Faerie Tarot: Ace of Cups

The guardian animal in the Ace of Cups is a dolphin that leaps above the cup with lots of happy energy. The season is spring. The Cup is a finely carved golden one with precious stones on it and there are flowers surrounding the picture. Some of the flowers look like tulips and bluebells.
It looks like there could be some bubbly drink in the cup..There are 5 stars above the Cup and I first thought they were bubblesThe LWB doesn´t say what the stars stand for and why five stars?
This is a card of love, joy, fertility, beauty and inspiration.

Hemera said:

There are 5 stars above the Cup and I first thought they were bubblesThe LWB doesn´t say what the stars stand for and why five stars?

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I believe that the significance of the five stars derives from the Rider Waite Ace of Cups. In that card, there is a large cup with five streams of water pouring forth. I have read different symbolic associations for those five streams.

In one AT thread I read that author Robert Place associates the five streams with the five wounds of Christ. That makes sense for a deck laden with Judeo-Christian symbolism, such as the Rider Waite. It wouldn't make as much sense for a Faerie deck.

I have also seen the five streams associated with the four classical elements - Fire, Water, Air, and Earth - plus Spirit. Since the suit of Cups is specific to water, I don't know that it makes sense to incorporate all the elements in this card. However, if Spirit is seen as preeminent over the other four elements, it could make sense since the suit of Cups is often associated with spiritual matters, among other things.

The symbolic association I prefer and the one I see cited most often associates the five streams with the five senses - hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell. Cups are strongly associated with the physical senses and sensual pleasures.

So those are the choices I see. I'm sure there are other possibilities. For myself, I'm going to associate the five stars with the five senses. That makes the best sense to me .

Alan

Hemera said:

The LWB doesn´t say what the stars stand for and why five stars?
This is a card of love, joy, fertility, beauty and inspiration.

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Maybe that is exactly what the five stars stand for....
What a lovely card. I don't have the deck (yet) but am enjoying all the posts on it.

Myrrha said:

Maybe that is exactly what the five stars stand for....
What a lovely card. I don't have the deck (yet) but am enjoying all the posts on it.

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LOL This is a nice idea, thank you!