King of Cups – Caution: Risk Of Explosion

Today’s card is the King of Cups from The Raven's Prophecy Tarot. In this depiction we see a glass which  contains just one feather. The king of Cups is known to be a very good listener. He truly can hold space for how you feel deep down and for what you need to unburden. Only after you have told him everything, he will give you great advice on how to move forward without any pressure to see his way as the only way.

But who really knows what is going on with him:  Always smiling, always nodding , always  calm. Who knows what this feather is all about? He will not share, without being pushed quite a bit. His feelings are buried deep beneath his responsibility as king.  But beware, these build up emotions can explode unexpectedly and then he feels exposed, ashamed and crownless.

So what advice could we give this King and I got the Hanged Man: this card encourages him to take some time  to explore how he feels about being the archetypal counselor and perhaps even more importantly to explore how he feels….

Often taking a step back will give us a more clear perspective  on a lot of things; even on what we didn’t know troubled us in the first place.

I know all too well how it feels to be a King of Cups and when build up emotions become a hazard for my family and myself.

So for today will try to be more open about how I feel, if only to myself in my journal, in order to prevent my glass to break into pieces once again. And yes, taking a few good deep breaths or a time out after “King of Cups duty” is a very sound advice indeed! 

Three Card Spread – Keep checking in with yourself

For today I have decided to do the Within-Without-Advice spread with the Smith Waite Tarot. The cards I drew fit perfectly with my previous post about my attempt to create a “Free-Flowing routine” in order to establish some fulfilling and more healthy habits.

Within – Eight of Pentacles

It seems I feel quite content with the result of my new routine. Working with it brings structure in my life and a great deal of satisfaction. Gradually I will get better in maintaining my new and still fragile set of habits.

Without - The Chariot

Look at me I am riding on the wind. Just doing great. Oh no, not quite the movement I was expecting. Yes, this chariot has left the city behind the walls but now, in his concrete wagon he is going nowhere. It looks very impressive on the outside world but what is going on the inside of the charioteer?

Advice – The King of Cups

This is for me the archetype of the healer. He is our inner therapist, the part of ourselves that is able to distance himself of the problem at hand. He urges you  to find out what is really going on.

Yes it is obvious I am already trying too hard; becoming too rigid in my efforts although my intent was to stay compassionate with myself  and surrender to the flow of the day. This is so me: wanting to do my very best, even if it is not the best for myself. So I will take this advice at heart and I will proceed more slowly, more gently and more consciously about how I am feeling.

King of Cups – The perfect ally for this season

For this new moon I drew the King of Cups from the Morgan Greer tarot in the Embrace position. 

I am not a huge fan of the King cards in general but for me this one is the most easy to relate to. He is kind and wise, he is compassionate and tolerant and he is intuitive and artistic. So what is not to like about this King. Since he has come up in the embrace position I want to emphasize his  positive traits over his more challenging ones. What I love most about him is his emotional stability and great involvement  in the lives of his people and the way he offers them advice and guidance in times of need. He also teaches me not only to give advice but also to be open to receive advice from others. Ask M, because she knows how difficult it can be to tell me to slow down and rest more.

He is also a peacemaker which can be quite a useful  energy to identify with during the holidays. Together with his other aspects he is the perfect one to have around this season. And maybe this stretches a bit too far for some of us but he does remind me a bit of  Jesus himself.

So what could be a good way to manifest his energy today! and I got the (don’t laugh) the King of Swords. This card will remind me to keep a balance between my heart and my head. Embodying the king of Cups could perhaps lead to improvident actions. I supposes the clear mindedness of the King of Swords will protect me from becoming overly involved or too compassionate and he will make sure that my personal boundaries are guarded at all times. I am sure these two kings will have a lot to talk about.

My cards for the Autumn Equinox

For this year’s Autumn spread I’ve used the Ravens Prophecy Tarot. This deck is quite the opposite of the Tarot of the Hidden Realm because while that deck is mostly about people and faces, this deck is all about symbolism. I was surprised by the amount of Court cards I got in this reading but fortunately it was easy to relate  to them.

