THE ACE OF CUPS

The Ace of Cups, as depicted in the RWS clearly makes reference to the Annunciation, the announcement of the Incarnation [of Christ] given by the archangel Gabriel to Mary (KJV. Luke 1:26–38) and for which a Church festival is held on the 25th of March (Lady Day). Just after the spring equinox and nine months prior to the birth of Christ on the 25th of December [Christmas Day].

Robert M. Place in his book, The Tarot has this to say about the card:
The initial M on the cup identifies it with Mary. It is upside down to show that it is receiving the Host delivered by the dove.

It is noteworthy that in the Annunciation of Cortona, painted by Fra Angelico [1433-1434], there are three lines of text painted between the Archangel on the left and the Virgin on the right. The words of the angel are written on two lines, reading from left to right. The words of Mary are between those two lines. If we look attentively we see that her words are written upside-down. But that is not all. Mary’s reply is also written backwards. As a consequence we have to stand upside-down, reading from right to left, to discover what she is saying. This indicates to the viewer that the words are addressed to God, who would be in the proper position to read them.

Place then goes on to say: The dove is the standard Christian symbol for the Holy Spirit. This is confirmed by David Fideler, who in his book Jesus Christ Sun of God,  contends that the Christian gnostics made much of the fact that the name Jesus is equivalent to the number 888… because he ‘contained in himself the entire number of the ‘elements’ [Gk. stoicheia = letters], which the decent of the dove  [who is Alpha and Omega], made clearly manifest, when he came to be baptized; for the number of the dove is eight hundred and one. The meaning of this statement is fairly simple; The name Jesus, 888, is a perfect name encompassing the whole of creation, and is reflected in the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet which, contains 8 letters denoting hundreds, 8 denoting tens, and 8 denoting units. Jesus is therefore Alpha and Omega, the all encompassing spiritual plenitude, which was made manifest  by the decent of the dove at his baptism.  This is because the Greek word for DOVE is equivalent to 801, which is also the value of Alpha and Omega.

Place concludes his elucidation of the Christian symbolism in this image with the words: … and the Host with the cross is the body of Christ, and the five streams of water pouring from the vessel represent the five wounds of Christ, which he suffered for the salvation of the world. Waite wrote that there were four. It appears that he wanted to connect the symbol to the fountain in the centre of Eden from which four rivers flowed towards the four cardinal directions.

NOTES:

Waite’s depiction of the ACE OF CUPS, shows five rivers overflowing from the cup.

THE SEVEN OF CUPS

I attribute this card to the Moon in the 8th house: fighting spirit influenced by emotional stirrings, toughness or tenacity, ambition, ruthlessness, overestimation of self, lack of tact, frankness, love of truth – The struggle for existence or the fight for survival.

 

THE HERMIT

We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness, which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world.

-Marcel Proust

Wisdom is an experiential understanding which helps you to radically change your perceptions and habits and discover the emerging and symbiotic nature of the whole of existence.
Confusion on the other hand is any unhelpful impulse, urge, or desire which clouds the mind, distracts you, or takes you away from your true goals and intentions in life (i.e., your true self).
Living according to your true self means seeing yourself for who you really are based on a sincere intention to embody your values and the goals you truly believe in. It includes accepting yourself, your true emotions and needs, from a loving caring , nurturing perspective that is consistent with how your loving inner guide (Wise Advocate) sees you.
The Wise Advocate is the attentive part of your mind that can see things from a broader perspective, including your inherent worth, capabilities and achievements. Which, when cultivated and given the opportunity can recognise your confusion (thoughts, urges and desires), the uncomfortable physical or emotional sensations (including craving) which you experience and the urgent drive to make those sensations go away. As a result of which you engage in automatic (habitual) behaviour which is almost invariably unhelpful, unhealthy or self destructive.
The Wise Advocate offers you the opportunity to respond to a situation rather than react to it. It offers you choice.

DEATH

Of all the footprints, that of the elephant is supreme. Similarly, of all mindfulness meditations, that on death is supreme.
– Buddha

Death is a given, a stark truth, perhaps the only truth of any real importance. Intellectually we accept that everything that is born, is born to die. Looking at the world around us, we can see that things come to be, they remain for a while and then pass away. Everything from mayflies to the universe itself is doomed, bound up from the moment of its conception with its own death and inevitable destruction.
Over time I have tried to embrace the concept of impermanence. When my car was damaged, I repeated the phrase: ‘The glass is already broken.’ This was a very superficial understanding of impermanence, a way of trying to escape from the pain and suffering of reality.
As I experienced the death, first of my mother and then my father I began to appreciate the frailty of human life and to understand the inevitable fate that awaits us all. The enormity of death, how painful it could be both for the dying and those they leave behind.
When I was diagnosed with brain cancer, in April 2015 aged just fifty-four, I was presented with the challenge of accepting my own mortality. Not just as an idea but as an imminent possibility.
Being face-to-face with death brought life into sharper focus. It forced me to reflect on my life up until that point, the choices and decisions I had made to secure happiness and security for myself and my family. My values and beliefs were exposed and thrown into question.
My future conduct was also open to direct and robust questioning and a rigorous program of reflecting on and questioning my motives began. As of yet this process has barely started, let alone come to a conclusion. Perhaps it will never reach a satisfactory end. It might be that all I can rely on is my integrity and commitment to asking the question:

Since death alone is certain and the time of death uncertain, what should I do?

And then to act on it.

NOTES:
Of all the footprints… is from the Parinirvana sutra, Wes Nisker, Buddha’s Nature, p80.
Since death alone… is from Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism without beliefs, p28-34.