Grief, Re-prioritization, and Collective Uplift

We haven’t seen the Five of Cups in quite some time. It’s a card of raw and obvious grief. In it, we see a cloaked figure, head cast down in mourning. At their feet are three overturned cups and behind them are two that remain upright. A bridge crosses a river ahead; on the other side, a castle awaits.

While it’s undeniably sad, I’ve always loved this card because it lays out a course of action and a path that we can follow when we find ourselves inhabiting the state of its main character. First, we must look at what’s been spilled at our feet: what’s lost, squandered, taken from us, or even destroyed by our own actions. Here, we find regret, sadness, grief, and hurt. The imagery isn’t subtle and, similarly, what’s placing us in this card will be obvious and unavoidable. But to turn away from what’s happened will not save us - the only course of action (if we want to proceed and grow) is to take it all in, to see clearly what’s happened, and only then can we turn around and recognize what remains.

A part of me finds this inventory satisfying. Once the cups have been spilled, well, they remain spilled! The worst is over for now and we just need to remain present, to observe what has happened. But as helpful as it is to see this, it’s equally important to, once the initial work has been done, recenter in ourselves and then turn towards the future.

Since this is just one card in our reading, we’re being urged to get into this work and then through it. Healing, it seems, is encouraged this week and perhaps even catalyzed by current events. See how the intense emotions of the Five of Cups might release old suffering and center you in yourself.

This card paired with the following Four of Pentacles suggests that we’re drawing inwards and doing some solitary work at the beginning and middle of the week. Note the two lone figures, both focusing on what they have: spilled cups and gleaming pentacles. After experiencing and processing the Five of Cups, we naturally find ourselves considering what resources we have at our fingertips. What a wonderful antidote to the pull to get lost in grief - real practical action. This action, however, isn’t the kind that sends us into a frenzy. Instead, it’s all about taking stock, doing an internal audit of what we have to “spend" or offer: time, money, attention, labor, support. Re-prioritizing our expenditures of all sorts in the wake of the grief of the Five of Cups is part of our path forward.

Note how both of our first two cards feature a bland, grey background. After a string of busy readings, this “tarot weather” stands out. Embrace it as a chance to settle in and 1) feel your feelings then 2) get your pentacles in a row. The quiet and internal focus doesn’t last long as our final card, the Three of Cups, bursts onto the scene with its charming conviviality. It’s as if all this inner work is resulting in a newfound appreciation and focus around being in community and celebrating what we have.

Notice, too, how the three spilled cups in the Five of Cups are now upright and uplifted by the three celebrants in the Three of Cups. If we choose to go on with others instead of just by ourselves, the two cups transform into three. We can do more together, and the joy and possibility is well within reach if we follow the path laid out in our reading this week.