Ace of Cups, Ace of Hearts, Ace of Chalices
Tarot Minor Arcana
Notes by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
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Correspondences, Symbolism, History, Meanings, Associations,
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Ace of Cups:
Meanings Metaphors Notes
Quotes
Bibliography Links
Crowley
Ace of Cups
A Note about the Tarot Card Images on
this Webpage
Meanings, Associations,
Correspondences
Ace of Cups
Emotions, Emotional Fulfillment, Ecstasy, Feelings, Heart, Moods
Sensitivity,
Receptivity, Attunement
Deepest hopes and desires fulfilled, Support, A Gift
Planting a Seed, Promise of Springtime, Beginning of Good Things
Forgive and Forget, Generosity, Compassion, Goodwill
Dreams, Imagination, Unconscious
Intuition, Psychic Powers, Divination, Inner Work, Revelations
Spiritual Awakening, Rebirth, Baptism, Affirmation, New Life, Spiritual
Breakthrough
Relationships, Affection, Romance, Intimacy, Love, Courtship, Marriage
Good health of kidneys and bladder, Recovery, Feeling Energetic
Joy and inner peace from friends and family
Feminine, Yoni, Fertility
Powers of Water, Water, West,
Reversals, Negatives
Hard Hearted, Emotionless, Depression, Dullness,
Loneliness
Curb your emotions
Bottle up your emotions
Powers of Air (Swords)
Closed or selfish heart
Waite card images: Christian Communion service image. A white dove (Holy Spirit) feeding a communion host (Bread of Life) into the gold chalice. Five streams of water are pouring down from chalice into a lake. The lake might symbolize the unconscious mind, and the five streams are often take to mean the five senses: feeling, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling. A white hand emerges from a white cloud to hold the chalice from below. A deep blue sky in the background behind the chalice.
In the heraldic tradition, the vase and similar vessels are considered symbols of fertility.
Metaphors,
Similes, Clichés, Phrases
Ace of Cups
Pour out your heart
Fill up my cup
Feelings can run high
Raise your glass for a toast
The cup is full
Brimming with promise
Waters of Life
Drink up
Raising the glass
Offering up the cup
Flowing waters
Overflowing cup
Fountain of youth
Raise your cup and drink to success
Holy Grail Cup
Full cup
My cup runneth over
One day before or after some event involving a change, end, transformation,
appearance, etc.
One week before or after ...
One month before or after ...
One year before or after ...
One year old
First decade of life
Crowley/Harris,
Book of Thoth Tarot, 1938-1943
Ace of Cups
"This card represents the element of Water in its most secret and original
form. It is the feminine complement of the Ace of Wands, and is derived from the
Yoni and the Moon exactly as that is from the Lingam and the Sun. The third in
the Hierarchy. This accordingly represents the essential form of the Holy Grail.
Upon the dark sea of Binah, the Great Mother, are Lotuses, two in one, which
fill the cup with the Life-fluid, symbolically represented either as Water, as
Blood, or as Wine, according to the selected purpose of the symbolism. This
being a primordial card, the liquid is shown as water; it can be transformed
into Wine or Blood as may be required. Above the Cup, descending upon it,
is the Dove of the Holy Ghost, thus consecrating the element. At the base
of the Cup is the Moon, for it is the virtue of this card to conceive and to
produce the second form of its Nature."
- Aleister Crowley,
Book of Thoth, 1944
"The first mention of the Holy Grail with this spelling (Holy Graal) was by
the Arthurian romanticist Creitien De Troyes. The word Grail comes from the
Latin gradulus which means serving dish. The Holy Grail in its many forms has
changed from a dish shaped object (like a platter), a cauldron or a chalice,
depending it its source in Cymru, Saxon, Pict, Norman or Anglo-Saxon legend. It
is interesting to see even in some Christian depictions of the Holy Grail that
it resembles beyond doubt a platter and not a Chalice. A change in
attitude can creates possibilities which can obviously aid or oppose the effects
of magick. A cup, cauldron or the Holy Grail is a ritual object of feminine
gender. Quabalistic correspondences of the cup are attributed to Binah hence
Understanding . Binah is also the Great Mother, and this glyph is that of the
great seas of creation. In physical essence the cup in ritual is often
crescent shaped. This symbolism links it to the moon, another feminine aspect.
