FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FIVE OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Five of Swords

(Taste of Defeat)

Artist’s Notes:
 
One sword, so long unchallenged that generations of spiders have made their webs around it. The vanquished swords lie on the ground, their owners consigned to dirt and ignominy. Yet what did the victor have to surrender in order to win? How did he compromise himself? Perhaps ultimately his defeated foes lost with greater integrity while he had to become something else in order to emerge victorious. At the end, when all that remains are swords, myths and shadows, who can say who won the greater prize?
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suit of swords represents thoughts, ideas, plans, and conflicts. Fives stand for conflict, change, and breaking through to higher thought. The five of swords thus represents defeat, whether in battle or in inner conflicts. It often means the defeat that comes when we realize how much we have betrayed our own principles in the desire to win. Ultimately no matter how the conflict ends, we end up defeated having lost the intent that gave rise to the conflict in the first place.
 
Is winning worth abandoning our principles and corrupting our values?
 
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
Venus in Aquarius – Venus in Aquarius is innovative in how it chooses to love. Often a loner, it is energy drawn towards the new and different and hates any aspect of getting caught in a rut. This can result in sensitivity to the feelings and desires of others but a tendency to get bored and so they may sabotage their relationships in the search for innovation.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Five of Swords turns up in a reading, it often refers to a loss, usually one that feels somewhat humiliating. It may also represent a loss when someone has won through unethical or unfair means and has become humiliated because of it. If it refers to an event that has not happened yet, it could be a warning against going into an unwinnable battle or one where winning it will turn into a humiliating defeat
 
When the Five of Swords comes up reversed or bad aspect, it normally refers to losses in the past that the person has not recovered from and still has a lot of energy about that is causing us to be reluctant to reengage.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
How do you defeat a foe that is superior in every fashion? This is the question the Spider has asked many who came to him with their inquiries. Before you live you have been presented a foe that will always be better, no matter how much you grow or the time you spend expanding your horizons. The warriors will use it to become greater versions of themselves while the weak will use it to justify their poor decisions. Regardless of the path, the victory you get from it will always be hollow. When you are presented this foe what will be a victim or muse?
-NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FOUR OF SWORDS

Notes on: The Four of Swords

(Centered in Between)

Artist’s Notes:
 
A rest between battles can take many forms. Do we spend it catching up on needed sleep with a sword ready to use at our side? Do we sit in reflective contemplation and meditation, replaying the last battles and see how we can improve both our game and the outcome? Do we travel deeply within ourselves until the call comes once before?
 
How do you define a battle? Is it an argument or a skirmish either between us and another one-on-one or between two sides, one of which we are part of? Could it be the simple battle of existence and the calm between battles that we face each night, each day bringing new growth opportunities and new challenges? On a larger scale may it not even be an incarnation, a lifetime of growth with the rest time in between beginning when our bodies expire?
 
Each level reflects those below and those above. Still, rest is a good thing.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suit of swords represents thoughts, ideas, plans, and conflicts. Fours express stability and the manifestation of the energy involved.
There are times when our thoughts become too much for us and the inherent conflicts and battles that arise feel like a never-ending battle. We need to establish a truce, a withdrawal from conflict to meditate and be silent within ourselves, to gain further energy with which we will return and find resolution or synthesis of the ongoing struggle. The four of swords represent this time of withdrawal and meditation.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Jupiter in Libra- The Jupiter in Libra energy is impartial, fair and open-minded, and willing to consider all sides. It seeks harmony and resolution but at times can become indecisive when there is not a clear solution that will benefit all. Jupiter wishes to expand truthfully while the Libra energy tends to be diplomatic and wants everyone to be happy. These two energies can often bring one to a deadlock at which time it benefits one to meditate on the solution
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Four of Swords occurs in a reading, a moment of rest occurs in a conflict. This does not mean that the conflict has gone away as much as that it is time to take stock and look at possible outcomes and solutions before the battle starts up again. It is best not to fool oneself that things have resolved as this card does not mean peace but a brief pause for healing and reflection. Further effort will be necessary
 
When the Four of Swords shows up reversed or badly aspected,, it may mean that the truce is over and that it is time to return and resolve the conflicts at hand. If the inner work has been done during the truce time then the resolution will be possible.
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
In a time when divination wasn’t born what defined fate? In the words of the Spider, he would say this.
 
