Your compass navigating the tarot

Month: January 2023

SUIT OF PENTACLES: PRACTICAL AND GROUNDED THE KEY TO SUCCESS

THE suit of Pentacles 
The suit of Pentacles  is  associated with the element of Earth. Earth represents things that are tangible. Things like money, physical or outward consciousness health, finances, work, and creativity. They are more about the external things around us and how we create it, shape it, transform it, and grow it. Pentacles are also associated with the ego, self-esteem, and self-image, growth and development, nature such as plants and trees and how we can keep the world around us healthy as well as how we can ground ourselves in our life.  In varying decks, pentacles are also known as discs or coins. 
A Pentacle

Pentacles (OR COINS): AN Overview of the Suit

The suit of Pentacles is associated with the element of Earth. Earth represents things that are tangible. Things like money, physical or outward consciousness health, finances, work, and creativity. They are more about the external things around us and how we create it, shape it, transform it, and grow it. Pentacles are also associated with the ego, self-esteem, and self-image, growth and development, nature such as plants and trees and how we can keep the world around us healthy as well as how we can ground ourselves in our life.  In varying decks, pentacles are also known as discs or coins. 

The suit of pentacles is associated with earth signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn.

Get yourself grounded and you can navigate even the stormiest roads in peace

Steve Goodier

Key themes

  • Work: Pentacles is also associated with work and career, and may indicate a focus on job stability, productivity, and professional success.
  • Money: Pentacles cards often depict coins, money bags, and other symbols of wealth, indicating that financial matters are at the forefront of the reading.
  • Health: The physical and material aspects of life are emphasized by the suit of Pentacles, and this can include matters of health and wellness.
  • Security: The stability and grounding symbolized by earth and Pentacles can also indicate a desire for security and safety, both financial and emotional.

Suit of Pentacles Upright presentation and Strengths

  • Accountability
  • Consistency
  • Determination
  • Foundation
  • Hard working
  • Money and financial well-being
  • Nature and our physical surroundings
  • Physical self

Suit of Pentacles Shadow side and weaknesses

  • Demise of assets
  • Greed
  • Inflexibility
  • Lack of common sense
  • Laziness
  • Overly materialistic
  • Possessive
  • Recklessness
  • Resistant to change

Conclusion

Pentacles represents the physical, material qualities of life and can offer counseling on monetary, work, well-being, and protection issues. When reading Pentacles cards, reflect on the framework of the reading and look for themes of solidity, grounding, and manifestation.


Thank you for reading this brief overview of the suit of Pentacles!  As always, reach out with questions, comments, or to book a reading.  Please join me next week as we begin our journey through the suit of Pentacles, beginning with the Ace of Pentacles! 

THE KING OF CUPS: FEARLESS MASTERY OF EMOTIONS

A crowned king sits on a throne holding in his left hand the scepter of office and in his right a chalice.  Around his neck is a golden chain bearing a fish.  His throne is stone and vaguely mimics a seashell, and is just above a turbulent sea, but the water does not touch him.  His robes are blue, with a yellow cloak with red trim over the top.  In the distance is a ship with red sails, apparently being tossed around by the stormy seas and on the other side of him in the distance is a leaping dolphin.
King of Cups

You own your feelings. You own your thoughts. You control both. No one has the right to any of it—to any of you without your permission

Carlos Wallace

Overview and Common Meanings of The King of Cups   

When the King of Cups shows up in a reading it is an indication that you have gained mastery over your emotions without letting them drive you.  He understands the scope of human emotions and can offer wise advice.  Some alternate names from varying decks are Harmony, Integrity, Father of Water, Chief of Vessels.

Common Meanings

Both Kings and Queens can be representative of people already in your life or about to enter it, or they could be a general influence – such as ideas that encourage mature development and the balance of head and heart. The King can show up as an influence to encourage you to follow your heart more, rather than solely relying upon your head in decision making. This presents a great opportunity to connect with others in a heartfelt, genuine manner.  The King of Cups is all about finding the sweet spot between an open heart and an intelligent mind. 

