Cups:
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Two of Cups:
The Will of Chokmah is united with the Understanding of
Binah, the card is in respect to its meaning contiguous to the Two of Wands,
which was symbolized as ecstasy. The card represents the initial inspiration of
Chokmah being integrated, so that it will find a workable avenue of expression.
Still united with the Will, Binah and Chokmah are lost in the ecstasy thereof, thus
the card symbolizes being swept away in the beauty of the moment, when the
Two and Three are lost in ecstasy and mutually destroyed by the experience. The
only concern is experience for its own sake, as Binah is the womb and the
vehicle of inspiration, the magician is lost in the meditation thereof, hence Agape is the
nature of the above-mentioned union.
“The number Two referring to Will, this card might really
be renamed the Lord of Love under Will, for that is its full and true meaning.
It shows the harmony of male and female: interpreted in the largest sense. It
is perfect and placid harmony, relating an intensity of joy and ecstasy.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Three of
Cups:
The card is Binah of Briah, it indicates
the nurturing quality of the Great Mother, and the necessity thereof, it may be
seen as Understanding of Understanding, as linking the f Archetypal forms of Atziluth to the Creative world. Mercury’s influence as the Universal
Logos becomes the greatest influence upon the Cups and needs to be dealt with
in kind. Thus, it is symbolizing a period of gestation, following the union depicted
in the previous card and demands nurture, and a type of passive vigilance, as
the symbolism suggests a state of receptivity and development. Mercury is the
Trickster and Teacher, he is also that force in nature which
fosters creative development, and this signifies his influence on the card.
“The Card is referred to the influence of Mercury in
Cancer; this carries further the above thesis. Mercury is the Will or Word of
the All-Father; here its influence descends upon the most receptive of the Signs.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Four of
Cups:
The Water has turned into dew, there is no real support, as
the card suggests the lack of a firm foundation to manifest the purity of the
element. All is well for the time being, but the consequences of Binah’s
inability to find expression, is starting to raise its head in the form of restlessness. The card threatens
the risk of becoming too familiar with one’s current circumstances and
indicates the necessity for understanding and change. However, the elements are congruent, and
this change will more than likely be forced upon the querent, therefore the unconscious
desires need to be understood in order to lead the way towards further development.
“The card refers to the Moon in Cancer, which is her own
house; but Cancer itself is so placed that it implies a certain weakness, an
abandonment to desire. This tends to introduce the seeds of decay int the fruit
of pleasure.”
“Four is the number of the Curse of Limitation, of
Restriction. It is the blind and barren Cross of equal arms, Tetragrammaton in
his fatal aspect of finality, as the Qabalist knew him before the discovery of
the Revolving Formula whereby the Daughter, seated upon the Throne of the
Mother, “awakens the Eld of the All-Father”.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Five of Cup:
Stagnation and misunderstanding have resulted in emotional
turmoil; life and the world are turning into an unbearable state, reflecting disdain and melancholia. This is resulting from not having found a means for
the element to properly express itself, the Luxury of the previous card has
been devastated by incongruent parts of being. This entails a shift in
perspective was necessary, the element of Fire is entirely incompatible with
this card, and is felt as an assault, that is incapable of being overcome. Hence
this card is indicative of having exhausted the faculties represented by Water,
as understanding has failed to fulfil its role in service to the individual.
Hence there is nothing to cradle the Soul and the individual is drifting
towards an unwelcome end, this card follows the complacency of the previous
card, as that which could have been avoided.
“The attribution is also to Mars in Scorpio, which is his
own house; and Mars is manifested on the lowest plane of Geburah, while
Scorpio, in its worst aspect, suggests the putrefying power of Water. Yet the
powerful male influences do not show actual decay, only the beginning of
destruction; hence the anticipated pleasure is frustrated.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Six of Cups:
This card represents perfect harmony between the emotions,
intellect and understanding. It is a space where things are easy, life becomes
a joyous expression of the divine Will. All is in perfect balance; within the
context of work: whatever is required is effortlessly obtained. Every step
forms part of a beautiful dance to a rapturous love song, creativity seemingly emanating
from divine grace. The intellectual energy of Tiphareth has united with the Mother to become the embodied Logos without restriction to do the Will of God
upon the Earth. Although the card is Air of Water, it may be more applicably
considered as the union between Binah and Tiphareth, from whence the
workings of creativity are free to find its expression, as manifesting the
Logos.
