Three of Cups

[Kore Persephone]

Is it just me or does it look like the woman on the right has three arms? It looks like she is holding her arms up toasting along with the rest of the group, but at the same time is holding a bundle of grapes behind her back. I've never seen this mentioned in any book. Could any of you provide insight?

[Kore Persephone]

No ones respnded...it must be just me. lol

[rota]

(pulls out his everpresent Albano-Waite and riffles thru the deck to find the 3 o' Cups, to examine the woman in question...)

I read that one on the right as holding her cup with her right hand, and holding the fruit of the vine with her left.

I'm counting hands, figuring that the number should be approximately twice the number of figures. I see five hands, and the only one who's being ambiguous is that gal in gray on the left.

All seems to be accounted for except for that one on the left who seems to be hiding something from us... hmmm --

[spoonbender]

hey! I see it too! ... I think it's just a colouring mistake and that it was supposed to be the bottom of the cup of the woman on the right, it couldn't be an arm, because the woman would not only have three arms, but one would be sprouting from her back, and that would be kinda strange, huh :)?
I went to compare at Sacred Texts (http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/index.htm) because the site used to have black-and-white images, but now it's in colour, so that wasn't much of a help! I also looked at the Universal Waite (http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/decks/browsedecks.php?newdeck=34), and it's coloured correctly there (that is: yellow and not pink)
that was what you were referring to, right?

Spoonbender

edited to correct some mistakes I made

[Major Tom]

Originally posted by rota
I read that one on the right as holding her cup with her right hand, and holding the fruit of the vine with her left.

I'm counting hands, figuring that the number should be approximately twice the number of figures. I see five hands, and the only one who's being ambiguous is that gal in gray on the left.

All seems to be accounted for except for that one on the left who seems to be hiding something from us... hmmm --

I've got the "Original" Rider Waite and I see it the same way as my friend Rota.

I think the only reason we don't see the right arm of the woman on the left is the angle she's standing. But, why is she holding her cup with her left hand when the others are holding theirs with the right?

Also, couldn't the figure in front, whose back is facing us be a man? The hair is smooth and the costume is quite different from the women we can see.

[Haniel]

Originally posted by Kore Persephone
Is it just me or does it look like the woman on the right has three arms?

Ha! I think that that was a keen observation.

But, if one looks closely (I've the 1971 US Games deck) it is clear . . .Two Arms.

[Emily]

I've just looked at the Original Rider Waite, US Games 1971, and its not really obvious on there at all, but on the pocket Rider Waite it looks like a colouring error. To the right of her face instead of blue sky its been painted the same colour as the skin.
Its the feet of the lady holding the grapes that gets me, her feet face one way and her upper body is twisted to the left - looks painful lol Going to check the Universal Waite to see what it looke like on that one.

[DesertHowler]

Originally posted by Emily

Its the feet of the lady holding the grapes that gets me, her feet face one way and her upper body is twisted to the left - looks painful lol Going to check the Universal Waite to see what it looke like on that one.
According to my Universal Waite, none of them looks very comfortable in their positions. Maybe the celebration has been going on for quite a while:)
DH

[Moongold]

I see the woman in question holding the cup in her right hand and the bunch of grapes in her left and facing outwards.

This position (!) is quite consistent until you look at the one foot you can clearly see, which appears to be turned in the wrong direction for this stance.

Pixie Colman Smith's sense of perspective and proportion is sometimes a bit distorted in different cards throughout the RWS deck. The 6 Cups is another example where you do wonder what is intended.

I sometimes question whether these idiosyncracies are part of a quixotic style or simply a visual joke. Perhaps, for Pixie Colman Smith, they had a particular meaning.

[Emily]

I've often wondered about that too, Moongold - she was such a talented artist and some of the cards in the Waite just don't do her justice. The shoes on the figure in the 7 Wands, one shoe and one boot - and yet if it has a hidden meaning, well its been very well hidden lol

[paradoxx]

I wonder if there is corralation between these three women and the three women (as well as other female deitis) that are depicted in various seals of the united staes. They remind me of Lady Liberty, Lady Justice and Lady Equality (of Wyoming) by how they are standing and holding their respective cups. considering that the figure that has its back turned to us is not nessacarly a woman that relates to justice, i see liberty to the left and equalty to the right. i say that the one figure can be a male by looking where his/her left hand is positioned. It is this placing that i believe relates to justce and liberty, 1. since justice is not always female and 2. that Justice and Liberty were present in the seals long before Equality.

Even in the Universal WAite the arm in question does look out of place, and since justice and equality are related in the law system this relation of symbols starts to make sense. I don't know if the symbolisim was deliberate (given teh origin of these cards it wouldn't suprise me) but it attributes itself very well.

ok i've ranted enough on a confusing topic long enough. i'll shut up now.

Wyo seal http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/wy_seal.htm

New York Seal
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/ny_seal.htm

New Jersey Seal
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/nj_seal.htm

[Adele]

when this card keeps coming up for someone... what do you make of it? is it celebration w/ women friends? or a celebration coming in? or what? thanks.

[TemperanceAngel]

Not actually my thought the Three of cups came up in conversation at my work the other day and a very amazing, experienced reader was saying that it refers to the 3 phases of the goddess: the maiden, the mother and the crone.

