juliecucciawatts
7 of Cups
First 10 days of the month
In the image of the 7 of Cups we see Cleopatra VII leaning over a pool with a famous libation cup- the Tazza Farnese* from the second century BCE. The 4-layer sardonyx agate cameo cup, rumored to have been a gift to the Ptolemy family from the Oracle of Delphi, shows Isis-Demeter in a diadem with the Sphinx. Horus is pictured in the background with the Nile god. This theme of the divine family -the divine masculine/ father god the divine feminine/mother god and divine avenging son who “is one” with his father does seem to be the political/religious theme set in place in Egypt. Since Cleopatra’s history was written by her enemies it is likely they saw this as propaganda because Rome used propaganda. The divine masculine and divine feminine is a belief system engrained in this 4000+ year-old culture and Cleopatra chooses strong males to join her in this role; Antony and Caesar are seasoned, rugged soldiers who seem to soften in her presence. They seem to accept, and share, their roles as divine masculine with her. The cup’s flip side, reflected in the pool, shows the power of the divine feminine in form of the Medusa, the woman that turned gawkers to stone. This too is symbolic, showing Cleopatra’s ability to capture the full attention of a room using her beauty, intelligence, or her rage- and perhaps an artful combination of all three. The strong pair bonding and alliances between Egyptian kings and queens represent the divine principles of male and female. This, then, is not so much propaganda as it is a part of the responsibility of maintaining ma’at.
Between 43 and 30 BCE Octavian lusts for Egypt- its mineral wealth and its fertile grain belt- but he is also threatened by the presence of his uncle’s rightful heir and only biological son Ptolemy XV Caesar (Caesarion Iesus). Once Cleopatra solidified her relationship with Antony and appealed to the natives of Egypt and the Hellenistic population of the East in general, she became a target for Octavian’s fear and ambition. Octavian projected all of his own worst traits on her and she became a significant obstacle to his scheming.
Cleopatra’s coins hail her as the ‘New Isis’ and she is accepted as such in Egypt. After the death of Julius Caesar she is never seen in public without her Isis robes. Antony and Cleopatra parceled out lands belonging to Rome and Parthia to their children. Julius Caesar recognized Cleopatra as Venus (the Roman version of the divine feminine Isis) in a Triumph held in Rome just before his murder. Caesar dedicated a statue of Cleopatra as Venus to the Roman Forum. Religion is an integral part of Cleopatra’s politics and the cult of Isis spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. As a contemporary in the Age of Aries, she easily fit into the category of bigger-than-life God-King. When Antony shared her throne, the two of them became god and goddess; he Dionysus/Osiris/ King of Kings/ divine masculine and she the divine feminine/Isis/Venus/Queen of Kings.
Author musing:
“After Octavian's conquest of Egypt in 31 BC, the ‘Ptolemy’s Cup’ (Tazza Farnese) was acquired by the Treasury of Rome. It was later brought to Byzantium and then returned west after Rome sacked the Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. By 1239 it was in the court of Frederick II where it became part of the collection of the influential 10th century Farnese family. The wealthy Farnese clan held important architectural works and antiquities. Alessandro Farnese was a pupil of Pope Gregory the XIII. Gregory revised the Julian calendar in 1588 and is known to have implemented the use of BCE and AD based on the earlier work of Dionysius Exiguus a 6th century monk who created a Christian calendar based on Christian lore and a questionable timeline. Gregory was also responsible for the deaths of many Protestants and “heretics”, notably the massacre of the Huguenots on St. Bartholomew’s Day. Gregory spared no expense investing in colleges and seminaries no doubt to impart his politics and worldview. Perhaps this was in an attempt to return the Church to an era of credibility after Pope Leo’s infamous declarations in 1514 about the Christ Story being a fable that had served the Church well. With all of these ideas and historical actions and reactions taken into account I get the distinct impression that the ‘Tazza Farnese’ may have been greatly under estimated and it may be the legendary Holy Grail itself.”
Card meaning: The 7 of Cups can mean too many choices. It can all so be seen as digging deeply into emotional issues. The number 7 can be interpreted as an initiation so couples with the element of water may experience an emotional trial. The cups below the surface of the water suggest that there is much hidden beneath the surface. In a reading this card might suggest that you take the time to look deeply into a matter before making a decision. The card may be nothing less than the search for the Grail itself.