By the way, getting reacquainted with my  Autumnal decks after so long, makes me very happy! It feels like coming home: warm, cozy,  familiar but also completely new. 

What have I sown? The World:

The potential to become and achieve whatever I want and cope with whatever comes my way

What have I reaped? The Queen of Wands:

I feel so much more confident to express myself in words and images and I’ve learned that art is not only something I like to do but maybe even more a way of taking care of myself. It feeds and fulfills my soul. I always feel so much better after I’ve created something.

What should I be thankful for? The Queen of Coins

I am grateful for taking better care of my body and I am also grateful to be able to be a caring mother not only for my family but most of the time for myself as well. 

Where do I still need to focus my efforts? The King of Cups

I would like to try to really listen what others have to say; at least give them a chance to let them finish their sentence. Also I think it is important to  become more aware of my own emotional currents.  

How can I achieve balance? The page of Swords

I need to find clarity in all aspects of my life especially about my emotional well being and for me the best way to do this is journal, journal, journal!

Different Cards; Same Message

Sometimes I think when my decks had actual voices, they would cry out this message even before I could pull a card. Today’s three card spread has given me a message I have got so many times before already. Honestly I do think I make a serious effort to respond to this message as well as I can but for today the Original Rider Waite Tarot thought I needed to see it laid out before me with yet another combination of cards:

Energy/ focus of today : the Ace of Pentacles. 

Since I’m almost continuously searching for a balance between expressing myself creatively and feeling safe enough to create without fear of failure this card feel like a gift of God(dess). And it is depicted as such in this deck too. This is the card of abundance and of small seeds coming to fruition. It is the beginning of something tangible and new. So here I am again encouraged to pick up my supplies and express myself  in whatever way  I feel is right for me today.

Challenge : King of Cups. The king of Cups is a wise and benevolent King but he is also detached from his own feelings. Always busy helping and understanding everybody else so he won’t have to put his feet into his own dark undercurrents. It is obvious that when everybody needs him, he doesn’t have the time to be introspective, let alone be creative at all.  I  will be on the lookout for this tendency of mine to put off my own needs so I can use all my energy for others (What a clever coping skill by the way)

Gift: The Magician: 

This is the card of confidence, capability, initiative and the courage to do whatever we really want to. His confidence is the perfect antidote for the deep rooted fear of the King of Cups. Just as the King is shying away from his Cup, the Magician will pick it up and use whatever it contains to his advantage and to manifest his deepest desire.

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear. “

King of Cups – Three roads to compassion and understanding

Today’s card is the King of Cups from the Morgan Greer Tarot. In combination with the Five of Cups, my Card of the Week, this King is all about compassion and understanding for people in desperate and challenging situations. 

He is the master of the emotional realm. He has lived through the entire suit of Cups and knows perfectly well that emotional setbacks can be so detrimental  for  your well being. This is why he is determined to guide others who are going through similar things he has experienced. And he will do so in a very gentle and caring way.

For today this King can represent someone who is really there for you when you need him the most; someone who will listen without judging. Someone who will give advice when asked for and who is able to be still and just sit with you when needed

The king of Cups can also represent  a book,  a movie, a deck of cards, or even your dog. Any  trigger which will give you guidance and insight in what you’re going through and how to move forward on your healing journey.

Last but not least the King of Cups can represent yourself; the gentle kindness for yourself when nobody else can give you this; the inner voice that urges you to take a  walk or a nap, to  paint, to journal or to just sit and be with what is, without fighting or wanting it to be something else.

Naturally when we are feeling up to it, we can be the King of Cups for somebody else.  Often when you have been dealing with some heavy stuff it is easier to relate to others who are having a hard time too. This is when we've come full circle.

King of Cups – Listening to the deep waters

For today I've drawn the King of Cups from the Mary El Tarot.  For me he is the master healer, the empath, He feels deeply without drowning in his own or other’s emotional tidal waves.

In the picture we see our king floating in the water between blue lotus flowers. He is holding his scepter, signifying he is Poseidon the God of the Ocean.