I've gone a bit off the track I do think, but Major Tom was suggesting perhaps the figure with his back to us could be a man?

XTAX

[paradoxx]

Originally posted by Adele
when this card keeps coming up for someone... what do you make of it? is it celebration w/ women friends? or a celebration coming in? or what? thanks.

a gathering for sure. lots of energy, it could be emotional (think baby shower or wedding ceremony) or it could be ritual (coven or church meetings). If it comes up reverese maybe the gathering is taking place or perhaps the genders of the people involved are reversed.

on the most basic of levels though, it seems to indicate that a great deal of emotional energy is coming in from multiple sources.

[Jewel-ry]

Going back to the earlier part of this thread. I have the Radiant Rider-Waite and my thoughts are that all people are holding their cups with their right hands. That said, the lady on the right (in yellow) does appear to have a very long arm!!

I too have read somewhere (not sure where though) that these three represent the three goddesses.

[firestorm]

Didn't notice it before, but I see what you mean. I'm trying to figure out which woman is "helping" the woman in the front hold the cup in her right hand......or is that the coloring error that has been mentioned?

[WalesWoman]

I just got the Radiant R-W deck and had this card come up in a reading yesterday, duh, didn't notice a thing odd at all until reading this thread. It seems the woman on the left with roses in her hair wearing a white dress has her right arm raised but the hand is backwards, there is no way a human can do this, not this human anyway, I've been trying this position myself. She seems to have the only arm unaccounted for as far as I can tell. And as for what I thought was the woman with her back toward us, I just noticed where the left hand is resting. Check out that person's feet, they aren't "correct" either unless person has two right feet. At first I thought it looked right, but when you really look at it, the flow of the dress doesn't match the foot placement, either the person is pigeon toed or standing in two seperate positions. One foot looks bare and the other foot looks like it has a shoe on it. It doesn't make anatomical sense (I draw human figures all the time) The woman in yellow just has two arms, I've been looking very carefully, and has a bunch of grapes in her left.

So maybe the hand on the white ladies hip or fanny has to do with the wanton elements, going beyond the celebration and into debauchery? Especially since the clothing is red but concealing. Maybe it's about all is not as it appears or seems, that there is some sort of deceit, to look for what is wrong with this picture?

I've always thought of this card as a time to celebrate, there is some kind of good news or good times with friends or family or maybe to look at what there is to take joy and celebrate in and the reverse or depending on what else was involved was taking it to the extreme, a more hedonistic nature, pleasure devoid of emotion.

[Kilted Kat]

I too have read somewhere (not sure where though) that these three represent the three goddesses. I have heard it suggested (or maybe I am coming up with this on my own, I do not know) that these three women represent the ecclesiastical virtues of Charity, Hope and Faith, present in some early Minchiate and tarot decks but now only present in the former.

KK

[cdabs]

Like most of my posts...I'm jumping in on an old post. I got onto this 3 Of Cups thing last night....by way of the Three Of Wands and Four Of Wands. I'll post about those later.

I did a reading for a friend and the Three Of Cups came up...and my usual interpretation is "celebration," however, this time...I wanted to take a closer look.

http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/cups03.jpg

The FIRST thing I noticed was...the maiden with her back to the viewer...in a red "dress" (for lack of better word)...reminds me of the "Justice" card. http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj11.jpg Her tunic/dress is very similar.

BTW...Is it just me or, if you turn the card on its left side, does a mean-looking face appear at the bottom of this red gown/tunic? It looks like a bearded/helmeted head/face...with a crooked nose...and bottom-lip sticking out. Forgive me...I really used to get into "Highlights" magazine when I was a kid...really dug the "hidden things" puzzles.

Anyway...I looked a little more closely at this maiden and realized she has what looks like a "Shin" symbol (Hebrew letter; looks like "W") on her hem near the left foot (left foot is crossed over her right...in her "dance"). This is the same letter ("Shin") which is on top of The Hierophant's crown http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj05.jpg
Shin probably means "serenity" or "harmony." Its number is "300." (see link below for Hebrew letters and Gematria/Hebrew Numerology references)

I also believe there is an "arrow" ("V" looking thing) pointing to this maiden's left foot...and if you look at it, it is the foot that stands out the most (no pun!) of the three feet pictured in the card...because it is the brightest colored. So...some significance on "left"...which in the cards may mean...not so much action, but more intuition/feeling.

I believe there are a few more Hebrew letters present in this card: the maiden in gray has a small, upside-down looking "Y" on her tunic/dress just above the left hand of the red-tunic'd woman. This could be the Hebrew letter "Gimmel." It probably means "benevolence" and its number is "3." At the top of this same lady's tunic (gray) she has what looks like the Hebrew letter "Chet." It probably means "life" and its number is "8" (as in, the lemniscate?).

See some of the Hebrew letters here: http://www.inner.org/hebleter/default.htm

I believe the maiden in yellow has the Hebrew letter "Lamed" in the center, near the top of her dress/tunic. It probably means "teach" or "learn." Its number is "30."

Please check me on this stuff...I'm more or less a "newb" at Tarot....only been at it under 2 years. The only reason I started looking more closely at these cards is probably because it was pointed out in one of my books that the Temperance card had some Hebrew lettering at the top of the angel's gown. And of course, the Wheel Of Fortune card has Hebrew lettering.