THE PAGE OF CUPS

ON THE NATURE OF WATER AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OUR EMOTIONAL LIFE

The card suggests a number of themes. The first of which is how do we react to surprises or to unexpected events. Although quite a large blue fish is leaping from the cup the Page does not appear to be reacting to this in any way. He remains calm and composed. Perhaps this is a regular occurrence in the his life and one to which he has become habituated, or perhaps he is always calm and collected whatever happens; if not detached or dispassionate. Buddhists call this attitude equanimity – one of the four immeasurables.

The tulips and the fish also suggest fertility or renewal in nature. The worlds ability to refresh and replenish itself, which is a mystery or a miracle in itself. Life teams around us, seemingly from an inexhaustible spring. This apparently endless supply of resources, animal (beast, fowl and fish), mineral (Metal, precious and semi-precious stone) and vegetable (fruit,  grain and wood),sometimes leads us to think we can take what we want without giving a thought to sustainability.

In the ‘language of flowers’ red tulips, like red roses, symbolize a declaration of love or affection and emphasize the trustworthiness of the giver.

The card also poses a number of questions, or at least it has set me musing about the nature of water and the depth of my understanding of life. Water is a mysterious element and despite its familiarity possesses a number of unusual properties. Although inert and lifeless, there would be no life without it. It has no intelligence and yet it seems to seek out the lowest point, constantly trying to flow downhill; seeking out every nook and cranny, crack and crevice shaping every detail of the physical world around us, working with the elements of earth and air in ways we do not, as yet, fully understand. Mountains and valleys are shaped by its action. The forces of erosion and long-shore drift mean that the coast is constantly changing. Rivers carve new channels and form deltas where they meet the sea. All on a scale in space and time that men with their short and insignificant lifespans, have, until recently, not appreciated. Caves are formed, as are stalagmites and stalactites. Waterfalls, lakes and lagoons are all evidence of water at work in the world; yet somehow we can become so accustomed to them that we overlook them time and again. Rivers, canyons and estuaries are spanned by bridges, water courses managed and tamed (or apparently so), canalised, channelled and diverted. So much so that we can be lulled into a false sense of security about our relationship to the physical world.

One example of the mysterious nature of water is its ability to disappear. If I was to place a glass or jug of water on the table in front of you right now you would probably say that the water contained within it was going nowhere. However, over time the glass would empty itself as the water evaporated. There is movement and life even in a still glass of water. This is a slow process and it happens on a scale that can not be seen by the naked eye. Before time-lapse photography and the insights of physics evaporation was a part of nature that was sometimes useful (for the extraction of salt from seawater) or went largely un-commented on. The card may be pointing to the limits of looking at the world in a narrow, simplistic (childlike) or unscientific way.

The power of water is immense. We engage with it everyday on a domestic scale, drinking it, showering or bathing in it, drinking it as tea or coffee. It is all around us. We take it for granted in ways that people have never had the opportunity to do before. It is convenient and on tap, hot water flows at a whim. No wells, no carrying and fetching, no effort involved at all. However water has recently demonstrated its ability to damage and destroy. Weeks if not months of rain have caused flooding and inundation on a biblical scale. The word deluge does not begin to describe the potentially devastating effect that water has, and will continue to have, on people’s lives. The ancient Romans had a saying that “water has teeth” and we have evidence of its ferocity on our tv screens every night at the moment. We must also not forget the Monsoon in Asia and the force of nature that is a Tsunami.

We have to an extent lost our awe and wonder, when it comes to the forces of nature and our inherent fear or reverence for water as an element. Familiarity in this case it appears has bred contempt.

In terms of what the card represents psychologically or emotionally all of the above could come in to play when interpreting the Page of Cups. There is room enough and more in this simple or innocent image for the imagination, intellect and intuition of the reader to create a story or metaphor that will answer the clients question or resonate with her emotions, or thoughts. The card could in fact represent the process of tarot reading itself.