March 31, 2010 - Six of Cups

More cups.  It's odd to be in a time that seems ripe for pentacles, for lack and loss, for building security, and to have all these promising cards about emotional happiness and love.  If I needed any other reminder that my life is about learning balance, these plentiful cups, these grails, hold out the promise of life's blessings to a thirsty soul.

The Six of Cups is a sweet card and one of my favorites.  It's a card of good will, innocence, and childhood.  It reminds us to act kindly and charitably and to remember how blessed we are.  It asks you to appreciate simple joys, to let yourself feel contentment, to be content.  It's also a playful card, encouraging the reader to feel carefree.  It's a card of small, sweet gestures that are sometimes barely noticed but so important.  It is these small acts of generosity that make up the majority of life's blessings.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Six of Teacups depicts Edmund Bertram of Mansfield Park consoling Fanny Price.  In a place of false connections, theirs is a true and real relationship, filled with caring and love.  Edmund values Fanny's loyalty, sincerity, and her affectionate heart.  And Fanny sees in Edmund, her best friend and ultimately gives him her heart.  When this card shows up in a reading, it asks you to look at the emotional bonds in your life.  Are they even?  If not, this card asks you to bring them in balance.  This card also suggests a friendship that can become the foundation of a romantic love.  Such a love will be stronger for the honest intimacy that is the basis for the relationship.  The card can also suggest a rather childish way of viewing a situation.  Edmund holds on to his young feelings for Fanny and never imagines that hers have deepened, or his own.

What Would Jane Do?
"Words of kindness can provide balm in the worse times, deeds of kindness stir the soul, but a combination of the two are an ideal foundation for any relationship." p. 87

How will the Six of Cups manifest in my life?  I'm not sure but I'll keep you posted.

February 27, 2010 - The Six of Cups

Last night was a hard one and my sleep the kind you wake up from with tears in your eyes. Yesterday was restless, discontented, the world full of what I didn't have as opposed to what I did. So this morning, I decided to ask this question:

"What is the most important thing I need to know today to bring happiness to my life sooner, this year, and to stay happy?"

The Six of Cups is a sweet card, full of nostalgia. It reminds me of all the good in the world and the power of simple acts of kindness. There is an innocence to it that is the children depicted, but not just. Virtue but also free of ulterior motive. These days I say what I say not because I expect anything from it, but because I don't. It's true and so the good I say and the angry and hurtful? Well, for the most part I keep that to myself. I think my mother was right with her admonishment, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. I'm a fan of truth and fair but tempered. Some things just don't need to be said. There's just no point. The Six of Cups is a card of simple pleasures and it reminds us, encourages us, to be kind and generous and forgiving.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Six of Teacups is depicted by a young Edmund Bertram consoling a young Fanny Price. Now ultimately, the deep and reciprocal friendship between these two blossoms into love. To be honest, Fanny has always loved Edmund. He, however, takes quite some time to realize how deeply he feels for her. This is a card then of friendship reciprocated and possibly, maybe, a friendship that blossoms into love.

What Would Jane Do?

"Words of kindness can provide balm in the worst times, deed of kindness stir the soul, but a combination of the two are an ideal foundation for any relationship. Emotional support without the practical resources to relish them can be but empty comfort. On the other hand, practical assistance without kindness tastes as bitter as bread without jam. Even if your tea is truly sparse, however, it is better to share it with an amiable companion." p. 87