“Purpose and conviction are two sides of the same coin. Both entail a concept greater than what we can grok. Time may assist at times but True Fate is timeless. You may postpone what i weave but that doesn’t mean you are home-free. Fate waits for when you forget even if that means waiting till your higher self forces this burden on you. After all the more you fight the more energy you waste.”
 
To be held captive by our conviction is the greatest gift and curse that has been bestowed on those tied to fate. The more we sit in our power the more we achieve but we are held responsible for the personal gains as well. Each life will define its karmic weight through its actions. So what will you do? Become a legend puppet or and waste of thread?
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: PRINCE OF CUPS

Notes on: The Prince of Cups

(Time’s Paladin)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The Crowned and helmeted prince remains in contemplation. At any point, he is ready to act based on his most current understanding. If his helmet covers his eyes, it is because he much prefers his inner vision to his outer and his intuition often proves to be a better guide than his eyes. He is led by curiosity and the need to understand. He is drawn to those with deep understanding and commitment to their cause and for brief times can be drawn in their wake. He is constantly finding keys to new understandings which he then holds concurrently within the framework of lessons both past and future.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two people and that of friends and companions. Princes deal with the transmission and the endurance of the energy, the result of the union of the King’s Force and the Queen’s generative and nurturing of the energy. The transmission of emotion is seldom done through action but through words and expression. The Prince of Cups takes in the emotions, understands them, and feels deeply yet he shows what he wishes others to see holding the rest inside until it becomes either necessary or desirable to let them out. He is often artistic, using his emotions as yet another palette on which to draw. He is able to elicit emotions from others and sees things that others do not.
 
Having such a deep internal life, it is often difficult to get the Prince of Cups to take action on a practical level. He has a deep sense of the aesthetic yet seldom wants to get his hands dirty. In these and so many other ways, he is a study in contrasts. This is at least partly due to the fact that he often can see and hold two or more contradictory viewpoints or attributes. Due to this, he often ends up surprising even those closest to him by doing or espousing something radically different from what he had the day before.
 
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
21° Libra – 20° Scorpio
Elemental: Air of Water
 
This combination of Libra’s communication skills, enjoyment of those considered friends, and energy combined with Scorpio’s magnetism, secrecy, and artistic flair yield an artist who loves to hide in plain sight. He will work obsessively to convey ideas and visions that will leave people scratching their heads. They love people and are very romantic often giving much of themselves to those they love yet they demand as much in return and can become resentful at what they see as a lack of loyalty.
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Prince of Cups turns up in a reading, he may represent a person, interest, or passion that while not practical sweeps you off your feet in a most romantic way. Someone may feel like the answer to all your dreams but are you sure you understand what their investment is? The force of this card may be addictive in its intensity.
 
He may represent a lover (male or female) who has serious commitment issues as they wish to experience it all and feel it deeply. The Prince of Cups may also be suggesting that a time when it is necessary to address the balance between dreaming and taking action in our own lives. Both dreaming and acting on these dreams are important
 
Reversed or Badly aspected, the Prince of Cups often speaks of the desire to avoid responsibility. This may come as a reaction to feeling like there is too much expected or it may come out of a sense of disillusionment with the world. It may also refer to someone who is manipulative and who uses our emotions and attractions against us. This person will tend to value the effect of what he (or she) says over truth or honesty. The Reversed Prince of Cups may also mean that we feel not that there is too much expected of us but that there is too much for us at this time. The Prince reversed may also refer to a time when we are letting our emotions pull us in any given situation.
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Many boast of travelling through time as if it is a great passion. While the concept of time seems ever elusive its presence is absolute in many ways. Thankfully time isn’t linear as that is what makes it so hard to grasp. Every possible will happen at some point whether is holds meaning is up to the beholder.
The moments that hold great meaning to us and our existence are meant to be cherished. The Order of Everflow was created to aid Time in ensuring that moment that made each person protected. Resolute and highly trained there is little record of their deeds. This is for the better after all those emotions we develop on the path are only one source of power we have.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: QUEEN OF CUPS

