Tarot Card Info: Book 4

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Tarot Card Info: Book 4

The Suit of Cups

WATER
Represents the emotions. Best known for representing the Querent's love life, but it also stands for emotional extremes, such as elation, depression or bliss, and the negatives that come with such emotions, like over-indulgence in food, drink, drugs. Likewise the positives like poetry or music. Also, psychic powers, visions, illusions. These are feelings that you surrender to, that you flow or sink into.

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Ace

Upright: The beginning of love, joy, beauty, or good health
Reverse: Hesitancy to accept the things that come from the heart, love under a selfish grasp, egotism

West/Fall
Emotions rising up for new love. This usually indicates that the Querent is feeling a new welling of emotion or beginning to have some vivid dreams. They're not writing the poetry yet, but they feel the desire to, or they may have caught sight of a figure across a room and felt a tug at their heart. They've lifted the cup and they want to drink from it.

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Two

Upright: A new romance, a well balanced friendship is beginning, harmony, cooperation
Reverse: A loss of balance in a relationship, a violent passion, love turning bad, a misunderstanding

This card of two people looking into each other's eyes is one of the easiest to read - it is recognition of love, of a friend or soul mate. It predicts that you will find someone who 'knows' you, and you, in turn, will 'know' them. It is a very Romeo & Juliet card. So, there is the direction for that swelling of emotion within you, toward this other person.

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Three

Upright: A good fortune in love, a happy conclusion, unknown talents are discovered, a sensitive and sympathetic person, hospitality
Reverse: Pain, gossip, unknown talents remain hidden, overindulgence

Three maidens with three overflowing cups celebrate. The creation here, springing from the relationship in the two of cups, is happiness, togetherness. Two cups pour into a third and it overflows with love and joy, enough for all. This is a card of parties, weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays. Any time that families get together and reunite in celebration of something new.

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Four

Upright: Reevaluation, a dissatisfaction with success, kindness may come from others
Reverse: New relationships possible, new goals, new ambitions, action

Contrarily, the stillness in the four cups represents stagnation, a status quo in a relationship that brings dissatisfaction and boredom. A man sitting under a tree with three cups is offered a fourth by a hand from a cloud. This is the "grass is greener" card. The relationship, once so fresh and exciting, is no longer moving or changing or growing, and the Querent, depressed and restless, begins to wonder if the grass might not be greener elsewhere.

This card is also about over-indulgence in drink, food, drugs, sex, even internet chat rooms, looking for stimulation. It is all too easy to turn to such things when depressed or bored. In general, this card is a warning. The Querent might be in a stagnant relationship, but day-dreaming of others or over indulging is not the way to solve the problem. Stop looking for ways to escape it, and look, instead, for ways to change it.

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Five

Upright: Sorrow, loss of a loved one, a broken marriage, disillusionment, vain regret
Reverse: Return of hope, new relationships are beginning, return of a loved one, courage is summoned from within

A very well known card; a young man looks down in despair at three spilled cups of wine, never seeing the two still standing. This is the card of spilled milk, one of the easiest to read. The Querent is obsessing over what is lost, rather than being glad for what they still have. The Querent might be feeling disappointed in someone for not living up to their expectations, making them blind to the person's good qualities. Or the Querent themselves did something they now regret, and they just can't get past it.

The problem, "How do I get past this?" The answer, "Your own blindness is what keeps you from getting past it. Open your eyes, look around, stop staring at what is wrong and bad and see what is right and good!" A simple but important answer!

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Six

Upright: A gift from a childhood acquaintance, happiness and pleasure brought from the past, good memories, a new friendship, a gift from an admirer, new opportunities
Reverse: Living in the past, outworn friendships, disappointment

Two children among six flowering cups. There is a great deal of rich and complex symbolism in this card, but in a nutshell, it is a frozen moment of perfect balance, the boy and the girl both touching that one cup with the flower in it. I like to think of this as taking place in early spring, still cold enough for the girl to wear mittens, but warm enough for the first flowers to have blossomed. The girl, possibly accepting the flower, looks up and sees the boy, and he, perhaps giving the flower, sees her as well. Perhaps, on that cup, their hands touch for the first time. It is a charming moment of recognition, of puppy love. The meaning of this card refers to a moment of nostalgia, of something or someone from our past coming back into our life. Given an old photo, or an invitation to a school reunion, we get, in return, a memory of harmony. Perhaps we meet with a friend, relative or teacher we haven't seen in years and the exchange of memories restores to us past love, past balance. We rediscover lost equilibrium and a solution that we could never have found in the present.

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Seven

Upright: A long-worked imagination, unable to choose one's direction in life, illusory success
Reverse: A good use of determination, will-power, a definite path will be chosen

A man sees 7 cups floating on a cloud, each with something enticing rising out of it. This is the "can't make up my mind" card. Think of a teenage girl who gets three from 3 popular, seemingly wonderful boys all asking her to the same dance. She can't say yes to any of them, she can't say no. All she can do is imagining how good each one would be and wish she didn't have to decide. This is the 7 of cups. Suddenly, you, the chooser, are not in control. You are in the power of the choices. And there is one other problem: not all of the choices may be as good as they look. This is a card of illusions, deceptions. Making a hasty decision, therefore, could be as bad as being unable to make any decision. How to take control here? Hold out, invest agate. Don't let the cups be in control. How ever much pressure there seems to be, don't let them force you to make a rash decision. Make an informed *and* measured decision instead.