In a money or work related reading the King of Cups indicates a leader with compassion and the ability to find balance between conflicting personalities and agendas.  The King of Cups reminds us to be giving, no matter how big or small your personal wealth, with the knowledge that the dividends of a generosity of spirit will always return to you.

A love and relationship reading in which the King of Cups appears – regardless of whether it refers to an established relationship or when seeking a new one – will indicate the importance of balanced emotional intelligence and accountability.

The Many Faces of The King of Cups

The shadow side – or reversal – of the King of Cups can show up to indicate dishonesty, not being in touch with emotions, or of being overwhelmed by them so that behavior is childish, self-centered.  It can be indicative of the need to take a pause and focus on finding the calm of the marriage of emotions and head. The shadow side of the king of cups can also show up to indicate the need to let go of past hurts and feelings of betrayal so that one heals and can live a full life.  Because of the empathic nature of the King of Cups, when in the reversed position, it can indicate being overwhelmed by another person’s pain or emotions. 

Description

A crowned king sits on a throne holding in his left hand the scepter of office and in his right a chalice.  Around his neck is a golden chain bearing a fish.  His throne is stone and vaguely mimics a seashell, and is just above a turbulent sea, but the water does not touch him.  His robes are blue, with a yellow cloak with red trim over the top.  In the distance is a ship with red sails, apparently being tossed around by the stormy seas and on the other side of him in the distance is a leaping dolphin. 

Themes of The King of Cups

  • Charismatic male figure – often a mentor or someone that you admire and trust.
  • Creativity
  • Diplomacy
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Following and trusting your heart/intuition
  • Generosity
  • Need for self-care.
  • Subconscious mind
  • Wise leader

Court Cards – Kings

Kings in any suit represent father, guardian, guru, leader, minister, patriarch, shaman, teacher.  In the suit of cups, which is all about emotions and creativity, we have a visionary leader who is attuned with, but not mastered by, his emotions. 

Elements of the Card and Associated Symbolism

  • Stormy sea – the often turbulence of emotions
  • Ship at sea- staying the course
  • Golden chain with fish amulet – fortune, faith, passion
  • Scepter of office – the sign of authority, power, control
  • Throne above turbulent sea – indicating mastery of emotions; the ability to turn feelings into ideas. 
  • Chalice – the vessel which holds our emotions/heart

Herbs for The King of Cups

  • Alder – divination, creativity, decision making, teaching.
  • Eyebright – Boost psychic capability, encourage rationality, promote positive outlook and wisdom.
  • Grape – mental clarity; prosperity
  • Horehound – mental clarity, creativity, inspiration, balances energy
  • Laurel – triumph, success

Questions that the King of Cups asks us

  • Do you feel that you have a healthy balance between your head and your heart?  If not, what do you need to restore that balance?
  • Is there something that you are holding onto that is preventing you from moving forward in your life and how is that serving you?

That is the King of Cups:  a fearless, creative mentor who has gained mastery over his emotions.  Wishing you a week in which you honor your emotions without letting them drown you.  As always, please reach out with comments or questions.  Thank you for reading and please join me next week for and introduction to the next suit:  Pentacles! 

THE QUEEN OF CUPS: POWERFUL INTUITIVE BOUNDARIES

A queen, wearing a crown, sits on a throne adorned with cherubim that is situated on the shore of a body of water.  She holds in her hands an ornate, covered chalice adorned with angels with outspread wings and topped by a cross.  Her robes are blue and white and at her feet are round pebbles that appear to have washed up from the body of water.  Her feet are near the placid water, but they do not touch it.  The sky is clear blue with no clouds.
The Queen of Cups

I believe in intuitions and inspirations…I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.

Albert Einstein

Overview and common meanings of The Queen of Cups 

When the Queen of Cups shows up in a tarot reading it is often indicative of an Intuitive woman with nurturing energy.  It can represent the querent or it can be representative of another person who fills that role.  In any event it is a person who is in tune with her intuitive nature without letting it overwhelm her day-to-day life.   Alternate names in varying decks are peace, compassion, mother of water, matriarch.