The king of Cups is master over the deep realm of our unconsciousness, of dreams and imagination.

It seems like there is not much going on in this depiction but although the surface may look calm and peaceful, we never can quite  grasp what is lurking in the undercurrent. Al we can do is trying to be still and listen,  like this king is doing

I've picked up  my meditation practice (Four days in a row J) This will help me to be still and listen to what is going on in the deep waters of my soul.  I do hope I can keep it up and try to see it as a gift to myself instead of a chore. 

"Whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. What is soft is strong." —Lao Tzu.

King of Cups – It's okay to ask

This morning when I woke up I didn't feel too well. Since S. and M. both had similar complaints a few days ago, I guess it’s my turn now. It is nothing serious but just enough to feel  poorly and tired. When I  pulled my daily card I had to laugh because it was the King of Cups. Among other things he is also my tarot doctor. Mostly my therapeutic healer but also my acknowledgement there is physically something wrong. He is the one who tells me to take care of myself and allow myself to be ill; to put my own needs first and take time to get well again. It almost looks like he is offering me something to drink. 
Too often I have been the one who kept going when the rest of the family was ” too ill” to do anything at all. Well luckily that has changed, but old habits die slowly, so this card is a good reminder to ask for a pot of tea instead of making it myself. I think I am going to bed now with that tea, some biscuits and good book. I wonder how many pages I’ll manage to read. J

King of Cups – Seek some guidance

After too many good intentions and new ideas to better my life: to be more positive, meditate more regularly, write my morning pages every morning, rise earlier, eat healthier, exercise more etc, it is no wonder the King of Cups from the Original Rider Waite tarot  has come along to help me to get real with this eagerness to improve my life on every level at the same time. I do have a bit of an all of nothing mindset J.  He is the one who keeps his feet on the pedestal of his throne. Unlike his Queen he doesn't like his feet to get wet. He doesn't look at his cup either. To me these are all signs of emotional detachment in order to make the right decisions and to give a sound advice. He is the calm mentor, a loving (grand)father, an example of emotional stability.

 When I tell him my concerns, he smiles, nods and empathizes with me. He tells me to take it slowly, one step at the time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will all these good intentions transform into solid habits overnight. Be gentle with yourself and when you “fail” you can try again tomorrow. There will always be another day….And I know he is right (as always)

“I am the grandfather at the end of the long journey of life. I have done it all, I have seen it all. I have turned within, and have found great solace there. I have gained much experience, and now people come to me when they need my wisdom. I do not lose myself in ideals of perfection, for I understand that everything is perfect, even in its weakness. My place is not to judge, but to help. I bring peace and serenity. I offer healing for old wounds. I am supremely patient and when you fall, I am unconditionally compassionate. I am secure in my wisdom and strength. I have earned my way to this state of being.” Leila Vey

King of Cups – a pillar of strength

Restored Order Tarot

Today’s card is the King of Cups from the Restored Order Tarot . It is a Dutch deck with eighty cards and its original name is "Tarot in de Herstelde Orde". “Two extra cards, Intuition (Juno) and Truth (Jupiter), have been 'restored' to the deck, and some of the major Arcana is reordered. The imagery is based on that of the Rider-Waite, but has some changes in imagery and has been rendered in a more attractive and vibrant artistic style.” (AeclecticTarot)

It took some getting used to this deck but eventually I learned to appreciate the artwork. I  mostly like the pointillist backgrounds. Each suit has their own color scheme. In my opinion, some of the clothing could have used a bit more attention. But all together it is a nice deck and the hardcover book is good reference.

So back to the King of Cups. He is sitting on a concrete throne which is against all odds floating on the sea. Any way, his feet are kept dry unlike the Queen’s who has one feet in the water. For me this king is an empathizing friendly person who can detach himself from the drama he has to resolve. In that way he can give council and comfort but he isn't swept away by the tidal waves of the emotions all around him. He is a pillar of strength and always there for you but he can maintain his calm and protect his personal boundaries.

This is for me a welcome advice since M and I had to go to the dentist again. I am there for her but I have to be careful it will not be at my own expense. Perhaps, for my own good, this time it is better to be more like the king instead of the queen. 