The cup and the great waters of Binah could be perhaps the waters of life which
surround an unborn child? Furthermore a cup or Grail performs a function of a
receptacle. The symbol of the Great Rite in the Book Of Shadows depicts a dagger
hanging above about to enter into a chalice. The sexual concepts really need no
explanation. However this rite witnesses a consecration and magickal fusion at
its forte."
-
The Holy Grail as Symbol
"Cups represent the element of water, which is primarily
associated with love, which in Thelemic terms signifies union. As such,
it involves notions of attraction, and naturally relates to human
relationships and affections. More importantly, from the perspective of our
Qabalistic framework, the ideas of union and attraction render the element of
water inextricably connected with the concept of form. Thus, on a high
level, fire represents change, or motion, and water represents stability, or
form. Water is a passive element; it changes its shape to fit any container in
which it is placed, and still water functions as a mirror, further emphasizing
its connection with the notion of form, relationships and structure in general.
It is also connected — through the amniotic fluid — with the womb, which
nurtures and protects the fetus, allowing it to grow and giving it form."
- Erwin Hessle,
Ace of Cups
"The Aces represent the roots of the four elements. They
are quite above, and distinct from, the other small cards in the same way as
Kether is said to be symbolized only by the topmost point of the Yod of
Tetragrammaton. In these cards is no real manifestation of the element in its
material form. They form a link between the small cards and the Princesses, who
rule the Heavens around the North Pole. The Meridian is the Great Pyramid, and
the Elements rule, going Eastward, in the order of Tetragrammaton, Fire, Water,
Air, Earth. Thus, roughly, Aces-Princesses Wands cover Asia, Cups the Pacific
Ocean, Swords the Americas, Disks Europe and Africa. To make this relationship
clear, one may go a little into the symbol of the pentagram, or Shield of David.
It represents Spirit ruling the four elements, and is thus a symbol of the
Triumph of Man. The idea of the element of Spirit is very difficult to
grasp. The letter Shin, which is the letter of Fire, has to do double duty by
representing Spirit as well. Generally speaking, the attributions of Spirit are
not clear and simple like those of the other elements. It is very remarkable
that the Tablet of Spirit in the Enochian system is the key to all mischief; as,
in the Hindu system, Akasha is the Egg of Darkness. On the other hand,
Spirit represents Kether. Perhaps it was never in the mind of the Exempt Adept
or Adepts who invented the Tarot to go so far into this matter. The point to
remember is that, both in their appearance and in their meaning, the Aces are
not the elements themselves, but the seeds of those elements."
- Aleister Crowley,
Book of
Thoth, 1944
Root of the Powers of Water (Cups) from Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley
Thoth Deck by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris:
Bibliography, Resources, Information, Notes
Liber LXXVII, A
Description of of the Cards of the Tarot, by Aleister Crowley.
Description of Golden Dawn Tarot.
Ace of Cups.
By Erwin Hessle. Uses the Crowley deck
Book of Thoth
(Crowley) - Wikipedia
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
Portable Darkness: An Aleister Crowley Reader
The
Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols. By Angeles
Arrien, 1987, 1997. Discussion of the Crowley/Harris Thoth Tarot.
Tarot: Mirror of the Soul: Handbook for the Aleister Crowley Tarot
The
Crowley Tarot. The Handbook to the Cards by Aleister Crowley and Lady
Frieda
Harris. By Akron (C. F. Frey) and Hajo Banzhaf. Translated from the
German by Christine M. Grimm. Stamford, CT, U.S. Games Systems, Inc., 1995.
222 pages. ISBN: 0880797150. I have found this book to be an
extremely useful reference tool when doing an analysis of a card. This is
my favorite book on the Thoth Tarot. Discussion and interpretation of the
Crowley-Harris-Thoth Tarot, Ace of Cups, p. 143.
Aleister Crowley Thoth Small Tarot Deck . 80 card deck includes three
extra Magnus cards. A 78 page booklet. U. S. Games Systems Inc.,
1988. The cards in this deck are 2 3/4" wide and 4 5/16" high. ISBN:
0880793082. VSCL.
The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Being the Equinox Volume III No. V
Notes and Quotes
Ace of Cups
Alternative Names of Suit: Cups, Chalices, Hearts, Vessels, Bowls, Cauldron
All early Tarot decks call this suit "Chalices", and modern Tarot decks call this suit "Cups."
