Connolly – Three of Cups

MoonMaiden

An angel, peering from behind a pink rosebush at the right of the frame, pours out pink flaming yods from a cup onto the heads of a man and woman. The woman, dressed in yellow and robed in pink, holds her cup aloft. The stem of her cup is draped in a purple cloak, edged in pink, and his hand is on the outside of the drape. All we see of the man’s garb is a darker pink robe with slight yellow edging. He holds his cup at chest height with his right hand, but he may be clasping it in both hands. Even though their eyes are turned toward the other, they do not appear to be looking at each other. The man is smiling and the woman’s lips are parted. Behind the woman is another rosebush. In the bottom right corner we see light on a narrow path and evergreen trees in the distance. The sun casts a bright light over a pink sky.

This is a heavenly-earthly partnership of love-wisdom. The woman has been clothed in wisdom to balance her love nature. The man has been clothed only in a lush, violet-pink to show the passionate essence of the yang. They are bathed in earthly love for each other, and bathed in heavenly love. The path is ever-green and full of light. In this card, we are one with the masculine and feminine aspects of our being, in balance, in the fullness of the wonders of heavenly bliss.
 

Sophie-David

Thank you MoonMaiden, you have described a very beautiful card in a very beautiful way - a fitting subject for Valentine's Day! (I seem to be conducting an Internet romance with my Valentine today - I'm now in the middle of a frozen wasteland of Pentacles in an isolated portion of southern Ontario and she dwells by a great warming ocean of Cups - but that is by-the-by). You have described both the integrating balance of the masculine and feminine, and of the heavenly and earthly very clearly.

I would just add that since this is still in the early stages of this suit's journey, the couple has not arrived at that very cute Ten in which they do look at each other, soul to soul. But here they celebrate their new bonding in high hopes and joy. They are in love with love, and each one seems to be musing about the process, somewhat in their own worlds of reverie. It is a somewhat different emphasis from the RWS three female revellers, but I feel it still falls within the spectum of the card's meaning.

The gold circlet about the woman's neck reminds me a bit of the Celtic sacred torque of noble purity. We are surrounded on three sides by the passion of many alchemical red roses. And doesn't the man remind you of Elijah Wood's Frodo with those innocent yet earnestly passionate blue eyes of his?
 

MoonMaiden

You're welcome, S-D. Thanks for the comment about the placement of the card in the journey of the cups. Definitely expands my perception of the nuances.

You're definitely right about the eyes. I wanted to say something about them, but couldn't put a finger on it! Those eyes of Frodo's are a meditation in themselves . . .

Also, I missed the gold circlet. Thanks!

Sounds like you had an interesting Valentine's Day :)
 

Sophie-David

MoonMaiden said:
You're welcome, S-D. Thanks for the comment about the placement of the card in the journey of the cups. Definitely expands my perception of the nuances.

You're definitely right about the eyes. I wanted to say something about them, but couldn't put a finger on it! Those eyes of Frodo's are a meditation in themselves . . .
Of course Peter Connolly's art was published about ten years before the LOTR movies, but I've noticed over and over again the synchronicity of the Tarot. When you're dealing with archetypes what can you expect? Elijah Wood wasn't chosen for the role just by accident but at least partly because he expressed an archetype.

MoonMaiden said:
Sounds like you had an interesting Valentine's Day :)
Not nearly as interesting as I would have liked! ;)
 

wheelie

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"A cord of three strands is not easily broken." --Ecclesiastes

When my sweet Kristin and I were married, we took communion at the altar to recognize the divine element needed to keep us together. This was the idea that came to me after reading here that the figure among the roses is an angel on the Connolly card!

But when I first saw the card, I thought the figure was their child!
That is, I thought they represented Father, Spirit, and Incarnation or on a more mundane level Dad, Mom, and Child.

"Children are a blessing from the LORD"--Psalm 127
"Out of the moths of babes You have ordained strength/praise"