Common Meanings

An almost exclusively positive card, The Queen of Cups is the ideal female partner who is unafraid of intimacy while still retaining healthy autonomy and boundaries.  This is a person who is artistic and sensitive and puts love and happiness at the forefront.  The card also emphasizes the importance of emotional integrity.  Along with the loving generosity of spirit that is indicated with the queen of cups, there is a danger of giving so much that one’s cup becomes empty.  This is where healthy boundaries come into play.  I always liken it to how they say “put your oxygen mask on first before helping others” when you are flying. 

In a career or money related reading, the Queen of Cups can indicate a desire to get involved in work that is meaningful, impactful and allows expression of artistic and creative gifts.  Money-wise the Queen of Cups indicates good financial balance while warning to be careful of emotional spending. 

If the reading is related to romance, relationships, and love, the Queen of Cups is a personality that is warm, sensual, and empathetic.  She will bring a full heart to a true love relationship. Occasionally her presence could indicate the presence of another female outside of the relationship, or even a harmonious third person in the relationship. 

The Many Faces of The Queen of Cups

The shadow side – or reversal – of the Queen of Cups can indicate issues with finances or emotions – possibly jealousy, or infidelity.  It can show up as a sign of not being in touch with your emotions or being afraid to open and be vulnerable.   Can be indicative of an “energy vampire” that doesn’t contribute emotionally or financially.  Indicative of emotional warfare and blackmail. 

Description

A queen, wearing a crown, sits on a throne adorned with cherubim that is situated on the shore of a body of water.  She holds in her hands an ornate, covered chalice adorned with angels with outspread wings and topped by a cross.  Her robes are blue and white and at her feet are round pebbles that appear to have washed up from the body of water.  Her feet are near the placid water, but they do not touch it.  The sky is clear blue with no clouds. 

Themes of The Queen of Cups

  • Artistic
  • Compassionate
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Empathy
  • Intuition
  • Love
  • Nurturing Mother or Mentor
  • Spiritual connection

Court Cards – Queens

Queens are representative of nurturing, matriarchal energy and can be a guide or a mentor.  Oftentimes we see queens as people already in your life or about to come into your life. In the case of the suit of Cups, the Queen has to do with generosity of spirit and strong intuition as well as artistic and creativity, emotions, and love. 

Elements of the Card and Associated Symbolism

  • Angels – devotion and spirituality
  • Blue sky – calm and peace
  • Closed chalice – womb, subconscious
  • Cherub holding fish – prosperity
  • Cherubim – maternal instinct and inner child
  • Feet near, but not in water – attuned to emotions without being overtaken by them
  • Pebbles – insight that we gain in life as we travel our journey
  • Water – emotions

Herbs for The Queen of Cups

  • Hazel- knowledge, wisdom, connection
  • Hawthorn – balance of protection (boundaries) and open heartedness
  • Mint family – both protects and repels so strengthens boundaries while enhancing empathic understanding
  • Rue – protects from energy vampires/psychic attacks and allows for empathic listening
  • Yarrow – helps with to strengthen emotional boundaries, to distinguish between what is and isn’t yours

Questions that the Queen of Cups asks us

  • How well have your emotions been serving you lately?
  • How can you maintain healthy boundaries while leaning into the openhearted compassion of the Queen of Cups?

That is the Queen of Cups; nurturing mother energy balanced with healthy boundaries.  Wishing you a week in which you maintain those boundaries with love and compassion.  Please join me next week to round out the suit of Cups with the King of Cups!

THE KNIGHT OF CUPS – LOVE AND IMPULSE

The Knight of Cups
A knight in armor of blue, wearing a winged helmet, sits atop a white horse lifting its feet proudly as it calmly walks.  His surcoat is covered with red fishes and in his extended right hand he holds a chalice.  The sky is blue and there are bluffs in the background.  Meandering through the card is a river.
The Knight of Cups

Overview  and common meanings of The Knight of Cups

The Knight of Cups is open hearted, impulsive, and in love with love. He leads from his heart, is eager to jump in with both feet and surrounds himself with beautiful things that strum those heart strings and inspire joy and creativity.  He is inspired to take actions to see his dreams come to fruition, whether they be dreams of a project or, since cups deal with emotions, in a great love.  As previously mentioned, Pages and Knights, no matter the suit, can represent either people or influences.  In each reading, your intuition will tell you which it is. 

