Two of Cups, Two of Hearts, Two of Chalices
Tarot Minor Arcana
Notes by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
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Two of Cups:
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Crowley
Two of Cups
A Note about the Tarot Card
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Meanings, Associations, Correspondences
Two of Cups
Love, two lovers united
Flirtation, beginning of a romance, love affair
Relationships, affection, romance, intimacy, courtship
Day of marriage, hand-fasting day, exchanging vows
Cooperation, partnership, contract, arrangement
Sensuality, feelings, emotions, pleasure, mirth
Harmony, equanimity, balancing of opposites, equilibrium, unification of
energies
Exchange of emotions, sharing of feelings with another
Reunion of diverse forces
Alchemical dissolving and binding
Joy, mutual trust, mutual support, sharing
Open to two desires, two emotions, two alternative realities
Planting a Seed, promise of Springtime, beginning of good things
Satisfaction of a good friendship
Reversals, Negatives
Conflict of Interests, separation, divorce,
infidelity
Dissolution of a friendship
Unbalanced and splitting apart
Dissipation, waste, folly
Silliness, irrational choices in relationships
Metaphors,
Similes, Clichés, Phases
Two of Cups
Good things come in pairs
Four hands are better than two
Two's company, three's a crowd
Tea for two
Two rings, one marriage
Shiva and Shatki
Overflowing cup
Two days before or after some event involving a change, end, transformation,
appearance, etc.
Two weeks before or after ...
Two months before or after ...
Two years before or after ...
Two years old
Second decade of life
Crowley/Harris,
Book of Thoth Tarot, 1938-1943
Two of Cups
In the Thoth Tarot deck, the Two of Cups is titled "Love."
"Love, the Lord of Love. Venus in Cancer.
Chokmah. Description: Two cups in the foreground, overflowing upon a calm
sea. They are fed with lucent water from a lotus floating upon the sea, from
which rises another lotus around whose stem are entwined twin dolphins.
This cards refers "to Love, which recovers unity from dividuality by mutual
annihilation...The number Two referring to Will, this card might really be
renamed the Lord of Love under Will, for that is its full and true meaning. It
shows the harmony of the male and the female: interpreted in the largest sense.
It is perfect and placid harmony, radiating an intensity of joy and ecstasy."
From LXXVIII: "Harmony of masculine and feminine united. Harmony, pleasure,
mirth, subtlety: but if ill dignified—folly, dissipation, waste, silly actions."
- Aleister Crowley,
Book of Thoth,
1944
"The Two of Cups signifies the ideal manifestation of
the element of water, love, the attractive force which motivates that
will. It is love which gives will a direction, a purpose and an end,
and as we have already stated the two are fundamentally inseparable; will is
guided and motivated by love, and love is satisfied by will. As the Two of Wands
was the “blueprint” for the individual's faculty of movement and expression of
individuality, so is the Two of Cups the blueprint for the individual's faculty
of attraction and dissolution of that individuality in the objects of his love.
The sign of Cancer is associated with strong emotions and attachments,
especially to the home and family. There can be a tendency towards
possessiveness, vulnerability and emotional smothering, but in the ascendant
decan (and above the Abyss) these negative qualities are not yet in evidence.
The love of the first decan is selfless and pure, representing a genuine
attraction towards the true objects of will. The rulership of Venus is natural,
representing as it does attraction, inner values, and the need for both inner
and outer harmony. In the horoscope, Venus is said to determine the comparisons
and judgments we make, and to colour our values and æsthetic preferences, and in
our framework it is the fundamental tendencies of attraction, unique to each
individual, which will fulfill this purpose."
- Erwin Hessle,
Two of Cups,
from the Crowley Thoth deck
"The Two always represents the Word and the Will. It
is the first manifestation. Therefore, in the suit of Water, it must refer
to Love, which recovers unity from dividuality by mutual annihilation.
