Cups:

 

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.”