Imbolc Tarot Spread: Brid’s Wheel

This spread for Imbolc, I have found in Christine Jette’s book “Tarot for all Seasons”. I've bought this book to accompany me on my journey around the wheel of the year with the Wildwood Tarot, I've started out last Yule

For this spread I've used my brand new Morgan Greer tarot.

Brid's Wheel from "Tarot of All Seasons" by Christine Jette with The Morgan Greer Tarot

1.    Strength.  This card shows where you are strong. 

*    The Queen of Rods: she is a strong, outgoing and creatively inspired. She is always warmed by her inner fire. She is confident and resilient. It pleases me to see her as my strength card

2.    Heart’s Desire.  You deepest desire.  What do you really want? 

*    King of Cups: How lovely it would be if I could master my emotional ups and downs and become more balanced. I want to be able to reach out to others and help them without getting emotionally drained

3.    Healer. What needs to be healed if you are to be strong?  Note whether or not there is a relationship between position one (strength) and this card. 

*    The Chariot: I have to acknowledge I am my own person, live my own life and I can set out my own direction and try to keep my insecurity and anxiety under control.

4.   Creative Inspiration.  When healing energy is released, creative inspiration is the result.  What are you inspired to do?  What creative activity fires you up?

*    Six of swords: That was a difficult card for me. But then I drew the sun as clarifier. I think I can interpret this as a creative spark in my communication abilities. The six of swords is about sorting out idea’s, looking for new ways of thinking and communicating; leaving behind idea’s which, although comfortable,  aren’t helpful anymore; or sometimes it could mean a spiritual journey or a quest.  In this sun card two people are coming together in the light of the sun which brightens and reveals everything. So I will use my creativity to communicate my thoughts clearly (writing?). Perhaps it is also a hint to put some effort in my Dutch blog.

5.   Making Plans.  Based on the creative information of position four, what plans can you now make? 

*    Nine of Pentacles. I always love this card.It is so easy to identify with this woman. It strikes me this nine of pentacles is very purple unlike many other cards in this deck. I can interpret this to use my inner wisdom in my spoken and written words. I’ve pulled the eight of swords as clarifier and it tells me to be aware of my limiting beliefs. So I see the Nine of Pentacles also as an advice to look after myself and be aware of maintaining my self-worth; Try to relax and be confident and believe in myself. This woman likes to be alone and that is okay too. In her so loved solitude she can find the peace and quiet to listen to her own thoughts and put them in writing

6.   New Growth.  What is the promise of spring that lies just beneath the snow? 

*    Nine of rods. Another nine. This card is all about vigilance. I am going to watch out for distracting influences (like procrastination!!!) which might make me forget my creative goal. (it happened before J) I will go on even when I get insecure. This card will be my defense against my inner critic.

My two daughters: The Woodward and The King of Vessels

Today has been a very tough day indeed. At first I didn't feel like blogging at all but after my daughters both had drawn a card from the Wildwood Tarot  I knew I had to write a few lines. Let’s give my daughters some initials: S  is the eldest and M is the youngest. S has been struggling for a long time  with an eating disorder and today, after a long, kind but serious  talk she has decided to ask for professional help. I am so proud of her because I know how difficult it is to admit you can’t do it on your own. M has always been the more sensitive receptive one of this family and she has assessed her sisters problem more heavily then I have done. She sympathizes with her, is there for her  and has at the same time very practical solutions.

After our long talk they both asked me if they could draw a card.

S had pulled the Woodward :

This card is telling me today that she has enough inner strength to tell herself:  “enough is enough” and to face the situation and to act upon it. She is not a victim of her circumstances and she will move forward and do what is necessary to overcome her problems with courage and compassion.

And M had drawn the King  of Vessels the Heron

M is all about control and finding balance. In doing so she has a lot of consideration and sympathy for others who are struggling with themselves. She listens and supports where it’s needed and accepted.

I was so proud of both my girls today. I am dead tired but my love for them exceeds that gloriously.