4 of Cups

The 4 of Cups shows that you’re not sure if a decision is your Divine right path, because you’re not certain of your Divine right path—so you blow it off… It’s like you’re asleep to what’s best for you.

Up:
For some reason: apathy, ego, untrusting—you’re not game to or taking an opportunity that falls in your path. I always feel like something is deceitfully covering up this opportunity that has to do with fear or what someone else thinks is best for you. What are the surrounding cards? Peer pressure may be telling you this isn’t the type of thing that’s good for you. Really look into what’s available and what you’re capable of.

Reversed:

This is one of those cards that isn’t negative when it’s reversed. Score! It indicates taking on and accepting an opportunity that will benefit you for a long time to come. You’re ready for a new friendship or romantic relationship. You’re motivated. Nothing and no one is holding you back from clear thought when accepting this gift of opportunity.

The High Priestess

Today the High Priestess is calling me. I’ve got  a crazy busy week ahead of me and she’s telling me to trust that it’s all good. She possesses hidden power. The kind of power that  can come across to others as seeing right through them. She stays quiet about it—no need to alert everyone she can read their minds—they sense that she knows too much anyway and steer clear of her like the faerie tales with the old witch in the woods.

She’s actually, though, more of a healing goddess that sees straight to the heart of things. It’s only those who are still trying to hide that think she’s out there in the forest with one eye in her head and the other one in her pocket. She’s mysterious, pensive and to herself, not forthcoming with all of her knowledge unless she feels that she can trust. I mean really, what’s the point if they’re not ready to hear the deep mysteries of the Universe anyway? They know who she really is, and when they’re ready, they seek her out.

Intuitive, psychic, understanding motives that others haven’t even considered yet, she sees the world from a unique place. A place that she keeps centered and calm. It’s like that Sandra Bullock movie where she’s in rehab and she’s trying to lift the horse’s foot to show that she is grounded within herself, that she can trust herself. But, when she tries aloofly and with an overly-confident attitude, the horse won’t budge. Horses are spiritual and sensitive animals. It knows she’s coming with untrue motives and doesn’t trust her.

When she tries again after looking deeper into her own situation then realizing compassion for herself and for others, the horse trusts her. It understands the place where she’s coming from—that deeper understanding of herself. She picks up his foot with no effort at all. He practically picks it up for her.

The High Priestess is that calm knowing presence that won’t budge unless the energy is right. And she knows intuitively when it is and when it is not. She has the knowledge of being through it. She’s been through everyone’s “through it.” She’s connected with the collective conscious in a way that silently conveys to her the motives, intentions, and dynamics of others. They may not acknowledge they possess these motives and qualities in their energy, or they secretly do and are not ready to face that information much less deal with someone else knowing their secrets.

As the second Major Arcana card, The High Priestess possesses duality. She can be a healer to those who want to live in alignment with their higher-self life, and a mirror to those who are shameful and refuse to face and let go of their fears, mistakes, and regrets. She trusts herself. She’s patient, she waits. She observes. She sees it all and grounds in the knowledge.

She will help and be of service when she trusts that the situation is open to receiving her gifts. She’s definitely not frivolous with them. They’re too sacred to throw pearls to swine, so to speak. She is confident enough to be solo and not feel pressure. She understands there is no reason to sell out or give up on herself. She is the epitome of Divine Goddess Spirit. The often unspoken feminine.

Reversed, The High Priestess shows a woman who is misusing her gifts of intuit. She is manipulative or, on the other extreme, superficial. There is a strong need to go within and look at a situation without the ego when this card appears reversed. Be aware that this presence has a great affect on the seeker’s life. This is a strong dynamic that needs distancing from if it represents another person in the seeker’s reading that is not the seeker herself.

The Hermit

Up:
Today I’m inspired by The Hermit.
He’s the part of self, to me, that is the observer. He goes within and sees the drama often removing himself from it. Sometimes this is beneficial and at other times this is detrimental (e.g. when it’s time to come out and deal with physical life, step up to the plate and take action about what you’ve been contemplating.)

When I see this card in a spread I immediately know there’s a lot going on under the surface. Whatever the story, it’s tied to dynamics long ago formed. Often the surrounding cards will show the clear view of the dynamics and possibly their origin.

The Hermit is taking his lantern and looking back through all of those cobwebs for the truth. Dynamics don’t always represent or support the true self, that’s for sure. He sees, he incubates, he nurtures the understanding of the higher self and then continues to light the way for the true path. His divine right path.

The symbol of wisdom for self and for others, The Hermit can be a figure in the seeker’s life that is available to give great gifts of wisdom, it can represent a time in life where great knowledge is available, it can be a sign that further school endeavors are in the cards ;)

Reversed:
When this card is reversed it can indicate the dangers of being too internal. I don’t like to admit it, but being too analytical can be extremely isolating. This is the sign of the reversed Hermit. He can read too much into a situation or person, better explained, he may be seeing the truth, but taking it personally.

He may be extremely sensitive to what is going on around him, but taking it on as his own. That is a dangerous place to be. It can lead to not only isolation, but mistrust in the Universe. Loss of trust in the Universe and its infinite abundance for everyone, not just a select few. In other words, it can really tear a person up.

The importance to reintegrate back into the world, feel and live life is extremely important. Slowly finding what makes you content and happy and pleased is the start of this. Pulling out your gifts, even if you don’t see them as gifts is what this process will form.

Ah, The Hermit. He can be great guidance or great isolation.

I must also mention that when The Hermit is reversed, it has come to my attention in my readings that it can reflect the Cassandra complex. In the myth of Cassandra she is punished by always having knowledge of the future, but no one will believe her when she tries to warn them. Seriously, that’s the worst punishment ever! When this shows up for a client in a spread, it can mean that they may know best for someone else, but that someone may not be ready to hear it and needs to make their own mistakes in order to figure it out. A lesson to both.