The Queen of Cups is an empath, someone who is not always part of the mechanations of other peoples’ lives, but actively drawn into their emotional aspect. She is sensitive to the fact that she does not “belong” in many ways. But in the ways that she can relate, she is a healer and a receptor, and she can create for herself a whole world from the feelings of those around her.

trinity doughnuts tarot: the queen of cups: empath

I think the Queen of Cups is right for me. I think that quiz got it right. I've always liked the symbolism of the cup, the vessel, a container for something, the idea of holding ones hands so that they catch water, or hold something in the vessel that they make. To hold something in one's cupped hands, even if it's only an idea, or a prayer. And the main image at my main website has been a teacup for the past couple of years. And of course there's Tealeaves. It's a symbol that means a lot to me, that stands for comfort, home, serenity.

And I'm definitely an empath--it's on of the qualities that I always think of in describing myself. Something that makes my life harder, actually, but that I wouldn't want to lose.

In some decks, the Seven of Metals [Pentacles/Coins] conveys seeing the fruits of one’s labor, and encourages the querent to celebrate his efforts, and take a break to appreciate his progress. In other decks, it gives the impression of toil, and not necessarily of seeing results; in fact, it may seem to be an admonition to hunker down and work harder. In either case, it is a card that implies hard work, as likely in the present and future as in the past, and, in either case, that assessment of that work is now crucial.

trinity doughnuts tarot: the seven of metals: assessment

• 5/18/04: Knight of Pentacles
• 5/19/04: Six of Swords
• 5/20/04: Knave of Wands
• 5/21/04: Six of Swords
• 5/22/04: Knight of Wands
• 5/23/04: Five of Swords
• 5/24/04: Seven of Pentacles
• 5/25/04: Eight of Wands
• 5/26/04: Two of Swords
• 5/27/04: Seven of Pentacles

Not all that random, is it? I mean, it's random, but it seems strange to get so many of the same cards. There are 78 cards in the deck, after all. It seems it must mean something. What it might be, I don't know yet.

When the Two of Swords appears in a reading, it is a sign of a blockage. You, very likely, know that you are blocked; but it possible that the circumstances to which you are attributing your reticence or blockage are not really those to blame.

It may be a situation in which you do not particularly want to move ahead. Perhaps you know there is an undeniably unpleasant step to follow. The Two of Swords in this case will serve perhaps to remind you to face and acknowledge your own situation without blaming or hiding behind other people or circumstances. To lie to oneself is self-defeating. Accept the instruction of the Two of Swords the first time it appears, to you to avoid being your own prisoner.

Learntarot.com says:

The Two of Swords is about the barriers we put up between ourselves and others and those we create within ourselves. Internally, we block off emotions and refuse to feel them. We avoid looking at the truth and pretend that everything's OK. We think one way, but feel another. In countless ways, we divide off parts of ourselves and try to maintain them even when we know they need to be reconciled.

As she goes on, she refers specifically to the image on the Rider Waite deck, as does Rachel Pollack:

. . . First of all, the crossed arms close off her heart. The imagery of blocked emotions continues in the way the grey dress seems to merge into the stone seat. At the same time the heavy swords raise the centre of gravity from the solar plexus to the chest. . . .

I've chosen to use the Da Vinci deck as my primary deck because that seems to be the one that feels the most comfortable to me--I like the images on the Rider deck, but I think I need to go handle a few of them, look at the different versions, to decide whether I want to buy one or not. I thought I would like the Universal Waite deck, but once I had it in my hands, I didn't like it--the images were too bright and cartoony.

But obviously most of the resources are going to be using this deck, and the symbolism on these particular cards is a big part of it. I need to think about this one.

On the Seven of Pentacles we see a man who has labored long and hard in his garden. The foliage is full, the blossoms are out - it seems that his work has paid off. Now he's taking a break to admire his handiwork. How satisfying it is to see such fine results! How rewarding is sweet success!

Rachel Pollack, in Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, says:

From the image of work we move to its reward. Like the Nine the Seven shows the pentacles as a living development from the person's labor. Meaningful work gives more than material benefit; the person too grows. The Seven shows that moment of being able to look back with satisfaction on something accomplished. The "something" may be as broad as a career or as simple as an immediate project. The card implies that whatever has been built up (including relationships between people) has reached a point where it can grow by itself, and the person can step back from it without it collapsing.

I looked at a site called Paranormality this morning, and its interpretation of the Seven of Pentacles is:

Promising projects that fail.  A warning not to rest upon one's laurels as success is only attainable through continued hard work.  Material success may be possible but the nettle must be grasped.  Previous past effort wasted through inertia in the present.  Reaping no reward from charitable work.

Pretty harsh.

I know that the interpretations are subjective, and that's part of the reason that I like it, I guess. Funny how this one is so negative, though, when the other two I ran across first were so positive. Lots to learn.

This morning I had been working on a self-portrait in Photoshop--cleaning up a photo that I took yesterday in the garden. I didn't look at the meaning of the card until I finished the photo:

On the Seven of Pentacles we see a man who has labored long and hard in his garden. The foliage is full, the blossoms are out - it seems that his work has paid off. Now he's taking a break to admire his handiwork. How satisfying it is to see such fine results! How rewarding is sweet success!

Quite apropos, I thought, both in terms of having worked in the garden yesterday, having worked on the photograph to nice result, and in the larger sense of having gotten myself into shape and having lost weight, making me not quite so averse to having photographs taken! It's also appropriate in light of career developments.

On both Wednesday and Friday, I chose the Six of Swords. Bunning calls this card "The Slough of Despond," and Pollack says: "The Six of Swords is a Gate. Looking at it with sensitivity and then entering the picture will produce first a quieting effect on the mind and then later, slowly, a sense of movement within the self."

I thought it was interesting that out of four draws so far, two of them came up the Six of Swords. It's pretty obvious my subconscious is trying to tell me something. It's like the cards are saying, "You're not paying attention!"

She says at her website:

For years I’ve noticed that people who like one aspect of my work do not know of the others ("I didn’t know you wrote fiction," is something I hear often in Tarot classes). I hope this site will help let people know of the different sides of my work.

The Shining Tribe: the Website for Rachel Pollack