The card also refers to Venus in Cancer. Cancer is, more than any other, the
receptive Sign; it is the House of the Moon, and in that Sign Jupiter is
exalted. These are, superficially, the three most friendly of the planets.
The hieroglyph of the card represents two cups in the foreground,
overflowing upon a calm sea. They are fed with lucent water from a lotus
floating upon the sea, from which rises another lotus around whose stem are
entwined twin dolphins. The symbolism of the dolphin is very complicated,
and must be studied in books of reference; but the general idea is that of
the “Royal Art”. The dolphin is peculiarly sacred to Alchemy.
The number Two referring to Will, this card might really be renamed the Lord
of Love under Will, for that is its full and true meaning. It shows the
harmony of the male and the female: interpreted in the largest sense. It is
perfect and placid harmony, radiating an intensity of joy and ecstasy. Of
necessity, the realization of the idea in the Four (as the suit develops)
will gradually diminish the purity of its perfection."
- Aleister Crowley,
Book of Thoth, 1944
"For Crowley and the Order of the Golden Dawn (OGD), the
Two of Cups represents the energy of Venus (planet of love and appreciation) in
Cancer (a Water sign ruled by the Moon and known for being imaginative,
emotional, sensitive, loyal, and moody). Like Book T, Crowley titles the card
"Love." This card is also linked with the energy of Jupiter (planet of luck and
expansion), which is exalted in Cancer. Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler (in
Keywords for the Crowley Tarot) describe the energy of the card as: "loving,
delightful (Venus) devotion and feelings (Cancer) of emotional (Cancer)
connection (Venus)." Notice the overflowing chalices and intertwined,
water-sprouting fish. Two blossomed lotus flowers, connected with each other,
float on a calm, peaceful sea."
- Zanna,
Tarot Notes
"If you love yourself, you are attractive to others.
Your receptiveness toward yourself prepares you to give yourself totally to
someone else. A deep emotional exchange will be possible, a giving and
receiving of overflowing love. The union occurs in complete harmony, as
symbolized by the intertwined fishes. Two lotus blossoms rise out of the
mud and bloom. The cups are filled, and overflow, symbolizing the
overflowing emotional riches present. This is an image of complete joy and
silent ecstasy."
- Gerd Ziegler,
Tarot: Mirror of the Soul, p. 119
Root of the Powers of Water (Cups) from Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley
Two of Cups by
Raven Uses the Crowley deck
Thoth Deck by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris:
Bibliography, Resources, Information, Notes
Encyclopedia Thelemica:
Cups from the Crowley/Harris Tarot
Two of Cups.
By Erwin Hessle. Uses the Crowley deck
The Libri of Aleister Crowley.
Full text online.
Book of Thoth
(Crowley) - Wikipedia
Book of Thoth A
Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Equinox Volume III, No. V,
1944. Online text.
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
Intuitive Tarot: A Tool for Consciousness
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, Two of Cups, Love, 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
Two 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."
"To understand the Two of Cups, you have to look at the
image. A man and a woman stare into each other's eyes, sharing their emotions by
way of the cups. The wings and snakes form a
Caduceus,
and with the lion head present, the elements are similar to the
Chimera and suggest danger or heroism in the transaction. There is
romance between them, a sexual attraction. The Two of Cups shows power that is
created when two come together. This is the card that lovers want to see, and,
in fact, the Two of Cups is the minor arcana equivalent of the Lovers in many
ways. The Two of Cups has a deeper meaning as well. Whenever two forces are
drawn together, there is the potential for bonding. This card can stand for the
union of any two entities - people, groups, ideas, or talents. In readings, the
Two of Cups tells you to look for connections in your life, especially those
that are one-on-one. Now is not the time to separate or stay apart. It is the
time to join with another and work as a partnership. If you are in conflict,
look for truce and the chance to forgive and be forgiven. If you are struggling
with two choices or tendencies within yourself, seek to reconcile them."
