Nicoletta Ceccoli ~ Three of Cups

Hemera



There is a whole pod of mermaids dancing on the waves. You can see as many as seven of them in this card and all seem to have different colored tails. Their white hair is flowing in the wind. Three of the mermaids are in the foreground, the red, the golden and the spotted one.

These mermaids seem to be some wild variety of the species compared to the one in 4/Cups. (-more of her in her own thread). These mermaids all have bare breasts and their tails look very fishlike (again compared to the 4/Cups), their hair flows like white sea foam behind them and they don’t seem to have a worry in the world. They remind me of the wild swans I saw on a field recently. They look a bit wary of the onlooker (they openly stare at you!) but go on with their own thing nevertheless because they know they are powerful enough to escape or win should the need arise. These mermaids look like wild beasts more than humans also because they are not smiling or laughing. You know they are enjoying themselves even without the smiles -one of them has even closed her eyes in bliss. These are truly mysterious creatures and one can’t really say what they are thinking or feeling. One would love to join them and be a part of the fun, though.

Three of Cups often displays almost the full expression of the Cups suit. It celebrates joy and happiness, friendship, camaraderie and team spirit. It is a card of abundance. You celebrate together or work together with others. There is often the feel of a ritual being enacted.

LWB: Happiness is multiplied when you share it with friends. Dive into your friendships and rejoice in good company. Key Concepts: Friendship, playfulness, sharing activities.

NicolettaCeccoli’s original artwork is called – not surprisingly- “Mermaids”.
 

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AnemoneRosie

In addition to your lovely description, Hemera, the three of cups to me has always seemed full of impossible ideals. Here, the impossible ideal is that we can become these mermaids - or become as free as they are. I think that it's because I grew up very lonely and somewhat socially isolated, and so the three of cups has always represented, to me, longing for what other people had and could even take for granted.

So perhaps we should keep working towards that freedom. And in so doing, we hit the emotional range of the cups, and we have to work together as per the more traditional meanings of this card.