Mystic Goddess: A Journey in Tarot

 Eight of cups is a card that has a so many various symbols that it can take a few times reading before you truly grasp the depth. While all cards tend to be filled with symbolism, this card calls for a discerning eye to really get them all and interpret them in relation to one another. The first thing I notice is the eclipse in the dark night sky. It hangs low over the water filled with rock outcroppings. The water is mainly calm, except for that which hits the rocks, but still doesn’t produce any white caps. We see a person, in a red cloak with a walking stick walking away from our view. Directly in the foreground is a stack of 8 cups, 5 on the bottom and three on top, with what seems to be an open space for an additional cup. Clearly this person is going on a journey, but we can assume they’re coming back, because they’ve left their cups on the shore. Perhaps they’re coming back with the 9th cup? It is hard to say because with the eclipse, we know something is hidden from plain ...

 The seven of cups has always been a really interesting card for me. I think it has to do with the fact that the scene seems to be a little more fantastical than most other minor arcana.  First we see what appears to be a shadow of a person, with their back to us. This person is staring off into the distance at what appears to be a large cloud filled with a variety of things all nestled into 7 different cups.  Each cup contains something different and each item has a specific meaning that can be interpreted by the reader. There is: a castle(stability/personal power), jewels and gold(wealth/success), laurel wreath in the cup with a skull image, which can be a little challenging to make put at first(success/victory), dragon(power/strength OR energies that need to be banished), floating head(particular person of influence/wisdom),veiled figure(secrets/psychic mysteries/unknown), snake(goddess energy/rebirth OR risk).  This person is clearly tasked with making a decision...

 Six of cups is probably one of the most innocent and cutest card in the minor arcana. Again, it is easy to see what is happening in the actions of the little boy and girl on the card, but there is a little more to it than just the picture… The picture presented before us is one that immediately brings on a good feeling, the feeling of young love and the infatuation that comes with it. In the middle of the town square, we see a young boy offering a beautiful white flower in a vase, to a young girl. She is smiling, most likely feeling those butterflies for the first time, a feeling we all remember. There are 5 other vases surrounding them, and I’ve always felt each vase represented one of the six senses.  When we remember things from childhood it can be quite visceral and the sensory experience involved in nostalgic memories is a big part of this card. The children's heads are covered with kerchiefs, a symbol of psychic protection, and the knights shield perched against the pos...

 At first glance, the scene on the five of cups card doesn’t really present us with a picture of glaring optimism. Of course, nothing is what it seems at first glance… let’s take a look. We see a person standing near a river bank, shrouded with a black cloak, their head hung low. In front of them are three cups that have been knocked over and various colored liquid is spilling out onto the ground. Directly behind them are two cups, still upright. In the distance we see a white bridge that leads to a home with some vegetation surrounding it. The sky is grey and the river appears to flow smoothly. It doesn’t take a genius to see this person is clearly upset over what has been lost, and as we look at the liquid flowing out of the cups, some clues are given to the larger picture. Two cups have what appears to be wine flowing out of them while the third cup has green liquid flowing out of it. In todays world, we’d think perhaps it’s green juice, but if we think about the period when the...

 The four of cups is a card that often causes a double take. Much of the card looks like a mundane event, but something about it is very out of place. Let’s take a look… We see a young person sitting cross legged underneath a tree, their arms also crossed. This is a signed of being closed off or inhibiting ones energy from being open to what’s present. This person is dressed in basic clothing, signifying they may not hold a high rank or be particularly wealthy. The tree is supporting them and offering shade, as trees do, but we often take this aspect of nature for granted. Nature supports us in many ways, and many of those ways we don’t even think of because we’re often too busy in our own world to even recognize the myriads of way the natural world supports our best life. Which brings us the the focus of the card… there are three cups placed in a line in front of this person and they are so used on them, it’s like nothing could deter their gaze from what they’re focused on. But is...