In varying decks, the Knight of Cups is also known as charm, passion, son of water.

Impulsiveness can be charming, but deliberation can have an appeal, as well

Sarah Dessen

Common Meanings

Every knight has a quest, and, as cups represent emotions, the quest of the knight of cups is love.  Influence – emotional time, seeking or being drawn to other sweet things that have a love vibration. 

If the Knight of Cups represents a person in the reading, it is indicative of an idealist and true romantic.  Be careful of this romantic being too carried away at the idea of love and the preconception of what love should look like, so much so that they do not show you their true self; their actions do not match their words. The Knight of Cups is often representative of a person with great intention without a lot of follow-through. 

In a work or career related reading, the Knight of cups can show up to indicate a new creative project.  It is important to anchor these new ideas with measurable steps to bring this idea into fruition.  Another work aspect of the knight of cups can be indicative of a workplace romance, or a new financial opportunity.  In both, make sure to trust your intuition while also taking the practical steps to research both.  In other words, marry heart AND head.

The Many Faces of The Knight of Cups

The shadow side – or reversal – of the Knight of Cups indicates disappointment.  An offer that was originally seen as amazing turns out to be a letdown, or doesn’t materialize at all, leaving you baffled and feeling abandoned.  If the Knight is representing a person, it can indicate a person who is so enraptured with the ideal of being “In love” and that giddy honeymoon phase of a relationship that they have no intention, or, indeed, ability to move beyond. 

This is oftentimes a lover with commitment and intimacy issues, that when confronted, will attempt to turn the tables, and claim that it is your issue (gaslight, anyone?).  Unfortunately, the solution is often to walk away from this drama and see it for what it was – an illusion, beautiful perhaps, but illusion, nonetheless. 

Description of the knight of cups card

A knight in armor of blue, wearing a winged helmet, sits atop a white horse lifting its feet proudly as it calmly walks.  His surcoat is covered with red fishes and in his extended right hand he holds a chalice.  The sky is blue and there are bluffs in the background.  Meandering through the card is a river. 

Themes of The Knight of Cups

  • Adoration
  • Artistic
  • Charm
  • Imagination
  • Impulsiveness
  • Intuition
  • Jealousy
  • Moodiness
  • Open heart
  • A Proposal
  • Romance
  • Wearing your heart on your sleeve

Court Cards – Knights

Knights are known as prince, warrior, seeker.  They are action, often impulsive action.  They charge forward with the enthusiasm of youth that has not yet learned the benefits of wisdom and taking one’s time to give measured thought to the situation before taking action that we see in the more “mature” tarot cards of King and even queen. 

Since Cups are all about creativity and emotions, we often see the Knight of Cups diving headfirst into new relationships or creative endeavors without taking the time to see whether either of them has legs.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes, not so much.  But, like any youthful person, the way we learn in life’s journey is through taking those risks and making those mistakes. 

Elements of the Card and Associated Symbolism

  • Blue armor – truth
  • Empty cup – the quest for love
  • Meandering River – following your feelings
  • Red fish on armor – passion and faith
  • White horse – white: purity and spirituality; horse: power and drive
  • Winged helmet and boots – communication, creativity, imagination  

Herbs for The Knight of Cups

  • Ashwagandha – calms the mind and lowers cortisol levels.  Helps with mental fatigue, stress, and exhaustion
  • Reishi- balance body and mind stress, adapt and find greater purpose in living, build willpower, and, as a result, help build wisdom
  • Rhodiola – memory, concentration, burnout
  • Rosemary – remembrance, steadfastness
  • Sarsaparilla – improves cognitive function and focus

Questions that the Knight of Cups asks us

  • If you are embarking on a new relationship or new creative venture, have you taken the time to carefully consider whether this is the best thing for you?
  • What kind of beauty can you bring to your world, not just for today, but for every day?

That is the Knight of Cups – Impulsive action that can be brilliant with the balance of forethought. Wishing you a week filled with creativity and love, and discernment. Please join me next week for the Queen of Cups!

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