Notes on: The Queen of Cups

(Piercing the Depths)

Artist’s Notes:
 
It is not an accident that almost everyone will find their attention captured by something within the waters of this card yet the whole image may be difficult to fathom. Such are the depths and currents of water. We gaze into it and what we see is a reflection of ourselves. Yet that is only the surface and the depths continue well beyond our perception. We stir these waters at our peril and only if we wish to confront that which may be hidden within emotion or within time for a reason. Yet it is so peaceful, simply gazing at the card and contemplating allowing what may come.
When expressed by a person, this can often be someone who understands others intuitively and provides what they need while keeping her own feelings submerged and all but unknowable.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.
 
The Queens are the receptive and nurturing form of energy.
As Water of Water in an elemental sense, the Queen of Cups takes everything in, giving the feeling that it is all received, understood, and appreciated in full. Somehow she conveys this without showing any outward sign of being affected by it. She has an amazing sense of aesthetics and will surround herself with beauty. This is as much a sense that she carries around with her more than acting from any need. She is a dreamer of beautiful dreams and she reflects back on everything we show her with a sense of love. Her depths are not easily fathomed and very few, if any, will get to see what’s beneath the surface. She is fair and generous towards all.
 
At her most negative tho, the love and honest reflection of what we show her is lost as even she has lost touch with her inner self. Instead, ever seeking that current, she will manipulate the emotions of those around her, provoking the emotional energy that she needs.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
21° Gemini – 20° Cancer
Elemental: Water of Water
 
The combination of the omnidirectional interest of Gemini and the sensitive intuitive home builder of Cancer shows someone who wishes everyone to be comfortable around them even at the expense of a mask of the deepest neutrality. They love to feel that they are helping and providing for others and make wonderful tho at times dictatorial hosts/hostesses. They may have an element of moodiness tho they will seldom show it except to those with whom they feel close.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Queen of Cups shows up in a reading, there may be a call to be open and receptive to who or whatever comes your way. Remember being open to someone does not mean being in agreement or even siding with them, as much as it is to hear them out. The card may also refer to someone in our environment who is there for us in a maternal way, generous, caring, and social though possibly quite remote. This person feels like someone who will listen and make it all better or at least who will or can understand. This card may also represent ourselves and maybe tell us to be as open to what goes on beneath our surface as we are to the voices and cares of those around us.
 
When the Queen of Cups turns up reversed, it may be referring to someone who has become out of touch with the needs of others (consider the story commonly told about Marie Antoinette who when told that the peasants had no bread was believed to reply “Let them eat cake.”) This person may have let ambition get ahead of compassion and maybe manipulative and dishonest while portraying a gentle-hearted generous facade.
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Gaia sought to deliver the best love she could give to her children. Just as the Fish of time had raised her, she was stern but caring even at the worst of times. Those who crossed her family drowned in her intense emotions while knowing they messed up. Time taught that in order to become stronger sometimes you must take your emotions and use them to ensure what you care for is safe. Each child will wander but your gaze will never waver after all it is for their safety and your sanity.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: KING OF CUPS

Notes on: The King of Cups

(Royal Wisdom)

 

Artist’s Notes:
Here is a king whom you can sit and talk with. There is a calmness about him though that calm comes with an edge. He has seen quite a bit and will share it to help others in their journey towards wisdom. He inherently knows that any counsel he gives can be merely that for growing in knowledge is a matter of experience and time yet perhaps he will reach through the streams to find the one necessary message that his guest most needs to hear.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Kings are the leaders, the shakers, the initiatory force or person that get things moving. The King of Cups is thus active in receptivity. He listens with patience and tolerance and is known for his wise counsel. He moves with grace and lives up to the Bruce Lee adage “Be Like Water”. He flows this way and that and finds many things he enjoys but few either deep or lasting. He is calm, honest, and understanding and often is a healer or therapist. Thus he lends the fiery energy that is inherent in the Kings to the emotional watery nature of the cup suit.
 
