Three of Cups - Revelations Tarot
First impressions
This looks like they are having fun – but they aren’t entirely…..
From the book
Upright
They celebrate with joy and merriment. They hold their cups up high and spin endlessly in laughter.
It is time for celebration. Here, parties will not be rare, joyous events will be around the corner, and it will not be long before a smile will stretch across your face. Good health and a stable mind will also be evident.
Socially, this card reflects upon the environment you are in. Friends and work colleagues will be happier, and families will have joyous occasions to celebrate (possibly births or marriages). Frivolity and dressing up will be prerequisites for the atmosphere that will be dancing around you.
Reversed
He loses control and has drunk too much. He spins with them, but cannot hold on for long.
Here we find the loss of control that can only be associated with overindulging oneself. There is gluttony and sloth to be experienced, followed by indigestion and excessive consumption of liquids. Drunken debauchery will reign over all celebrations, taking the alcoholic in us that one step further. You may also find yourself overpleasuring your senses with unnecessary toys and gifts or flirting dangerously with strangers.
The atmosphere that surrounds you will be loud and excessive. The workplace may seem counterproductive as jokes and jibes take over. Office humor and gossip may divert any focus from colleagues' overindulgence. Families may be disrupted from entertaining others instead of taking care of their own.
Images and Symbolism
This card represents an enjoyment of happy emotions to their fullest. Here the merpeople are celebrating and having fun.
The background on the bottom of this card is littered with bottles, indicating an overindulgence in celebration. The excessiveness can take its toll, as indicated by the merman who cannot even keep his eyes open.
Color: pastels and blues, associated with Cancer.
Traditional meanings
Upright:
Enjoyment of the fruits of love. Maternity, comfort, felicity, the healing of ills. Happy partnership.
Reversed:
Unbridled passion, sensuality, exploitation of feelings.
My impressions:
Upright
A party in progress, in shades of purple. Three merpeople whirling in a circle, each with a cup. All are laughing. There are empty (?) bottles all over the sea bottom. A crab seems to be running away.
Reversed
The placing of the rubbish on the seabed is such that in the reversed image it is much more noticeable; the party takes on a more negative, orgiastic aspect. All the cups are now upside down – the wine in them wasted.
My take
Parties are fine – but not to be overdone, basically. The two images aren’t that different in essence, but looking at the same “story” from different directions means that we see it quite differently. There are two sides to everything – and the flip side here is that of overdoing it ! Celebrations are positive; overindulgence is not and will lead to disaster. A warning, then, to be moderate, not to waste the good things in life.
All the cards from this deck can be viewed
here.