Tarot - Three of Cups (First Posted Mar. 20, 2011)

To feel understanding (to feel the sensation that results when the individual pieces you have been pondering connect up solidly, fairly and squarely) in the suit of cups – also recognized as the “realm of water” and, by another name, as the “world of feeling” – is to know how it feels to openly and safely share (and compare) one’s fully held point of view on a particular matter with that of two other fully held points of view and reach a solid, new, agreed upon shared point of view.

The understanding which is ultimately reached regarding a matter that has been openly shared, discussed and worked out between 3 points of view is vastly greater and harder to achieve then that reached between only two – and its accomplishment is a cause for great celebration.

Why would this be so?  Why would this understanding – forged between 3 distinct and fully held points of view - be so much more deeply felt; so much more satisfying?

Well, for 2 points of view to successfully merge and reach a true understanding only requires a mutual discovery of the half way point lying between each one (picture a line with a dot marking this ½ way point).  Also, (and this is the most important thing) it doesn't matter how far apart these two points of view are positioned from each other the ½ point is always easy to establish.   It obviously lies exactly mid-way between the two.

But (and this is the other most important thing) the midway point between 3 separate, distinct and fully held points of view does not lie at the midway point along 3 parallel lines connecting viewpoints [1 and 2] [1 and 3] [2 and 3].  Instead, one must picture each of the 3 viewpoints being merged into a true understanding as being positioned in each one of the corners of triangle with the blending of viewpoints occurring in the centre of this configuration (picture an equilateral triangle with a dot in the centre). 

As viewpoints are obviously held by living, breathing human being this means that in order for a true, deeply felt, stable understanding to arise from the centre of a“human equilateral triangle” (a configuration where, for the purpose of reaching this understanding, there is both equal distance and equal connection between all 3 parties involved) requires (again, for the purpose of reaching this understanding) each person involved to feel exactly the same about each of the other two as she/he feels about him/herself in terms of basic respect, good-will, and trust.

In other words for a true understanding to arise from the midst of 3 distinct, fully held viewpoints the feelings involved between all 3 parties have to be exact, have to be true and have to be deeply felt and adhered to. 

An understanding (a shared point of view) that is forged under this exact circumstance deserves to be celebrated for the effort and discipline that goes into achieving it.

PLEASE NOTE:  This interpretation is based purely on the feelings I experience when I  focus on, and merge with, the images in the card combined with how I understand the Minor Arcana of the Rider-Waite deck dovetails with the Tree of Life in the Qabalah (as taught by Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone, co-founders of The Tarot School in New York City, NY).