In a deck of regular playing cards this suit is called "Hearts."
"Water symbolizes the emotions due to
the bonding quality of water. Take the water, or liquid, out of any substance
and it falls to disintegration. It is therefore these bonds which hold the
universe together. We recognize these bonds, as symbolized through water, as a
kind of love which keeps people together. It is only the bonds which people
form that create attachment to people, places and things. Throughout
history water has been used as a symbolic form of binding in many religious
ceremonies, especially during the Piscean age and Christianity. If you look at
a traditional Marseille tarot deck Ace of Cups you will notice how similar it is
to a baptism font. The ceremony of pouring water over the babies head, or
submersion of the body into water, symbolizes the individual’s bond into the
church and its doctrine."
- Toni Allen
"The Ace of Cups is the initial flow of emotion that could become a mighty
river is given time and attention. It is the planted - but still dormant - seed
of great love and affection in the future, the first stirrings of passion, joy
and insight. The Cup on this Ace is often said to represent the Holy Grail, and
just as Joseph of Arimathea was sustained by the wafer placed in the Grail each
day, so too does love and emotional balance sustain our everyday lives. In
situations not involving relationships, the Ace of Cups still shows the power of
love that is necessary in the situation. But love in this sense does not always
refer to romance. Love is a plant with many flowers: generosity, forgiveness,
peace, honesty or simply letting your feelings show. Ask your Inner Voice which
kind of love you will need, and you will surely get an answer because the Ace of
Cups is the card of the awakening intuition. All of these things associated with
emotion and intuition run high when the Ace of Cups makes an appearance."
-
James Rioux
"In Greek mythology, Psyche represents the human soul in the form of a
beautiful maiden with whom Cupid, the god of love himself, fell deeply in love.
The Cup, therefore, represents Psyche, or the human soul, and water, its ruling
element, represents love. To satisfy the human soul is to fill it with love."
-
Tarot Symbols
"Cups correspond to the element
of Water and describe the fluid, feeling level of our existence. The
Cup symbolizes the primordial womb which holds and nurtures the essence of hope,
desire, and inspiration. This suit relates to our ability to flow with and
adapt to the undercurrents of life and be attuned to unconscious processes.
Cups may also refer to the emotional milieu of a relationship or strongly held
ideas."
- Kate Warwick-Smith,
The Tarot Court Cards, p. 38
"This card shows a marvelous
chalice (the yoni vessel) as a symbol of love and receptivity. It is
thereby the feminine pedant to the Ace of Wands and represents the water element
in its most feminine form as the ability to show devotion. The chalice is
an image of loving openness growing up out of a white lotus, which in turn rises
like a fountain from the depths and fills the chalice with the water of life
from within. Conversely, the rays of light coming down vertically from
above symbolize the creative spirit as it dives down into the "sources of love"
where it unities with the rising spheres of the depths into that power that goes
forth (background), originating in the collective unconscious and representing
the desire of love for devotion and for merging with God. Crowley
identifies the chalice with the Holy Grail, symbol for the highest good
attainable by human beings."
- Akron (C. F. Frey) and Hajo Banzhaf,
The
Crowley Tarot, p. 142
"The
cauldron was an important artifact in Celtic daily life, where it served as the
hub of the home. It was used for most household cooking, as well as for bathing
and carrying water, and was the finest object owned by most households.
The cauldron was likewise central in Celtic religious practice, where it was
used for divination and sacrificial rituals.
The cauldron was an emblem of the domain of water, and beautifully designed
cauldrons were frequently sacrificed to the gods of lakes and rivers. The ocean
itself was at times conceived as a great cauldronIt was from a great cauldron in
the Otherworld that poetic and artistic inspiration was given, and the measure
each man received depended on how much his life and actions caused the cauldron
to flow. The Welsh goddess, Cerridwen, owned a
great cauldron, from which the bard Taliesin illicitly obtained his legendary
talents as a bard. To the ancient Gauls, cauldron was closely
linked with the god Taranis; sacrifices made to the god by Druid priests were
purportedly drowned in a cauldron, possibly with the belief that the victim
would be reborn. Many Celtic legends tell of a cauldron from which slain
warriors could be resurrected."