©2013 Julie Cuccia-Watts
First 10 days of the month
In the image of the 7 of Cups we see Cleopatra VII leaning over a pool with a famous libation cup- the Tazza Farnese* from the second century BCE. The 4-layer sardonyx agate cameo cup, rumored to have been a gift to the Ptolemy family from the Oracle of Delphi, shows Isis-Demeter in a diadem with the Sphinx. Horus is pictured in the background with the Nile god. This theme of the divine family -the divine masculine/ father god the divine feminine/mother god and divine avenging son who “is one” with his father does seem to be the political/religious theme set in place in Egypt. Since Cleopatra’s history was written by her enemies it is likely they saw this as propaganda because Rome used propaganda. The divine masculine and divine feminine is a belief system engrained in this 4000+ year-old culture and Cleopatra chooses strong males to join her in this role; Antony and Caesar are seasoned, rugged soldiers who seem to soften in her presence. They seem to accept, and share, their roles as divine masculine with her. The cup’s flip side, reflected in the pool, shows the power of the divine feminine in form of the Medusa, the woman that turned gawkers to stone. This too is symbolic, showing Cleopatra’s ability to capture the full attention of a room using her beauty, intelligence, or her rage- and perhaps an artful combination of all three. The strong pair bonding and alliances between Egyptian kings and queens represent the divine principles of male and female. This, then, is not so much propaganda as it is a part of the responsibility of maintaining ma’at.
Between 43 and 30 BCE Octavian lusts for Egypt- its mineral wealth and its fertile grain belt- but he is also threatened by the presence of his uncle’s rightful heir and only biological son Ptolemy XV Caesar (Caesarion Iesus). Once Cleopatra solidified her relationship with Antony and appealed to the natives of Egypt and the Hellenistic population of the East in general, she became a target for Octavian’s fear and ambition. Octavian projected all of his own worst traits on her and she became a significant obstacle to his scheming.
Cleopatra’s coins hail her as the ‘New Isis’ and she is accepted as such in Egypt. After the death of Julius Caesar she is never seen in public without her Isis robes. Antony and Cleopatra parceled out lands belonging to Rome and Parthia to their children. Julius Caesar recognized Cleopatra as Venus (the Roman version of the divine feminine Isis) in a Triumph held in Rome just before his murder. Caesar dedicated a statue of Cleopatra as Venus to the Roman Forum. Religion is an integral part of Cleopatra’s politics and the cult of Isis spread throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. As a contemporary in the Age of Aries, she easily fit into the category of bigger-than-life God-King. When Antony shared her throne, the two of them became god and goddess; he Dionysus/Osiris/ King of Kings/ divine masculine and she the divine feminine/Isis/Venus/Queen of Kings.
Author musing:
“After Octavian's conquest of Egypt in 31 BC, the ‘Ptolemy’s Cup’ (Tazza Farnese) was acquired by the Treasury of Rome. It was later brought to Byzantium and then returned west after Rome sacked the Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. By 1239 it was in the court of Frederick II where it became part of the collection of the influential 10th century Farnese family. The wealthy Farnese clan held important architectural works and antiquities. Alessandro Farnese was a pupil of Pope Gregory the XIII. Gregory revised the Julian calendar in 1588 and is known to have implemented the use of BCE and AD based on the earlier work of Dionysius Exiguus a 6th century monk who created a Christian calendar based on Christian lore and a questionable timeline. Gregory was also responsible for the deaths of many Protestants and “heretics”, notably the massacre of the Huguenots on St. Bartholomew’s Day. Gregory spared no expense investing in colleges and seminaries no doubt to impart his politics and worldview. Perhaps this was in an attempt to return the Church to an era of credibility after Pope Leo’s infamous declarations in 1514 about the Christ Story being a fable that had served the Church well. With all of these ideas and historical actions and reactions taken into account I get the distinct impression that the ‘Tazza Farnese’ may have been greatly under estimated and it may be the legendary Holy Grail itself.”
Card meaning: The 7 of Cups can mean too many choices. It can all so be seen as digging deeply into emotional issues. The number 7 can be interpreted as an initiation so couples with the element of water may experience an emotional trial. The cups below the surface of the water suggest that there is much hidden beneath the surface. In a reading this card might suggest that you take the time to look deeply into a matter before making a decision. The card may be nothing less than the search for the Grail itself.
©2013 Julie Cuccia-Watts
