a difference in varous issues with clicks of your mouse (and in other ways).

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep working to understand the situation and to enjoy The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

THE PAGE OF WANDS

TODAY'S CARD is the Page of Wands. This version is from The Thoth Deck and is named The Princess of Wands in that deck:



For comparison, here's the Page of Wands in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:



THE PAGE OF WANDS: I have seen discussion as to whether the Princesses in the Thoth Tarot are appropriately corresponded to the Pages in other decks. I personally feel the "fit" is not exact, but is close enough. No "translation" is ever completely accurate, IMHO, unless one deck is a "clone" of the other (just a re-working of the same symbolism). Not to mention that for me, my working relationship with any card, in any deck, changes over time.

No matter what deck I'm working with I also see the image in my mind's eye of the Princess of Wands from the Thoth deck when I get the Page of Wands. The Princess of Wands was a persistent visitor in my readings many years ago when I was using the Thoth deck during a time of tremendous creative (and other sorts of) change. I ultimately became rather fond of the Page of Wands in any deck, heralding as she had so many different kinds of creative bursts.

DIFFERENT TAKES ON THE PAGE OF WANDS:

The time is not right for what is urging itself upon you to do.

Sudden creative impulse.

Use this surge of energy wisely, don't waste it or ignore it.

You have a "tiger by the tail." Be careful you do not communicate or act without consideration of your own resources and where others are at on this issue.

This card used to come up when I had been neglecting playing my didjeridu, during the years I was very focused on music (...drums, flutes, rattles...I'm not a trained musician). A didjeridu is an Australian aboriginal instrument made from the hollowed out branch of a eucalyptus tree with a bees wax mouthpiece, looking somewhat like the "wand" the Page is holding in the RWS design. :-D

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Resource: Tarotpedia, on online encyclopedia of The Tarot.

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep using your creative energies wisely and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****

STRENGTH (VIII or XI)

TODAY'S CARD is Strength (VIII or XI). This unique version is by Love Beth Drew and is used by permission.



For comparison, here's the Strength card in the Rider/ Waite/ Smith deck:



THE STRENGTH CARD: There's a difference among decks as to the number assigned to Strength, either VII or IX, though more often it is VIII. (If I recall accurately, there was a re-numbering from VIII to XI to accommodate astrological correspondences, "way back when.") I find either number works fine for me, and usually relate to the number on the Strength card in the deck I'm working with at the moment.

Strength is one of a "Female Trinity" I see in The Tarot, along with The High Priestess and The Empress. These three can be seen as the three aspects of The Great Goddess: The Maiden = The High Priestess (she's often said to be virginal, or "complete unto Herself"); The Mother = The Empress; and The Crone = Strength (it must take a lot of hard-earned wisdom to look a lion in the mouth, :-D). At any rate, I enjoy thinking of these three female cards in this way.

DIFFERENT TAKES ON STRENGTH:

Loss of nerve. But remember that courage isn't a feeling, it's an action (i.e., courage doesn't necessarily feel courageous).

Speak or not speak, do or not do, it doesn't matter. It's a waste of energy and time. This is not where you need to be focusing your energies right now.

A little aphorism I wrote about Strength when meditating on it ages ago:

when looking
a lion in the mouth,
hold still
and listen
very closely

I once used the Strength card as my entry visualization into light trance work. In this light trance I was "told" that this card is essentially a glyph of a reader in communication with the Tarot's collective voice. That all the cards offer a way, but Strength -- more than any other -- represents where/how the individual may hear The Tarot's voice.

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Resource:James Ricklef's site; he's a Certified Tarot Master and freelance writer; the author of several Tarot books; his website has articles about Tarot, some Tarot book and deck reviews, a daily Tarot affirmation, and more, like Tarot games and humor; it also includes some of his fiction and poetry. (I had one of his excellent articles up on my now defunct website.)

Please see the top of the sidebar for my background with the Tarot and a recommendation to beginners.

‘til next time, keep listening to and enjoying The Tarot,

Roswila
[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for some articles about Tarot.****