- Celtic Cauldron of
Cerridwen
"In Celtic tradition there is the legendary magic cauldron, horn of plenty
and platter that could never empty. With roots in the same image is the Chalice,
sacred vessel, that represents both the illuminating goal of the quest and the
heroic quest itself."
-
The Celtic Cauldron
Painting by Arthur Rackham 1917
Bibliography, Links, References
Ace of Cups
The Voyager Tarot: Way of the Great Oracle
Book. By James
Wanless, 1989.
Book and
Deck. Discussion and interpretation of the Ace of
Cups, Ecstasy, pp. 165-167.
The Celtic
Cauldron A fascinating analysis.
Ace of Cups by Lelandra
Good detailed information, especially for Crowley deck
fans. Includes references.
Ace of Cups Interpretation
by Toni Allen
Root of the Powers of Water (Cups) from Book of Thoth by Aleister
Crowley
Water (Classic
Element) - Wikipedia
Ace of Cups Images from Google
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot. By Rachel Pollack.
Revised with a New Preface. San Francisco, California, Weiser Books, 1980, 2007.
Index, bibliogrpahy, 354 pages. ISBN: 1578634083. This book uses the
Waite-Smith-Rider 1909 Deck for analysis and interpretation. Discussion
and interpretation of the Waite-Smith-Rider Tarot, Ace of Cups, pp. 206-207.
Ace of Cups
Meanings from Biddy Tarot
Ace of Cups Meanings from Keen Advisor
Ace of Cups
from Aeclectic Tarot
Aces, Minor Arcana, Tarot - Google
The Sacred Cauldron. By Tadhg Mac Crossan. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn
Publications, 1991.
Well of Uror,
Urdarbrunnr, Well of Fate, Spring at the Roots of Yggdrasil Tree (Tree of
Life)
The Twenty-Two Keys of Wisdom: A Study on the Major Arcana of Aleister Crowley's Tarot
The
Thoth Companion: The Key to the True Symbolic Meaning of the Thoth Tarot.
By Michael Osiris Snuffin. Llewellyn Publications, 2007. 240 pages.
ISBN: 0738711926. VSCL.
Keywords for the Crowley Tarot. by Hajo Banzhaf and
Brigitte Theler, 2001.
The
Complete Book of Tarot Reversals. By Mary K. Greer, 2002.
Tarot
Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings. By Rachel Pollack,
2008.
Learning Ritual Magic. By John Michael Greer, Earl King, Jr., and Clare Vaughn,
2004.
Dictionary of the Tarot
.
By Jana Riley. York, Maine, Samuel Weiser, Red Wheel, 1995. 320
pages.
The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Being the Equinox Volume III No. V
Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. By Sallie Nichols. Introduction by Laurens van der Post. York Beach, Maine, Samuel weiser, Inc., 1980. References, 392 pages. ISBN: 0877285152. VSCL.
Portable Magic: Tarot is the Only Tool You Need. By Donald Tyson.
Woodbury, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, 2006. Index, bibliography, 230 pages. ISBN:
0738709808.
VSCL.
Hamaker-Zontaq.
Red Wheel, Weiser, 2007. 268 pages. ISBN: 9780877288787. VSCL.
Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners
Learning Tarot Reversals
The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals
Understanding the Tarot Court.
By Mary K. Greer and Tom Little. Special topics in Tarot Series.
Woodbury, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, 2004. 288 pages. ISBN:
0738702862.
The Tarot Court Cards: Archetypal Patterns of Relationship in the Minor Arcana
The
Tarot: Methods, Mastery and More. By Cynthia E. Giles. New
York, Fireside Book, Simon and Schuster, 1996. Index, 240 pages.
ISBN: 0684818833.
Self-Initiation Into the Golden Dawn Tradition:
A Complete Curriculum of Study for Both the Solitary Magician and the Working
Magical Group. By Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero.
Llewellyns's Golden Dawn Series. Woodbury, Minnesota,
Llewellyn Publications, 2002. 1st Edition. 792 pages. ISBN:
1567181368. Golden Dawn Magical
Tarot Deck
Learning Tarot Spreads
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