He also tends to be very self-contained. So contained in the fact that though he may feel the need to take action, he often finds it difficult to do so preferring his internal life. He may dream of a life of action but lives it vicariously through the help he gives to others.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
21° Aquarius – 20° Pisces
Elemental: Fire of Water
 
This combination of Aquarian and Piscean traits tends to be romantic and visionary tho may find things of a practical nature to be more of a challenge. They would have amazing insight tho be rather difficult to move when they do take a stance. There may be a tendency towards escapism with this combination as well, either in chemicals or alcohol or in the drugs of romance and sex. Because there is an aspect of their nature that is both attractive and attracted, they may find themselves often in romantic understandings. Still, they have an intuitive knack for finding their way through difficult conversations with others.
 
 
In a reading:
When the King of Cups turns up in a reading, it may be speaking of someone who is looking to you for advice and objective council. It may also refer to someone who can advise you and who may be able to influence your situation for the better. The King of Cups may also refer to a time when you find yourself frustrated because you desire to take action but either cannot decide what action to take (especially in a romantic situation) or cannot bring yourself to do so. The card may also refer to a time when things are very romantically fluid for you.
 
The King of Cups reversed or badly aspected in a reading may be referring to someone in your environment who is unreliable and untrustworthy or very manipulative. While they may be quite charming they may also be quite moody. The card may also be speaking to someone who is being unfaithful or a time when we may have been unfaithful in our relationships. The reversed King of Cups may also involve a time in our lives when we or someone close to us are letting our emotions control rather than having any kind of equanimity.
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
Time serves as the pillar that grants reality motion. There is a role to maintain this motion by driving this current without rest or reward. This process is cold to both its maker and the ones caught in it. To cherish the power we have and know one day it will wane. Time grants the power of emotion and how endless they truly can be. Mastered in every aspect it is a state of being to know and respect your place emotionally. Regardless of what happens, you know how you feel, even if you don’t know why. Take pride your emotions are in the right place.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: TEN OF CUPS

Notes on: The Ten of Cups

(A Happy Conclusion)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The ten of cups is one of those that has always both intrigued and worried at me the most. I think of it most often as the ‘happy ever after’ card yet the way that the card is normally portrayed, there is a young family with kids and rainbows. Everyone has truly met a happy conclusion. Yet the question invariably comes up for me. What happens next? If this card, shows the pinnacle of happiness on the physical plane then surely any change is unlikely to be for the better. That does not mean I see unhappiness as much as the human need to grow and change and that leads to new issues. The story never ends and every ending leads invariably to a new beginning. This I symbolized by the caduceus with its two snakes looking longingly at each other in a way that is almost reminiscent of the aces even as the ten cups and the array of colours symbolizes the ending.
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. The Ten of Cups shows the complete fulfilment of our emotions. We have everything we may have wished for in our lives and everything that we believed would fulfil us in terms of family life and appreciation of the beauty around us. We feel as if we’ve been touched by grace. However, satisfaction in one area of our lives is not the same as self-actualization and there is that in us which strives for more than ‘Happily ever after’. Eventually, this satiation will yield to a hunger for something greater.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Mars in Pisces – This energy is quiet almost passive seeming to have no wants and a willingness to go along with whatever it encounters. It’s not that it has no wants as its wants are fleeting things, momentary itches as opposed to burns and easily sublimated to the happiness of others around it. However if these desires are too often frustrated without any outlet, this energy may respond in a passive-aggressive manner. Quite often Mars in Pisces can be quite scattered if it does not have some form of higher purpose or deeper meaning inspiring it and giving it purpose. This energy quite often desires nothing more than a total merging with another.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
The Ten of Cups in a reading can show that this is a time of harmony and enjoyment, particularly in the areas of love, relationships, and family. This often comes as a culmination of a long series of events. This care may also hold the promise for this type of fulfilling relationship. The Ten of Cups may also indicate that there is a commitment and marriage in the offering. This card may indicate a need to take the surface enjoyment of love and family and use it as a springboard to a new level of awareness.
 
