What are we being called to embody in the coming week?
The King of Cups
This King is adorned in various shades of blue; for water, for the heart, for divine royalty. He stands in his watery kingdom, between two pillars that look like fish tales, under a beautiful blue light. The fish at his feet, golden for success and spirit, represent loyalty. His cloak and crown are also adorned with golden water symbols. In his hand is a gilded cup illuminated with the light it carries. He stands tall, wise, and full of understanding. He is not lofty or proud; rather, he is the humble servant of his loyal subjects full of divine knowledge. White light swirls around him, and outside, the sea and sky are growing dark and quiet in serene peace.
Cups are the cards of feelings, emotions, creativity, and intuition. They are also considered the relationship cards of the tarot. While the King is considered a leader and an authority figure, he encompasses far more than that. The King of Cups is symbolic of emotional intelligence. One cannot harbor such an intelligence if they are feeling from a place that holds old resentments and insecurities. To embody this King, one must be able to have empathy for those around them and themselves. I am sure that people who have been cooped up in quarantine could be finding themselves feeling a little more emotional, and a little less empathetic to both themselves and others.
Empathy, however, is an important emotion to have an embodiment of. We tend to feel within ourselves that we are so separate from the world and from the people around us. Feeling this way, it is easy to construct a ‘me vs. them’ attitude and then dictate our lives in that way. Our pain and triumphs become ours alone, and singular. The truth of the matter whether we like it or not is that we are all connected, and nothing is ever completely exclusively ours. ‘What one does to the least of my brethren, one does to me’ is a statement we have all heard before, and has good basis in the fact that we are all sharing the same energetic connection to the universe. What we do in action always has consequences that reach farther than ourselves, and when we are dealing with our emotions and the way we put them out into the world, it is no different. The choice is always ours to decide if we deal with our emotions from a place of empathy and kindness, like the King of Cups, or if we fail to remember the connection and spew them unchecked upon those closest to us, which can in turn be very damaging.
Why should we heed this message?
Seven of Swords
A hooded figure dressed in earth tones appears to be sneaking through a courtyard, gathering up swords, holding one at the ready to use if he gets caught. There is light shining beyond, and the brilliant green of life, but he is focused on the task at hand, poised to run or fight at a moment's notice. He is leaning on a stairway towards the inside of a castle... And he probably dwells there. If he makes it inside, he will succeed... But he hasn't gotten there yet.
Swords are the action cards of the Tarot, but can also correlate to thoughts and words. Sevens are generally indicative of a call to have faith. With the suit of Swords, this usually deals with a betrayal or deceit of some kind. However, I honestly believe that this week, we are not talking about actual physical betrayals as much as we are talking about perceived ones that take root in the mind.
Matched to the previous card, and the current state of things, I believe that this card is warning us to be very careful how we handle things this week. Our lives seem to be in a constant state of flux, and many of us do not know who to trust and who to believe. This card speaks of a test of faith; the King is advising you to act and speak from a heart-based space. To not do this could open you up to a deeper pain than anything you are currently going through.
Also (and this is not without irony) The Seven of Swords is a card that carries the message of avoiding others at this time – and I cannot think of a more appropriate card for quarantine. Everyone is getting weary of being shut in, of not having the freedom of their usual pursuits right now. However, it is necessary to still remain away from others in a physical sense. We did the same thing with the Spanish Flu in 1918, and we made the mistake then, as we are kind of making now, of not taking it very seriously at the onset. Because of that, the Spanish Flu went rampant and caused a lot of deaths. It also frightened us so badly that it took many years before we would come back around to socializing and gathering in the way that we had prior to it.
So: When you find yourself in places this week that tug on you emotionally, remember to think and communicate from a heart-based perspective. Don’t fly off the handle and project yourself into places that will permanently damage your relationships with those closest to you because you are communicating from a place of pain and thereby hurting those around you; seeing betrayals where there aren’t any. Take some time to decide, when you are feeling victimized, to decide if it is really coming from a place where someone is running you through with a sword or from a place inside of you that is blowing it up because you have pent-up emotional work to do.
The Outcome this week:
Temperance:
An angel stands before a cauldron embossed with the symbols of the sun and moon; the Triple Goddess, pouring from golden chalices both equal measure of fire and water. From the cauldron is created life, vibrant and blooming. She is crowned with the sun, and upon her chest is the symbol of water, which while having no actual form is a immeasurable life force. She wears white, the color of purity, and is surrounded by white light. Beyond her, the world is fertile and green, but she keeps her eyes trained on the task at hand, where she is creating something great. White light also rises from her hands as she pours.
Temperance is one of the Major Arcana cards, which means that its message pertains to growth that will last us our lives through. This card reminds us that we, too, must blend the experiences of our lives together, some forged in fire, some birthed in water, to create something worthwhile. It is in even measure, and moderation, that things end up as they should.
So, the message is very clear this week: We are being called to examine our emotional selves and work on the areas where we carry feelings of betrayal and distrust, and by doing so, we will come to a place where we are emotionally balanced and will carry that balance forward in our lives. This is not light work to carry out. Often, we discard our emotional selves and ignore the call because it is highly uncomfortable to work on emotions… Especially when it pertains to changing our perspectives about pain! We have been placed in a space where most of our norms are falling away, and there is little we can do in the transition but wait it out… and at this time, we are being called to put this emotional work in during this period of waiting. By examining patterns of our emotional behavior and applying empathy to them, we can open up channels of better communication and lasting harmony. This week is all about balancing the emotional body and soothing the parts within us that need understanding and empathy. While most of this work is done quietly within, it is a great work being asked of us this week.
Working with green and pink stones this week will aid you in remaining in a heart-based perspective. Blue stones will help you communicate in a way that speaks your truth without being damaging.
Remember that we are all connected, and remember that we are all dealing with our own emotional pains right now, and try to be kind. It is almost always strain of some kind that force emotions to the surface that we refuse to deal with. Having to convalesce and lose our usual patterns of living is heavily emotionally straining. Be kind, be honest, and be aware that it is not just you living through these new hardships. Finally, don’t be quick to be angry with someone who cannot seem to get a handle on their emotions. We all grow at different paces. What might come quickly to you might not be easy at all to someone else. Carry out your deeds this week with love.
-R-