LS Secret Tarot - 3 of Chalices

hyatt

A couple of days ago I learned how the word gossip came to be and it made me think instantly of the 3 of chalices. Supposedly, when kings needed to know if anyone was planning against them they would send spys out to the local taverns and tell them to "go sip" and listen to the drunk people talking and boasting. Drunk people would boast about their plans, etc. and the spies would rat them out.
Anyway it just reminded me of this card. Not that I neccesary think there is spys in this card but it just reminded me of it. I think it is odd that this card is normally women toasting when in this card it is males.
Any thoughts?
 

galadrial

I've always liked this cozy tavern scene. Somehow it makes me think that something big is afoot. The RWS women are outdoors and the weather is nice and they're in a good mood- the cups gesture could be a spontaneous one of shared joy in the moment. But the guys toasting makes me think that maybe one of them is getting married, or a mutual friend has moved away or died, or one has become a daddy. Of course, maybe the horse they all bet on came in first!
 

Dakota

hmmmmmmm, they just seem like business acquaintances to me, having a drink at the end of the day (I keep thinking Scrooge, Marley and Cratchit, LOL........)

Does it strike anybody else as odd that so MUCH of the card is devoted to the ceiling and the cracks in it??
 

hyatt

I noticed the massive view of the ceilings too. i think it gives it a feel of a cozy and enclosed space. the booth behind them does the same thing. i certainly feel it is the look of a local tavern - not just any ol' bar.
 

galadrial

The building certainly looks old and established- the men aren't so young either. Whether friends or business associates, I get the feeling they've been meeting here for a long time.
 

Darla

I agree that the place looks cozy and the three men are all in a good mood and look like they feel very comfortable in this tavern. Perhaps this is their regular's table in their local place.

A couple of days ago I pulled this one as card of the day and two hours later I got a call from a friend, who I haven't seen in a while and in the afternoon we had a nice get-together with another old friend. :) So we were even three people! The other friend I haven't see in almost three years. Could there have been a better card for this day?
 

lunakasha

Darla said:
I agree that the place looks cozy and the three men are all in a good mood and look like they feel very comfortable in this tavern. Perhaps this is their regular's table in their local place.

A couple of days ago I pulled this one as card of the day and two hours later I got a call from a friend, who I haven't seen in a while and in the afternoon we had a nice get-together with another old friend. :) So we were even three people! The other friend I haven't see in almost three years. Could there have been a better card for this day?

That is VERY interesting, Darla!
What a perfect card for your day...three friends socializing! :D

I love this card too....simply because it is a different take on the usual 3 of Cups, as some have mentioned already. It is the male version: it is inside, formal and constrained (yet cozy) as opposed to the "female, open, movement" feel of the traditional RWS version. Both are lovely, happy, social cards...just opposite sides of the coin....

I loved what Dakota said about Scrooge, Marley and Cratchit!!!
(One of my all-time favorite stories BTW)

I love the way they are dressed....and the atmosphere of the tavern itself...I can almost smell it....that kind of musty, old-book smell combined with maybe fresh bread baking and soup....maybe spilled beer also....

:) Luna
 

Centaur

I was just reading the LWB and in the story of the Kingdom of Pleasure (Chalices), it states: 'The return of the Prince stops the obscure plans of his uncle, who was planning to kill the father, helped by a few accomplices'

I wonder if this is what we are seeing in the 3 of Chalices... a meeting between the uncle and his accomplices? Although, I have to agree that the people in this card look almost merry, and not sneaky or devious in the least.

I have a feeling that they are law-makers... they look kind of like judges or something.
 

Sanctum_Priest

I love the different spin this card has compared with other decks -- yes it looks like a celebration but there's more going on here; a deal has been struck, and probably one with unpleasant consequences for someone else.
 

teaguejb

I like the suggested connection to the story in the LWB despite the fact I don't think the story is really shown in cards' illustrations (except perhaps the court cards really seem like the characters in the story).

I wonder about how the fact this is an indoor scene relates to the idea of secrecy. Hidden, indoors, constrained. Maybe these guys are members of some sort of secret society. Maybe they're actively planning something that may or may not be for the good of others. Maybe the younger man is the Prince who has returned after his journey and is responsible for peace and harmony within the family.

The room itself definitely looks informal and more working class than these characters are. The guys seem of a higher class (judges, scholars, or men of letters). The wood panel behind them suggests an air of skilled craft which ties them into the scene a little more and dulls the contrast between them and their surroundings. The garments worn by these guys are more akin to the garments worn by the magician, the emperor, and the charioteer. The color of the room is more like the color of the garments worn by the fool.