“Pleasure, in the title of this card, must be understood
in its highest sense: it implies well-being, harmony of natural forces without
effort or stain, ease, satisfaction. Foreign to the idea of the card is the
gratification of natural or artificial desires. Yet it does represent
emphatically the fulfilment of the sexual Will, as shown by the ruling Sephira,
planet and sign.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Seven of
Cups:
The Seven of Cups is attributed to Netzach and is Fire of
Water, it indicates not having properly understood the Will’s nature and
function. This misunderstanding gives rise to compulsive behavior stemming from
the unconscious, these behaviors are the result of repressed impulses and
feelings. These feelings, if they had been expressed naturally, would have
aided in the development of the self. However, resulting from an individual’s
incoherence with his true nature, they have manifested as Debauch. Karma is
nothing but self-punishment, and the consequence of not having fulfilled one’s
purpose. The subsequent result spells gloom for the querent and the card
warrants a long hard look at what the cause of his ill dealings with his world
might be. Or, as in the case of Chesed and Geburah, he may find himself torn
from his current position into a less than comfortable one. Since the actions
taken within the context of the question and represented by this card are
going against the nature of the querent, they tend to create tremendous
emotional turmoil. The turmoil suffered, however, is also the shadow cast by the
guiding light for reestablishing equilibrium, within the self and with the
world around.
“The card is almost the “evil and averse” image of the
Six; it is a wholesome reminder of the fatal ease with which a Sacrament may be
profaned and prostituted. Lose direct touch with Kether, the Highest; diverge ever
so little from the delicate balance of the Middle Pillar; at once the holiest
mysteries of Nature become obscene and shameful secrets of a guilty conscience.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Eight of
Cups:
This card is Hod of Binah and accordingly symbolizes Mercury's influence on Briah, off the Middle Pillar, the element is in disharmony, and the card indicates misfortune resulting from misunderstanding. The Eight of
Cups represents the Dark Night of the Soul, brought upon by the inquirer’s inability
to act and now having traveled too far, he is lost and alone. This card could
easily be manifested by the improper actions related in the last card, there
is no greater sin than the denial of self. This card reflects purgatory having
been acquiesced by way of such self-denial. Melancholia may be the
result of an imperfect understanding of the Will, leading to a lack of creativity, or it could be from the
complete renouncement thereof, as may be symptomatic of Christianity. The
querent has found himself unable to adequately express his nature and now finds himself within this morass called Indolence. In fact, in many instances, it may have been for his lack of
trying and indeed Indolence, by manner of which his gloomy disposition was
arranged.
“Compare with the last card; it represents the opposite
and complimentary error. The one is the Garden of Kundry, and the other the Palace
of Klingsor. In the psychopathology of The Path, this card is the German Measles
of Christian Mysticism.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Nine of
Cups:
Air of Water, the card again suggests the blissful congruence of self in harmony. As the Nine is Yesod, it presents the reader with the idea of understanding having come to a fruitful end. Yesod’s position on the Tree of Life, indicates a womb and is called the Gate, this symbolism is suggestive of the last part of creation, before the element’s final manifestation into matter. From here there is nothing to hold back expression, as it is moved by inertia of certainty, thus the card’s name is Happiness. Whatever it is, whether it be an inquiry into environmental circumstances, or be it inquiring about matters of the heart, there is only one answer, and that is to let go and move forward. Either way, whether or not the outcome is fruitful or good, is irrelevant, as everything concerning it is already in motion. Everything that was cultivated by work and suffered for, owing to the distress in Netzach and Hod, has now started yielding fruit, hence, the card indicates the hard-earned reward of struggle. The querent has confronted the questions posed in the previous two cards and has passed from them the victor, he is whole and in perfect harmony with himself and the world around him.
“In this card is the pageant of the culmination and
perfection of the original force of Water.”
“It is the most complete and beneficent aspect of the force of Water.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
Ten of Cups:
As Water is Emotion, her manifestation into Matter with its
limitations upon perfection, is of a most disturbing quality. What has been
sought, is now at odds with the world around it, the world is making in-roads
into one’s idea of what the end result of the work must be. Utter frustration, constrained expression and emotional responses in disharmony are significant to the reading of this
card. It is always a good idea, to leave well enough alone. This is hard to do,
as there is pride and sentimentality indicated in the card, which must be
overcome. Unless, it is overcome, the querent runs the risk of being stuck in
this position indefinitely, and so the best means out of the situation, is to
find something else to occupy the mind, by which the whole play may be enacted
all over again.
“The work proper to Water is complete and disturbance is
due.”
Crowley, The Book of Thoth.
“Love is the law,
love under will.”
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