Dr.Nikki's Tarot -
The Suit of Cups
Cups are often considered the most important
suit of the Tarot deck because it is within the suit
of cups that we are lead into the reality of our
own emotions.  The cups are aligned with the
element of Water.  This element flows through
everything.  Without it we cannot survive, too
much of it and life is unbearable; floods are some
of the most destructive forces in nature.

This duality is also evident in our emotions.  We
can be happy or sad, we can be content or
displeased.  What we fail to realize is that in
most times and situations it is our choices that
lead us to the emotions that we experience.  The
Cups remind us that emotions run a gambit from
low to high.  The phrase “thin line between love
and hate” exemplifies the force, power and
extremes of our emotions and how quickly, like
flood waters released from a dam, they can
overcome us.

Cups are most often aligned with the suit of Hearts in
the modern deck.  Legend has it that the hearts were
a devolvement of sloppier and sloppier work creating
the decks, and what once was a beautiful decorated
cup pouring the waters of emotions has become a
quick sketch of the heart shape.  Another theory is
that the cups were used to make it easier to associate
the suit to emotions – matters of the heart.  However
the association came to be, it is apt and appropriate.

If you have a lack of cups in your spread you may want to look at maintaining
balance in your life.  Are you letting your emotions have too much control in
your life?  Also associated with the Goddess of Venus, cups reflect the
receptive energy of love and emotions.

More than anything else Cups lay forth to remind us that our emotions are
valuable.  That the inspiration, pleasure and striving for higher achievement that
emotions aspire us to are the best that we have within us.  Along with the best
we all have our skeletons in our emotional closets.  Maybe it’s time to air out
the closet and let the fresh light of day into our emotional life.  

Cups allow us to realize the bounty of life that is found in the emotional realm.  
If you don’t have any cups in your spread, it may be appropriate to look to see
if you are allowing for the dance of emotions in your life.  Sometimes a peaceful
waltz, other times the sheer exhuberance of a mosh pit, whatever the tempo of
the dance, it is to the suit of Cups that you should look to maintain your
emotional foundation.

The element of water has long been represented by the undine, a creature of
beauty and grace, an ancient water spirit, she could control the water of
emotion.  As the cups are capable of holding the waters of life and emotion, we
are able to grow and learn through our emotional responses to the outer world.  
It is through study of our emotions and motivations that we can realign our
personal emotional energy and create the framework of safety for our emotions
to take proper flight to the higher reaches of wisdom, love and appreciation for
the role emotion plays in our lives.

Click on the link below to view the meaning of the other individual cards within
the suit of Cups.
Please click on the link below to learn more about the other cards in the Tarot!
- Veterans -
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