- Two of Cups -
Wikipedia
"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
"By its image, the Two of Cups almost always suggests a
relationship between two people. Indeed, this is the primary meaning of the card
and the one that appears most often in readings. But the love described by this
card is not always love for another person. Before we can truly love another we
must learn to love ourselves, to love and accept all of the different (and often
conflicting) facets of the gemstone that makes up our personality. Like the
Temperance card, this is a card of harmonious union, not just of two people, but
of two parts of the same person. That said, it remains obvious that a lot
of the time the Two of Cups speaks of external relationships. This is often seen
as the card of the soulmate, that person with whom we share a special connection
and whom we can love unconditionally. The synergy of a person with his or her
soulmate is like the meeting of two stars which, though bright when separate,
shine even more brightly when together. From a distance they may even appear to
be a single entitiy. Such harmonious combinations, whether they are between two
people, groups or ideas, are a staple of the Two of Cups. It must be said,
however, that this card does have its drawbacks. The energy of the Two of Cups
is slightly more diluted than the Lovers card, and not simply because of the
Major/Minor Arcana power drop. Whereas the Lovers is the reunion of two complete
beings, the Two of Cups is a more immature union that, stable as it may seem,
does have the potential to fall apart. This is an ideal union, but as you know,
there are few ideal cases in our real world! It is ambiguous whether the
relationship shown by the Two of Cups can stand the test of time. Only the two
people involved can decide that."
- Two of Cups by James
Rioux
"The Two of Cups shows the beauty and power that is
created when two come together. This is the card that lovers want to see, and,
in fact, the Two of Cups is the Minor Arcana equivalent of the Lovers in many
ways. New relationship, awareness, trust, perceptions, harmony, empathy,
marriage, engagement, romance, passion, sharing, contract, pledges and promises,
reconciliation, working toward common goals, moving toward permanence,
agreement, happiness, social union, faithfulness, mutual care, understanding
another, union, cooperation, courtship, platonic love, constancy within change,
freedom. Consummation, proposal, intimacy, reciprocity, yin/yang, polarity,
union of opposites, confidence in another, joy and contentment, kindred spirits,
equality, attraction, sacred union, sacred marriage, harmony, integrity,
equilibrium, free flowing, cooperation, working together, cementing a
friendship, bringing opposites together, making peace, forgive and forget,
attraction, being drawn in, concord. Cementing relationships. Commitment. A
union, a partnership. A marriage, an engagement. Love and understanding between
two people. Harmony (opposites attract). Co-operation. Friendship, ending of
rivalry."
- Two
of Cups from the Biddy Tarot
"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
"Unconditional love, sharing feelings, sharing, giving
and receiving equally, focusing on similarities instead of differences,
solutions, attracting, new intimacy, discovering new depths in your
relationship, being there for somewhere, unconditional love, new relationship,
friendship, platonic love, totally being yourself in your relationship.
When reveresed, the Two of Cups can indicate: Losing your true love, pain,
sorrow, conditional love, separation, not match, having problems finding the
right partner, emptiness, rejection, disappointment, cold in your relationship,
not able to give each other what you need, jealousy."
- Two
of Cups from Tarotkaartenleggen
"Two of Chalices: The Lord of Love: A white
Radiant Hand, issuant from the lower part of the card from a cloud, holds
lotuses. A lotus flower rises above water, which occupies the lower part of the
card rising above the hand. From this flower rises a stem, terminating near the
top of the card in another lotus, from which flows a sparkling white water, as
from a fountain. Crossed on the stem just beneath are two dolphins, Argent and
Or, on to which the water falls, and from which it pours in full streams, like
jets of gold and silver, into two cups; which in their turn overflow, flooding
the lower part of the card. Venus and Cancer above and below. Harmony of
masculine and feminine united. Harmony, pleasure, mirth, subtlety: but if ill
dignified --- folly, dissipation, waste, silly actions. Chokmah of HB:H
(Marriage, love, pleasure). Therein rule the Angels HB:AVa'aAL and
HB:ChBVYH."