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Eight

Upright: An abandonment of one's current path in life, disappointment in love, misery and repining without cause, desire to leave one's success for something higher
Reverse: Search for pleasure, seeking joy or success, a new love interest

A man leaves behind eight cups to follow the moon. The movement, or progress in this card is the shedding of old relationships, old loves, familiar things. The Querent is either disappointed with these familiar things - they are not what was expected, or hoped for, or the Querent has a crazy new dream calling to them. Their instincts are to follow the dream. But good idea or not (an inverted card might suggest that it's a bad idea, an illusion), they'll need courage to do this, to leave all everything known, comfortable and familiar, and go for the unknown. This can be a card of separation or divorce. And yes, like all Eights this can imply a literal move or trip, especially from an established home to a new, unknown one in an unknown land.

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Nine

Upright: An assured future, physical well-being, a wish may come true
Reverse: A lack in money, overindulgence, illness, a wish may not come true

A innkeeper sits before nine cups set out for guests. This is perhaps THE best card in the minors. It is sometimes called the "wish" card. What you have an appetite for you will be given, your wish will come true. On the more emotional level, relationships are loving and complete. Creativity at a high, friendships and emotions are good. It is like walking into an inn and finding that the innkeeper has already filled his chalices with the best wine for you and your friends. The joy and camaraderie the Querent seeks he will surely find.

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Ten

Upright: A happy family life, true friendships, lasting happiness
Reverse: A family quarrel, loss of a friendship, children may turn against their parents, waste

This is a permanence of joy, love, friendship. The kind of family we all work to create, a family we can trust, rely on, one that's there for us in the best and worst times. This is the family you look forward to seeing during holidays and on special occasions. The ones that come running out to greet you when you arrive at their house, smiles of joy on their faces. The Querent can be told that this family - or family of friends - can or is theirs.

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Page

Upright: Gentleness, sweetness, kindness, an interest in poetry or art, news
Reverse: Selfishness, little desire to create, a poor imagination

A message of love, romance, heart-break or family.

This is the daydream kid; head in the clouds, rarely paying attention. They've got a great imagination and love telling or being told stories, but they're also overly sensitive; very kind and sweet, they'll bring you a flower, try to rescue sick birds or abandoned kittens, take very seriously the death of a goldfish. When sad, they're the saddest kid you ever saw. When happy, they're positively blissful.

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Knight

Upright: Intelligence, romantic dreamer, the coming or going of an emotional matter
Reverse: Trickery, fraud, sensuality, idleness, an untruthful person

Travel to lake, river or sea, maybe a day on a boat.

A knight in the truest sense, this is the knight of love, the Romeo. The teen we all know and love; dreamy, sensitive, moody, "deep." he plays music, spends long hours alone in his room with the shades drawn, he writes dark, meaningful poetry. He will fall in love, passionately, profoundly and he and his love will be inseparable. On the negative side, he should be watched for depression which can be very real. Though moody, he's fiercely loyal to anyone he loves, including family.

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Queen

Upright: Imagination out-ways one's common sense, a good wife or loving mother, happiness, gentle, a good natured person
Reverse: An over-active imagination, perverse, pleasure and happiness may turn bitter

Developing a romance, psychic powers, or the growth of a family.

Often a healer, counselor or psychic, this is a woman who seems to know what's wrong even before you open your mouth. Call her the emotional fix-it woman, but she seems to have exactly the right solution to problems relating to home, friends, love. Sometimes she is shy, self-effacing, you might not even notice her; other times she can be a little scary, dreamy, mysterious, a creative storyteller. Affectionate and loving, she is a "mom's mom" always there to hug, heal and bake cookies for her children. Her intuition is uncanny, her temper...well, it runs very deep and you don't ever want it turned against you. Talk about scary. Unfortunately, this is also a queen who can suffer from female hormonal problems, depression, moodiness, alcoholism, drug addiction, psychological problems.

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King

Upright: A business man, a man of law, kindness, a considerate person, a willingness to take on responsibility, and enjoyment of the arts or sciences
Reverse: A powerful man but a double-dealer, crafty, violent, scandal

The decision to start a new relationship, may indicate a man deciding to propose or just finally motivating himself to approach a special someone. This is a new love, but it is a mature love, one that is determined. Can also indicate a man motivated to be a new and better provider, father and husband.

Call him "The Godfather". A kinder, gentler, more loving man you'll never meet. His "kingdom" is his family, and his one dream is to be sitting at the head of a huge table filled with kin, kids, grand kids, serving up food to them all. His family comes first; for them he'll work, sacrifice, do just about anything; and, yes, like the "Godfather" he will consider doing terrible things to you if you cause grief to any member of that family.
More likely to be a chef, bookstore owner, museum curator, decorator or restorer than a Godfather, this King is a historian, an old fashioned man with quaint, old fashioned ideas. He'll motivate the neighborhood to restore old buildings, to be more friendly, neighborly and polite. Very like the Queen of Cups, however, he's too soft and sentimental. No matter how prodigal the son, this father will always bail the kid out. About his family, it is almost impossible to make him see reason.