January 17, 2010 - The Nine of Cups

The card of wishes come true. Seems an auspicious start to a rainy Sunday at the beginning of a new year. Of course anyone who reads fairy tales knows you have to be careful with wishes. They have a tendency to backfire for those who are not wise with them. Still, for gratitude's sake, sometimes you do have to sit back and smile, send up prayers of thanks for things going your way.

The man depicted in the nine of cups is smiling broadly. He could even be said to be smug. He's got all his cups in a row and on display. He wants you to see his cups and to agree that as cups go, they're pretty darn great. For someone who always waits for the other shoe to drop, I think there is a lesson here in enjoying the good times. It is part of the cycle, I think, and important to remember, to celebrate the good and not just bemoan the hurtful and the hard.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Nine of Teacups depicts a dinner party at the Weston household. Mr. Weston sits at the head of the table surrounded by the people he loves. Mr. Weston is a man of great heart. He gives his son up to be raised by people of fortune so he can become a man of fortune. He forgives his son's neglect and welcomes him with open arms. He marries for true love, not passion or monetary gain, and is happy in his choice (a lesson I think for me when thinking about wishes coming true).

This card indicates an open, welcoming, and happy heart. May it be so, not just figuratively but literally. No more blocks. No more detours and bypasses. It indicates emotional gratification as opposed to financial gratification. As a woman who can make her way, I'm not afraid of hard work. Emotional satisfaction has always been more important than riches to me.

What Would Jane Do?

"A healthy diet of love and affection - combined with a lack of financial worry - is the best guarantee of longevity. Ad to the regime a healthy appreciation of society and the means to indulge it and you add an additional decade to your life. Finally, remove tension by becoming the quintessence of affability and you might well live forever."

This sounds like happiness to me.