The image on the True Black II of Cups shows two Cups of clear water tilted toward each other, as if they were clinking together in a toast. Above them circle two golden fish; above the fish is a golden arrow, broken in half. The keywords for this card are connection, partnership, union, and romance.
The Temperance card of this deck has such a stunning image! We see a beautiful angel dressed in white with huge white wings spread wide, and long, thick and glorious red hair. Her eyes are closed; one arm is bent at the elbow with hand raised and palm facing out, holding a red sphere. The other arm is straight, pointing downward with palm out. This arm is red from fingertips to elbow and the red hand is holding a white sphere. She stands as a bridge between a field of flowers and a field of swords with points in the ground; behind her is a holograph of the Yin/Yang symbol, also known as a taijitu. The keywords for this card are balance, acceptance, consideration, and compromise.
I love the meaning associated with the II of Cups in this deck. It tells of attraction, yes an attraction that could be sexual, but also an attraction that tells of friendship that is based on trust and a deep understanding of one another. The water in the two Cups of this image seem to flow toward each other; the golden angel fish circle each other as if gaining pleasure from the other’s nearness, and above all is a golden arrow, broken in half and symbolizing the end of hostilities or the meeting of minds.
The True Black Temperance is one of the few cards of this deck that uses an angelic figure in its image; one other is The Devil. In this deck, Temperance is seen as directly opposing The Devil, representing moderation and the control of our desires, rather than the excessive indulgence, pride and greed that are associated with The Devil. The angel on Temperance understands that part of being human is wanting things that are often culturally taboo; she reminds us that it is not the pleasures themselves that are evil, but the actions we surround them with in order to obtain them.
Even though these two cards seem to have the same message, their elements are not friendly. The suit of Cups represents the element of Water which is passive, and the cold that binds and wet that adapts. The element of Fire is active and represents the heat that separates and dry that shapes. Water can extinguish Fire and end its chemical process, but Fire can turn Water into steam, which can be used as a power source if handled carefully. The II of Cups uses emotions to attract another in order to create a pair. Temperance uses the chemical actions of Fire to unite opposites by finding the right mix.
The end result is similar, they just use different tools and methods. However, the combination created by the II of Cups could be temporary, and future events could erode the current attraction. The result of the Temperance card is permanent because it uses the element of Fire and the process of combustion. After all, you could dissolve salt in fresh water and then distill the salt out so the water is fresh once more, but once a log is burned it cannot be recreated from the ashes.
These two cards are a perfect example of the day-to-day nature of the Minor Arcana cards as compared to the big-picture and long-term focus of the Major Arcana. Elemental dignities help us to perceive this.
No comments:
Post a Comment