[ » Hermetic Library « ]

[ » TAROT DIVINATION « ] [ » TAROT CORRESPONDENCES « ]

The Queen of Cups represents the female side of the Water element, indicating meditation and sacrifice. The helper, healing power, the expression of inner vision. As such, he is dominated by our subconscious spiritual power, he is the Good Fairy and Wise Wizard living inside of us, a visionary dreamwriter and a visionary through the fog. Characterized as dark and mysterious, the wisdom is an inaccessible source of science for science.

QUEEN OF CUPS

The Queens represent the letter Heh of the Name. They are the complements of the Knights. They receive, ferment, and transmit the original Energy of their Knight. Quick to receive that Energy, they are also fitted to endure for the period of their function; but they are not the final product. They represent the second stage in the process of creation whose fourth and last state is material realization. They are represented as seated upon thrones. This emphasizes the fact that they are appointed to exercise definite functions. 

The Queen of Cups represents the watery part of Water, its power of reception and reflection. In the Zodiac it rules from the 21St degree of Gemini to the 20th degree of Cancer Her image is of extreme purity and beauty, with infinite subtlety; to see the Truth of her is hardly possible, for she reflects the nature of the observer in great perfection.

She is represented as enthroned upon still water. In her hand she bears a shell-like cup, from which issues a crayfish, and she bears also the Lotus of Isis, of the Great Mother. She is robed in, and veiled by, endless curves of light, and the sea upon which she is enthroned conveys the almost unbroken images of the image which she represents.

The characteristics associated with this card are principally dreaminess, illusion and tranquillity. She is the perfect agent and patient, able to receive and transmit everything without herself being affected thereby. If ill-dignified, all these qualities are degraded.

Everything that passes through her is refracted and distorted. But, speaking generally, her characteristics depend mostly upon the influences which affect her.

In the Yi King, the watery part of Water is represented by the 8th hexagram, Tui. The commentary is as colourless as the card; it consists of mild exhortations on the subject of pleasure. It may really be said that, normally, people of this type have no character at all of their own, unless it can be called a characteristic to be at the disposition of every impact or impression. 

There is, however, a hint (line 6) that the chief pleasure of people of this type is to lead and attract others. Such are accordingly (often enough) exceedingly popular. 

QUEEN OF CUPS

Astrology: 21° Gemini to 20° Cancer Element and world: The Water in the Waters of Briah Tree of Life: Binah

The Queen of Cups represents water in water, she is the purest manifestation of the soul of the waters. Thus she represents pure emotion, passion, feeling, never influenced by judgement or purpose. She is loving and affectionated, a warm-hearted mother and a tender friend, looking into the depths of the heart. 

On the darker side, the Queen of Cups lacks the stability of the Earth, the will of Air and Fire. Water in water is all passivity and has no powers of its own, but makes a perfect transformer of any other power coming along. So she is susceptible to all kinds of influences, her unstability might let her appear unreliable and inconstant. 

At its worst, the precious qualities of imagination and flowing fantasy might turn out to weakness and thoughtlessness, turning in any direction that any wind may blow, getting lost in a dreamworld of irreal fantasies.

Drive: Floating across the borders, drifting between reality and dream 

Light: Imagination, poetry, kindness, sensitivity, emotional depth 

Shadow: Diffusion, spinning around in irrational folly

THE QUEEN OF CUPS - (Queen of Chalices) - Moon - Pisces - Sensitivity

Keywords: water aspect of water as above, open emotions, emotional independence, motherhood

Advice: By expressing your emotions openly, you will be beautified. Some may not understand, but don't worry! There are enough others to share your feelings with.

Question: Are you open to your feelings and instincts?

Suggestion: Trust Your Feelings! Live in harmony with them!

Revelation: My openness and vitality beautify me.

Analogies:

Ji-Ching: None (?)

Mythology: The Medium (Kassandra, Pythia, Sibylle, The Lady of the Lake)

Keywords: sensitivity, tact, helpfulness, media, deep-seated sacrifice

Sometimes we have new experiences from old memories when we look at ourselves.

QUEEN OF CUPS

General Meaning

Traditionally, representing the energy of a Queen, this card traditionally portrays a sensitive, vulnerable, omniscient woman who offers unconditional love. She is supremely empathic — sometimes to a fault. Her caring nature exposes her to everybody else's emotions and needs.

This person sometimes has difficulty identifying her own best interests in the midst of her responsiveness to others. As a result, she sometimes appears slightly unfocused or perhaps overwhelmed, filled as she is with "spirits". She represents the Grail Queen, as well as the Goddess of the Family.

In the Reversed Position

The Queen of Cups reversed suggests that you stop all efforts to dull your pain or distract yourself from it. Looking the other way is not going to help you anymore. Neither is trying to rationalize away or control the situation.

You must be emotionally honest. Be honest with yourself, and others who may be involved in what you are going through. If you continue to anesthetize the hurt, it won't rise to the surface and be released. Coping strategies that rely on distracting yourself from reality only serve to entrench the problem.

In the Advice Positon

The Queen of Cups in this position encourages you to be generous, kind and forgiving. Support the ability of others to get what they want. Nevertheless, remember as with anyone in a caretaking position, you have a fine line to walk. You do not want your loved ones or teammates to become complacent or dependent, as if they can take your support for granted with little or no consideration for your needs.

Cultivate an awareness of love as freely giving and receiving. In the process, help clarify the important difference between receiving energy and taking it. Do not allow your willingness to give be misunderstood or abused, as if it were a weakness.

Read more:

• » The Book of Thoth - A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians by Aleister Crowley.
• » Liber LXXVIII - On the Tarot - A complete treatise on the Tarot giving the correct designs of the cards with their attributions and symbolic meanings on all planes. - A description of the Cards of the Tarot, with their attributions, including a method of divination by their use.
• » Manuscript N - The Tarot - A Golden Dawn Manuscript - A Theoricus Adeptus Minor Paper.