When the Ten of Cups turns up reversed in a reading, it can mean that something is blocking the happiness shown in the card. Perhaps we have developed a problem with how we related to our loved ones and family. Perhaps we feel like we have lost the ‘closeness’ we once had or that there is something lacking in our life that we need to pursue separately from the family unit. The card reversed may also mean that we are neglecting our family in pursuit of material or other goals. It is often a call to introspect and discover what our values are or have become.
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Life holds many meanings to many different people. There are those that seek to harm those who are rise while just as many reach their hand out to heal them. Regardless of how we get there we eventually reach the peak and will know the feeling of being at our best. Take your wing and fly after all a fall from this height would really hurt. Be warned though what comes after might humble you once more.
 
The peaks of the Havens are said to house a priceless relic. A scale of the Fish of time shines as a beacon to the lost. It marks a passage we must all endure one day. The power we once had held to bring us down. With wisdom, we seek to rise higher but know that will prove very difficult for our current selves. Cast your shell once more and make a new limit, Infinity awaits.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: EIGHT OF CUPS

Notes on: The Eight of Cups

(Seeking a Better Way)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Eights deal with the recognition of boundaries and a focus of the energies to move on and continue. Sometimes we stay a little too long at the party. This can be a literal party or a relationship or a job where things have been great, they’ve been good and we settled and now things have gone stagnant. We have stopped growing which can quickly poison any situation. Water left standing too long becomes unfit to drink.
 
We know that there is something out there that can renew us, a new adventure in the offering with new challenges Something that can motivate us to be better than we’ve ever been. All we need to do is find it in ourselves to leave what we’re used to in order to pursue it.
When we do make our move, it is best to ignore the counsel of those who would hold us back. They may be stuck in the mire as well and even if their intentions are good, it is counter to our new awareness. A wise man once told me that when I was halfway through a lake of shit, the best advice was to keep on going.
 
Why does one of the cups glow? Let’s say that whenever we leave a place there is always something that we find difficult to leave behind. Call it a sacrifice of necessity but it is something that we can only bring with us in our memories.
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Cups deals with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Eights deal with recognising boundaries and focusing on the energies to move on and continue. Sometimes we stay a little too long at the party. This can be a literal party or a relationship or a job where things have been great, they’ve been good and we settled and now things have gone stagnant. We have stopped growing which can quickly poison any situation. Water left standing too long becomes unfit to drink.
 
 
We know that there is something out there that can renew us, a new adventure in the offering with new challenges Something that can motivate us to be better than we’ve ever been. All we need to do is find it in ourselves to leave what we’re used to in order to pursue it.
 
 
When we do make our move, it is best to ignore the counsel of those who would hold us back. They may be stuck in the mire as well and even if their intentions are good, it is counter to our new awareness. A wise man once told me that when I was halfway through a lake of shit, the best advice was to keep on going.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Saturn in Pisces – The Saturn in Pisces energy tends to be very sensitive to everything that doesn’t work about a situation. This can be amazing as it can inherently understand and communicate the failings (and feelings) of others. This can lead to being overwhelmed by all the incoming emotional data and lead to freezing up. However, there is also a core of courage and resolution that is called upon can help the Saturn in Pisces energy continue onwards. Channelled correctly this energy can bring one far in terms of art and music and other forms of self-expression.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Eight of Cups turns up in a reading, it often shows that there is some disillusion with one’s present circumstances. It is the feeling that there is something better out there somewhere if only we had the courage to get up and leave and pursue it. The card may also refer to a sense of failure when really it is just that our current situation has run its course. The energy of this card is not a tragic one as much as it is a call to action. This action is not necessarily jumping into a new situation, whether it be a living situation or relationship as much as leaving the current one to take stock of what we learned and from there start anew thus it is often a solitary enterprise. This card may also mean a time to accept the aid of others.
 
 
 
When the Eight of Cups comes up reversed or badly aspected, it may mean that even tho we may feel it’s time to leave our current situation, there is still more joy and knowledge that we can gain from it. It can also mean coming to terms with our current situation in a way that we haven’t before. This card may also mean that one is refusing to leave the party when it is time either out of laziness or fear of the unknown
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
There is a tale of a man forsaken by time. Born of the more divine priestess and the bloodiest warrior his blessing were endless. Time would see him at birth and warn them
 
“For life to grow destruction must wipe the slate clean. You gave birth to our next agent. You have one year before each place you reside crumbles.”
 