- Aleister Crowley,
Liber LXXVII, A
Description of of the Cards of the Tarot Referring to his studies with
the Golden Dawn Tarot.
"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
"The 2 of Cups often refers to romantic partnership, but that is not its only connotation. It can speak of balance, friendship, joy, and sharing. In general this is a card that says that things are likely to be going well. You should be feeling more than usually loved, cared for, and content. This shows that you are likely to be appreciated in your workplace and should be feeling comfortable there, at least to a large degree even if you don't particularly like your job. If looking for employment, this can mean that you are going to find it very soon. This card represents true love, balanced partnership, commitment, and all of the things that most of us hope for in regard to love and relationship. However, this does not mean that you can just do or say "whatever" and that your love/relationship will last; it only means that the underpinnings, the real, solid, potential for true love and affection is there. If you are "looking for love," this is a signal that it is very likely to be headed your way very soon. Relax. In relation to finance, the 2 of Cups indicates balance and fairness. You may not be "rolling in money" but at least for the moment and the near future, you should be finding that, at bare minimum, you have more than enough money to "meet your obligations," which is a start. If you are facing particular health problems, this can indicate a need for you to find a partnership with a healer that you trust and that you can "work well" together with. This is also a fairly good omen when it comes to health - you are also likely to be keeping a positive attitude which is very important (and supportive) of good health."
"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
"In many was this card acts as a lesser version of the
Lovers. While the trump shows the greater power of
muture sexual relationships the Minor card emphasizes the beginning of a
relationship. In the trump we see the Angel, symbol of
super-consciousness. In the Two of Cups we see the winged lion over the
caduces of Hermes, symbol of healing and wisdom. In both cases, the card
shows how two people by uniting their separate qualities and abilities through
love, produce some in their lives beyond what either would have achieved alone.
The lion symbolizes sexuality, the wings Spirit. Love gives a greater
meaning to the sexual drive that leads us to it."
- Rachel Pollack,
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot, p. 205.
"Equilibrium is your Priestess emotional state.
Like the Priestess, keep your emotional balance.
Ride the ups and downs of life equally, never going to high or too low. Do
not resist or suppress your feelings. With a balanced equaqnimous
awareness of your feelings, you will naturally keep your equilibrium. In
this state of emotional stability, ride off any emotional storms.
Equilibrium means emotional self-sufficiency. Keep your center of balance
regardless of the turn of events in your life. Constantly monitor and
regenerate your emotional vitality to keep it flowing evenly."
- James Wanless,
The Voyager Tarot: Way of the Great Oracle Book, p. 177.
Bibliography, Links, References
Two of Cups
The Voyager Tarot: Way of the Great Oracle Book. By James Wanless,
1989.
Book and
Deck. Discussion and interpretation of the Two of Cups, Equilibrium,
pp. 177-179.
The Celtic
Cauldron A fascinating analysis.
Two of Cups
from the Biddy Tarot
A Description of of the
Cards of the (Golden Dawn) Tarot, by Aleister Crowley
Two of Cups Images from Google
Two of Cups by Caat
Waite card analysis
Two of Cups by Psychic Revelation
Two of Cups from
Tarotkaartenleggen
Liber LXXVII, A
Description of of the Cards of the Tarot, by Aleister Crowley.
Two of Cups.
By Erwin Hessle. Uses the Crowley deck
Water (Classic
Element) - Wikipedia
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, Two of Cups, pp.
205-206.
The Twenty-Two Keys of Wisdom: A Study on the Major Arcana of Aleister Crowley's
Tarot
Well of Uror,
Urdarbrunnr, Well of Fate, Spring at the Roots of Yggdrasil Tree (Tree of
Life)
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
Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols. By Angeles
Arrien, 1987, 1997. Discussion of the Crowley/Harris Thoth Tarot.
The
Complete Book of Tarot Reversals. By Mary K. Greer, 2002.
Tarot
Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings. By Rachel Pollack,
2008.
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. By Lon Milo Duquette,
2003.
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.
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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