March 22, 2022: VIII of Cups and IX of Pentacles

 Hmmmm . . . more Watery-Earthy combinations.

We've seen the VIII of Cups before, but not since last year.  The image on this card is somewhat striking because there is so much light within the image, a rarity in this deck.  The image shows a dark crevice in which a female octopus has laid her thousands of eggs.  The beautiful strands of eggs hanging from the ceiling of the crevice are golden and appear lit from above.  Below the eggs are bubbles of air, eight clear glasses, and one tiny baby octopus, the first hatchling to emerge.  The keywords for this card are discovery, journey, loneliness, and moving on.

The True Black Tarot IX of Pentacles image shows a beautiful serval cat sitting on a gold fabric draped platform, viewing the floating golden pentacles as well as birds and a mouse, prey animals and food for the cat.  Rather than hunting the prey, it sits gazing into the distance with an air of confidence, class and style.  The keywords for this card are restraint, luxury, abundance, and sophistication.

The VIII of Cups tells of an exiting time, a time when we must move on to newer and better things because we have outgrown our surroundings and must release them because they no longer serve us. The number 8 in Crowley's Naples Arrangement tells us that we must act in order to prevent stagnation from rotting the pause and deliberation that is the number 7.  The baby octopus is the first of its nest to hatch, but in order to take advantage of this new life, it must not wait for its siblings but rather strike out on its own.  The IX of Pentacles is a card that traditionally tells of luxury that has been gathered through hard work, discipline, and the taming of our baser instincts.  The image on this card is a good one, for the serval cat could easily snatch a bird or mouse, but instead it sits proud, enjoying the luxury of the moment.

The elements of Water and Earth are both passive but they do passively support each other (while Water is wet that adapts and Earth is dry that shapes, they both are cold that binds).  Since we have two Minor Arcana cards, the card numbers will play an equal role in interpretation.  Our two card numbers are in a sequence, 8 moving to 9, and while the Watery Cups card could erode the possibility of the Earthy Pentacles card, there is the potential to allow enough moisture to cleanse but not so much that all will be washed away.   The VIII of Cups tells of action that must be boldly taken without fear or any other emotion that will cloud the water, and the IX of Pentacles tells of a possible result of that bold action and the luxurious sensations that would come with success.  

I'm going with that interpretation.