After this,  Time would depart without another word. As she had said around the halfway point they would begin to see this destruction.  After his birth,  travel became his lifestyle. What is home to one who can’t settle? What type of story would you make when you have no set foundation?
 
While there will be more to this legend, this is where your begins. When your heart is ready to move on what happens to the roots you set? Can you face uncertainty with a steady heart? After all, what is the point of life if we can’t move on to better places?
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: SEVEN OF CUPS

Notes on: The Seven of Cups (i)

(Illusory Alternatives)

Artist’s Notes:
 
Every moment is a new opportunity to choose yet sometimes the menu is a rather limited one. There are all kinds of pressure from all different directions to choose what they want you to choose and are they all ever good at the sales pitch. “Do you want riches? We can give them to you. How about the house in the suburb with the wife, the car and friends who you BBQ with? You can have that with or without the stock options. You can be successful or maybe all you want is fear.” So many choices and so many voices leading you to choose their way. There is only one voice that matters and that is your own true nature. It knows the way that is right for you. All you have to do is know which of the voices is yours. Once we start doing that and manage to tune out the hucksters and the salesman who insist we live life on their terms and not ours, we may find that we can move beyond the illusion of happiness and choose joy.

 

About the Archetype:
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.
 
Sevens represent our desires and wants and the paths and challenges we take to achieve them.
 
So often we feel a deep need to feel successful that we become willing to settle for the trappings of success. As long as we have a large income, a beautiful spouse, and a large home, does it matter that we still feel unfulfilled and unhappy? As long as we have the respect and love of our community does it matter that our marriage is falling apart and that our kids hate us? As long as we pursue spiritual and ontological understanding does it matter that we are homeless and cannot feed ourselves? In all three of the above cases, we pursue the illusion or appearance of success, depending on our description of it rather than working towards complete self-actualization and fulfilment.
 
In reality, all of these cups are ours to drink from and to bring together into the reality of success rather than the illusion
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Venus in Scorpio – Venus in Scorpio has magnetic and intense energy. It shows imagination and sensuality but reveals very little. It is a promise undelivered, an attractive tease that will show you every dark desire you have and indulge you in it fully and completely but ultimately will not in itself fulfilled. It is delight and delirium.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Seven of Cups shows up in a reading, it can mean that several choices have appeared but that most are illusory promising a lot but offering little. There is one choice that may look less promising but it is a lot more real and will ultimately be more fulfilling. The card may also point out that what the querent is currently doing in their lives may be fun but may not be as worthwhile as they are pretending it is and that they may be concentrating on pleasure and instant gratification rather than joy. The Seven of Cups may also be referring to a false sense of confidence, a belief that we have won where our success may truly be an illusion because of something that we have overlooked.
 
 
 
When the Seven of Cups turns up reversed or badly aspected in a reading, it may mean that the querent has come to a time in their life where they realize that they have been settling for the quick fix rather than concentrating on what is really important and fulfilling to them. It may also refer to hidden problems or dangers revealing themselves after a time of complacency. It may also refer to a time when all the choices and opportunities that we fooled ourselves into thinking that we had are quickly vanishing and what remains is that which is essential to our being
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
The ideas that tainted many immortals were primarily driven by their desire to ascend higher. Whether this is through war or defying death it didn’t change much. Many options presented to them seemed so viable. The path felt so real, even if it was a decade or more of pride nothing stopped them. Time would simply wait for them to crumble after all every skyscraper must eventually crumble.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: SIX OF CUPS

Notes on: The Six of Cups

(Golden Times)

 
 
Artist’s Notes :
 
Think back to a moment in your life when everything felt perfect. Chances are you can remember the feeling even if you didn’t know it at the time. Moments like this exist best in memory. We replay it to the point where only certain details are clear but hey we need those moments. Perhaps even this moment will be a snapshot moment later on for you.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Sixes represent balance and harmony. Mix balance and harmony with love and you end up with one of those magic moments. You know, the kind that you want to remember and take out and replay in your mind because you know it will help keep you going through the rough times. Love is and you are and the universe is right and good and nothing can take these moments away. Memories of them can heal you during rough times. Knowing that they are possible can keep us going until the next one.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Sun in Scorpio – This energy involves powerful sensual feeling and transcendence, One of its symbols is the phoenix rising from its own ashes. The energy is passionate, sexual, and consuming. Few things are as memorable as making passionate love with someone who has entered your heart. The Sun in Scorpio energy involves depth of experience and depth of learning and knowledge.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Six of Cups turns up in a reading, it usually signifies an unusually happy time. The happiness of this period usually stems from a feeling of loving and being loved. This may have to do with past memories being rekindled tho it can also be a time for making new lasting memories depending on where the card falls in the reading and the other cards involved. This is a time that will be remembered for its feeling of peace and balance no matter how long it may last.
 
