The Lover's Path: Ace of Cups

Sophie-David

Emphasizing the theme of the deck, but fitting perfectly into my personal imagery of the progression of the elements, Kris Waldherr has chosen the Ace of Cups to initiate our journey into the Minor Arcana of The Lover's Path. This silver cup is filled with the mysterious feminine passion of the Moon, poured through the pure golden sovereignty of a glorious crown. Thus love conquers all, the pure essence of the Moon infusing the chalice with the Love Potion by which it "will join Tristan and Isolde in love everlasting".

The silver cup with its winged heart and energetic waves is placed on a mysterious landscape, against a backdrop of stars, all outshone by a very potent Moon. On either side of the cup some curious rock formations look vaguely human, with perhaps a woman on the left, a man on the right, protypical earthly lovers.

Below the cup a pool of water, the border theme for the suit of Cups, speaks of the unconscious energy that drives our emotions, intuition and compassion, of which feminine Wisdom (Shahrazade or The High Priestess) is the mistress.
 

irisa

Starry starry night...

Just looking at the scan not ideal... but this fits perfectly with my general Ace of Cups feeling.

To me it's a card of wishes and dreams...

Our deepest desires are in the cup while below emotions swirl and flow with the water. It's about the need to love and be loved, bonding and connecting not just romantically but spiritually as well.

As the foundation... if we identify these deepest feelings and needs then, we can, by knowing them bond with and act on them. When I draw this card as a card for the day..... it's a day I count the loves in my life.

I don't generally don't use reversed cards all cards just have positives and negatives... and they speak as they will... sometimes the ace of cups tells of damaged emotions, not bonding, not connecting... a feeling of numbness.

irisa
 

Sophie-David

Its interesting how austere the setting is, the landscape is almost lunar. In some decks the Ace of Cups has flowers and greenery, but the passion in this card is very focused on the cup itself. In The Lover's Path the aces of Cups and Arrows are both quite severe, but the ace of Staves is leafy and Coins are positively verdent. Perhaps this ace is emphasizing the mysteries of an inner landscape, and the potential for growth rather than its completion.

I also notice that all four aces contain the golden crown, it seems to be a trademark for the deck. And like the Ace of Cups, the Ace of Coins also has the winged heart, which makes sense for the suit of physicality.

The moon, the Queen of the Night, dominates the Ace of Cups, the first card of the Minors in this deck's ordering of suits. For me, this provides an interesting connection back to Innocence, the first card of the Majors, in which the Queen of the Night also plays a substantial role in the story of Tamino and Pamina, motivating the prince to rescue her daugher. The Queen of the Night is the initiator of the Hero's (or Lover's) Journey. This Moon Queen gives Tamino a picture of Pamina to fuel his desire, very much as this ace's Love Potion acts in the suit of Cups. So the moon in The Lover's Path appears to be very much a lover's moon.
 

irisa

Originally posted by Sophie-David
Its interesting how austere the setting is, the landscape is almost lunar. In some decks the Ace of Cups has flowers and greenery, but the passion in this card is very focused on the cup itself.

.....And in the cup itself...

irisa