Daily Archives: April 18, 2011

Thoth – Rider-Waite

Queen of Cups: The Intuitive, Passive Dreamer

The Queen of Cups is the court card representing the personality that occurs when one looks at the aspect of water within water. The Queen, then, is the Water of Water; she is the Binah of Binah. She is the ultimate personality of water; she exemplifies the aspects of the suit of Cups as they may be found in a person, but she does not transmit these qualities like the Knight; instead, she merely embodies them.

As such, the Queen of Cups is very in tune with others’ emotions; she is intuitive, psychic, calm, and peaceful. She knows how other people feel and how to best solve their problem. She is calm, and can easily calm down others. She has the ability of water to reflect a person’s self back onto them, either with or without distortion. She is the blank slate upon which creation is born. She is tranquil and peaceful, and will listen kindly and compassionately to the woes of those around her. At the same time, however, she is sometimes disconnected from reality, leaving in her own fantasy world, unable to bear the harsh realities of the world around her. She can be dreamy and easily led and influenced by others; she has very little will of her own. She is the ultimate in passivity, and will allow others to guide her. Like the Knight, she is also innocent and trusting.

The Rider-Waite card shows a Queen upon her throne, contemplating the cup before her, lost in its intricacies and details. She understands the complexity of life, yet sits on her own island, separate from it; she is both at once in tune with and out of sync with her surroundings; she is the silent observer on the outside. The Thoth art shows the Queen sitting before a pool of water, exemplifying the idea of creation and the blank slate, while the Queen herself is hidden behind a veil, her face not completely seen; she seems mystical, with symbolism similar to that of the High Priestess (II). She knows secrets about the world, she is mysterious, and yet she is also separate from it, existing in her own ideal world behind the veil. On the outside, she just goes through the motions.

In a reading, this card asks you to examine the role of people with the personality of the Queen of Cups; a passive, dreamy person who is willing to help others when asked – and only when asked – but who spends most of their time disconnected from reality. By her sheer lack of any other personality, she can help others discover who they are. She is easily led and therefore easily abused, but is also understanding and often knows what to do, even if she might not actually do it. Reversed, this personality may be blocked or expressing itself in unusual ways; is the personality of someone you know just a “front” for the hidden personality of the Queen, which they keep locked away so that others cannot see it?

Thoth – Rider-Waite

Knight of Cups: The Wealthy, Isolated Only Child

The Knight (or King in the Rider-Waite tradition) of Cups represents a personality defined by the meeting point of Fire (and Chokmah) with Water. The Knight of Cups, then is the Fiery aspect of Water, and this card represents the personality that this aspect of water produces. This card is the active, masculine, creative, and passionate part of passivity, emotion, and reflection.

As such, the Knight of Cups exudes the qualities of the suit of water, projecting them from himself onto others. He is graceful, sensitive, amiable, and cultured. He is somewhat fleeting; he does not endure. Something only holds his attention for as long as it interests him. He is innocent and pure, and at the same time is often prone to self-sacrifice; his love and caring for others will lead him to do whatever he can for those he cared about. He is in many cases kind as well. He is also quick to respond to emotion and do what needs to be done with regards to said emotion.

On the less positive side, the Knight of Cups can sometimes be superficial, overly sensual, and idle. He is like the only child of wealthy parents, who dote on him and protect him from the influences of the outside world. He learns the rules of society and knows how to act, and is taught how to be kind, yet he lacks the experience necessary to remain attached to most people, to truly understand what is going on, and often sometimes may lack a work ethic.

The Rider-Waite art shows a King upon a throne holding a cup. Honestly, there is not much to glean from this artwork. The Thoth art shows a young man in green armour flying atop a pegasus. In his free hand he holds aloft a cup, upon which there is a crab; Cancer, and the symbol of water. He appears to be clean and well-taken care of and is unarmed; he is a King who does not understand the harsh reality of the worlds, and wants to help others – or at least wants to feel like he helps others. He is on a winged steed, and so his presence comes and leaves rapidly; he does not stay long.

In a reading, this card indicates the presence of a strong personality that mirrors that described above; is there someone in your life (or are you yourself) who is innocent, willing to sacrifice himself for others, with a fleeting presence or attention, whose acts of kindness might be superficial, yet who everyone gets along with as they know all the rules of polite society? Is there anyone you know who is cultured, sensitive, and yet sometimes idle or sensual? Reversed, this card asks you to look for these traits of personality in unusual places, or expressed in ways you might not have thought of; or perhaps it indicates that these traits are only present on the surface of a person, and that their true personality might be different.