 
 
When the Six of Cups is reversed in a reading, it is possible that for various possible reasons, tho it is a happy period in our lives, we are unable to see it. It can refer to someone who is so focused on the future, that they forget to enjoy the present moment. The reversed Six of Cups may also refer to unpleasant associations from the past
—GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
The past is a key part of how we tick. When we have a cherished moment that means a lot to us we tend to seek it as a standard. In the eyes of Time, many warriors found their passion in the heat of war. The drive and adrenaline made many memories imprinted us going forward. These moments may have moulded us but they were there because we needed them.
 
After the peak and passion, everything must decline. To define the good the bad must occur that way we appreciate those golden times. Persist and you will find your next peak just don’t let the past define how it should be.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FIVE OF CUPS

Notes on: The Five of Cups

(Youth is Wasted)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The actress bemoans her lost youth. In her mind, all that’s left of her is her pale reflection in her makeup mirror. The fact that this shows a handsome woman of a certain age is lost in her fears and anguish of the years that have flown by her. The young ingenue in the picture beside the mirror has been lost to time. She drinks her wine in sorrow and solitude not knowing that with a slight change of attitude (and a bit less alcohol), the best years of her life may still lay ahead.
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.
 
Fives stand for conflict, change, and breaking through to higher thought. If the four of cups talked about how we look at something new on the horizon and our expectations, then the five of cups show how we handle things when things don’t live up to those expectations and we end up meeting with disappointment. One may ask in colloquial terms what appointment is it we have made that has been dissed.
 
Most of the time when we enter into a new situation be it a relationship or a new social group or job, we can quickly size up where the problem areas lay and indeed with a little bit of reflection can see exactly how it will play out and yet even when the outcome is likely to be negative, we follow down the path anyway, perhaps because we realize we need the experience and accompanying lesson to be driven home. The biggest lesson of the five of cups is not that we have suffered setbacks because that is inevitable in life. What is it that we have gained in the process and what are we left with becomes paramount. Because quite often, if we are not wasting time ‘crying over spilt milk’, it is that which is the gift.
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
Mars in Scorpio – The Mars in Scorpio energy loves to test itself. It throws itself into a situation head-on often overlooking the emotional ramifications of it. Quite often people with this energy can see through facades and manipulate others in any situation. Quite often this can result in manipulating and fooling themselves as well.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the five of cups turns up in a reading, it is usually referring to a recent loss or disappointment. Depending on other cards in the reading, the person may be ‘crying over spilt milk’, choosing to look at what has been lost rather than what they still have or what they may have gained from the situation.
 
 
 
When the five of cups is reversed or badly aspected, the person is looking at their loss with more equanimity. Perhaps they have friends who are talking them through it or perhaps they have discovered gratitude for that which they have left and that which they gained from the experience. It may also refer to remaining open and vulnerable to new experiences despite that which may have been lost in the past.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
History is littered with spoiled monarchs and ungrateful tyrants. The loss of power has caused some of the greatest temper tantrums. In the eyes of Time, every ruler and subject are no different. Both oppress when things don’t go their way. This has never really changed. Is it part of the balance that is up to the ones who read this. When you hear the word “no” how do you deal with that bitterness? Would you take responsibility or are you complaining about things that are better left alone?
 
Energy’s Will cares little for either response as both have a consequence. Even if you do what is “right” you still have to deal with the backlash. However, those who fight it tooth and nail to avoid it, well let’s say Time likes to ensure they fall. Entitlement turns to poverty in the blip of a passing decade, a once pure body is now tarnished in the eyes of the holder. Maybe then you will realize you are at fault for your actions.
–NF