The Ace of Cups
The Journey of Love with the Ace of Cups
The Ace of Cups as it is depicted in the Tarot Oil Tarot Deck (the TOT Deck) is, I believe, representative of the waters of life. The golden chalice filled with clean, fresh water is the essential requirement for the life of the lotus flower - the symbol of spiritual attainment.
In the legend of the Holy Grail, we are told a story of deep need that motivates a seeker on an adventurous quest to find ‘the cup’ - a life changing object.
Like that of the Tarot itself, there are variations on the details and proposed history of the Holy Grail story:
Arthurian Legend, in which King Arthur is constantly heading off to find the Grail.
The Fisher King, in which the king cannot move; he can only sit and fish by his castle until the Grail is found and he is healed.
The Holy Family version. This is probably best known from Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code (and its movie adaptation). In this version, Mary Magdalene was Christ’s wife and her womb was the cup that held the first of Christ’s bloodline. I fell a little bit in love with this version of the legend, as I’d already read a book entitled The Woman with the Alabaster Jar by Mary Starbird. Starbird’s intent was to disprove the bloodline theory, but instead her research led her to consider this as an alternative history for the Holy Family.
The Ace is the beginning and the end of each suit. In the suit of Cups, I believe we are being shown the path to emotional fulfilment, the steps that need to be taken. I think this journey is a transformation of the spirit that can only be performed in the physical world.
1. Ace of Cups - We discover love.
2. 2 of Cups – Recognition, attraction and connection with another. This card is often referred to as the engagement card.
3. 3 of Cups – Here we see the celebration of our friends, family or community as we make the commitment to come together as one.
4. 4 of Cups – Emotional balance is being developed here, and as a result we will have the emotional capacity to move towards integration.
5. 5 of Cups - The loss of separateness or duality; motivation to move forward towards what we really want.
6. 6 of Cups – With a deeper commitment to each other comes a healing of the heart. The 6 of Cups in the Voyager Tarot deck has delicate pink flowers coming out of the golden vase. Some are on the ground and they have been bruised. They are a lovely reminder of how important it is that we go gently with ourselves and each other as we move into a deeper connection with ‘the other’.
7. 7 of Cups - What do I want? This is a point for reflection in which we make comparisons about what we have gained from the energy and efforts that have been made in the past and whether we need to adjust, make a complete change, or keep going in the same direction.
8. 8 of Cups - The quest for emotional fulfillment itself, which is driven by the question at this point on the journey to selfhood: ‘What am I missing?’ We know this is often an internal journey, and in it we do our own version of the quest for the Holy Grail.
9. 9 of Cups - I find my tribe, my community, I belong.
10. 10 of Cups - I have moved into intimate connection and embodied it in my earthly life. I live the love.
Science is developing at such a rate that no doubt in short order there will be solid evidence to support the theory that all things are connected, all people, all living things - that we are part of one big energetic web.
When we dive deep into this cup, we immerse ourselves into, and become, the love. Think about that for a moment. How would it be for you if you actually embodied love? Would you not emanate the vibration of love, and how would that affect the people around you? Your family, your workplace, the food you cook? What would happen?
If you are wondering where you are in relation to your own personal quest for deep fulfilment, I would encourage you to get your Tarot cards out and do the Journey to Fulfilment Spread shown below.
Journey to Fulfilment Spread:
The Process
Separate your cups cards from the rest of the deck. In one pile, put the cards Ace through 10, and in the other pile the 4 cups court cards.
First, shuffle your cards Ace through ten, spread them facedown and choose cards one and three.
Next, shuffle and spread, facedown, the four cups court cards and choose one to show you who you need to be, or what attributes you need to access to get to the next step. Place this card in position number 2; it is the bridge from where you are to where you need to be. This is what the spread looks like:
The Positions:
1. Where am I on the journey to living ‘in the love’?
2. What skills or attributes do I need to draw on to get there?
3. Where am I going to next on this journey?
These cards are from the Voyager Tarot Deck by James Wanless and Ken Knutson
The Ace of Cups is a card that’s about life and love – more specifically, the discovery and embodiment of love. It represents the beginning of our emotional journey through life, a journey that has parallels with another great quest: the legendary quest for the Holy Grail. For all of us, love is the Grail of our lives. What can you do to get closer to it? Do the Tarot card layout and see!
Well that’s it from me for now.
Warmest to You,
Karen