spinningspider
Feeling like I'm personally surrounded in my life by folks who have their Sun and/or Moon and/or various planets in Cancer in their natal charts, makes the "Four of Cups" seem like a familiar visitor (and not always a particularly welcome visitor) when it shows up in my own readings about others. 'course there are also the times when I, myself, can relate to the possibly cranky, possibly bewildered gent pictured on the card. And just maybe, this card makes an appearance when the querent is feeling rather sorry for himself/herself and may be finding it hard to break out of seeing only his/her own point of view. No matter what, the guy pictured in Robin Wood's Four of Cups is not a happy camper. Depending on the question asked, the spread used and where it shows up within the spread, the querent is not exactly feeling on the top of the world...either presently, in the past, or perhaps in the future.
The man (though it could be a woman, or person of any age, race, culture, etc.) is so absorbed in his own thoughts...and by the look on his face they probably are troubling thoughts...he hasn't even noticed the brilliant cup floating in the air near to him. Three other cups sit in plain view in front of the seated man. Maybe he already knows the contents of the three cups and those contents are the reason for his troubles. The three cups on the ground could represent anything...three people joined against him; three people with differing views from him and/or each other; three events; three paths; three ideas; three cups empty or conversely, full of emotions; etc. But the fourth, glowing cup...although not noticed by the man as of yet...could hold promise to aid whatever dilemma(s) he finds himself in...IF he'd only just look and accept the possibilities that the fourth cup offers. To see the fourth cup, the man would have to free himself of his own self-absorption. The fourth cup could represent an actual person who he's not ever noticed or considered to be part of his life. Perhaps he's so guarded he's actually withheld his own affection from such a person and doesn't even realize why he's so miserable himself. It may do the man well to realize he's leaning up against the strong oak tree and that sometimes we really do need someone to lean on.
On a somewhat different note, the Four of Cups could represent a much needed and even welcome time for soul-searching...no matter how painful or difficult it is to go over whatever is bothering him in his mind. Meditation or dreaming could indeed be just what the man needs to do. Perhaps this man finds that his life has not turned out as planned; that life is dull and flat. In this case, when the Four of Cups shows up, it may be a time to be truthful with oneself and gear up to make the changes necessary for a more fulfilling lifestyle.
The man (though it could be a woman, or person of any age, race, culture, etc.) is so absorbed in his own thoughts...and by the look on his face they probably are troubling thoughts...he hasn't even noticed the brilliant cup floating in the air near to him. Three other cups sit in plain view in front of the seated man. Maybe he already knows the contents of the three cups and those contents are the reason for his troubles. The three cups on the ground could represent anything...three people joined against him; three people with differing views from him and/or each other; three events; three paths; three ideas; three cups empty or conversely, full of emotions; etc. But the fourth, glowing cup...although not noticed by the man as of yet...could hold promise to aid whatever dilemma(s) he finds himself in...IF he'd only just look and accept the possibilities that the fourth cup offers. To see the fourth cup, the man would have to free himself of his own self-absorption. The fourth cup could represent an actual person who he's not ever noticed or considered to be part of his life. Perhaps he's so guarded he's actually withheld his own affection from such a person and doesn't even realize why he's so miserable himself. It may do the man well to realize he's leaning up against the strong oak tree and that sometimes we really do need someone to lean on.
On a somewhat different note, the Four of Cups could represent a much needed and even welcome time for soul-searching...no matter how painful or difficult it is to go over whatever is bothering him in his mind. Meditation or dreaming could indeed be just what the man needs to do. Perhaps this man finds that his life has not turned out as planned; that life is dull and flat. In this case, when the Four of Cups shows up, it may be a time to be truthful with oneself and gear up to make the changes necessary for a more fulfilling lifestyle.