Hermit, King of Cups, & romance cards relating to my ex?

I'm in the aftermath of a really messy breakup. My ex & I broke up solely because we didn't think we could do long distance, and I still really cared for him. However, after the breakup he really betrayed my trust and stabbed me in the back.

I was asking some questions the other day regarding my future ability to relate to him. The questions & answer cards were as follows:

Will I ever be able to trust him again? The Hermit
SHOULD I trust him again? King of Cups
What does he feel towards me? Ace of Cups
Will he reach out & try to make things right? Knight of Cups

These answers seem really straightforward...to me, the Hermit is a cautious yes, saying that with time & introspection on both sides, trust could be repaired. I could see the King of Cups going both ways - either a warning that my emotions are unbalanced right now and I shouldn't be attempting to do something painful, or as a suggestion that eventually I will be able to get my emotions under control and trusting him will be less dangerous.

The Ace & Knight of Cups kind of freaked me out, because they both seem to be yeses that are pointing towards romance. The Ace of cups could be saying he is realizing again that he loves me. The knight of Cups could be saying he's going to be that romantic character that gets in touch with his own emotions and goes & gets what he wants.

I feel like I'm too close to this issue & these questions to see the full picture. Any help from more experienced readers with any of the cards as they relate to my questions would be much appreciated. Thank you guys so much!

Some positive and negative looks at each card...

cherrycocacora said:

Will I ever be able to trust him again? The Hermit

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The Hermit asks, "What has experience taught you?" With regard to an issue like trust, the Hermit also advises to seek out authentic behaviors - good or bad, is there a pattern of behavior that you can discern from this person which may stand out to you? If you have to look too hard for (positive) authentic behavior, that may be telling in-and-of itself, as well. "Bad" patterns of behavior are usually loud and clear, but not always -- then you'll have to draw upon your feelings.

SHOULD I trust him again? King of Cups

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This king is the Master of Emotions; being the highest rank with the most power in a suit, he can also be the most dangerous - perhaps the Manipulator of Emotions. Watch out for key phrases of manipulation like, "You know what I meant" or "You should know what I mean". Otherwise, is this a person you can come home to and feel free to tell everything to? Has this person consistently made you feel safe, loved, and protected? Or, has this person made you feel as if you didn't really know them (and as if you should know them better)?

What does he feel towards me? Ace of Cups

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There are many different aspects to this Ace; of course it can mean "new love" or "new relationship" but being a number one, it's not clear that those feelings are towards you exactly. He could simply be open for anything new or refreshing. It could be going in a "poor me" direction as well, wanting some peace or solace from having been caught perhaps, despite whatever he did to you.

Will he reach out & try to make things right? Knight of Cups

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A card that is good for "reaching out" but maybe not necessarily making things "right" -- that would be the Knight of Swords, probably. The Knight of Cups is more likely to offer sincere apologies (positive) or meaningless platitudes (negative).

Just some thoughts for you; I hope they're helpful in sorting this.

The Hermit isn't a card of outreach and reconciliation, but a dispassionate one of remaining aloof and keeping your own counsel. I see a certain fatalism in it, in that the Hermit has stoically reconciled himself to whatever will be and remains content to let things lie. You could trust your ex again, but there doesn't seem to be a compelling reason to do so. The card relates to the astrological sign of Virgo, and the Virgo mentality tends to want to smooth things over by giving away its power; in my astrological practice I see it as a kind of "doormat" syndrome, a more self-serving version of the Piscean urge for altruistic self-sacrifice (trying to get its way by appearing to be submissive, but often in a passive-aggressive fashion). I would be cautious: as the saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."

Do you think the "long distance" rationale gave him an excuse to reinvent himself emotionally and romantically? The series King of Cups/Ace of Cups/Knight of Cups makes me think he was feeling stale and orchestrated an emotional reboot, passing through the "eye of the needle" (Ace of Cups) to emerge as the invigorated Knight of Cups. I once saw this exact scenario in a messy breakup situation, but with the Knight of Cups trying to reignite the "magic" in his ex's opinion of him by convincing her that he had reverted to his old honest, innocent self (Page of Cups). I told her not to trust him since the 5 of Cups was the outcome card. In your case it suggests your ex "changed his skin" like a snake, casting off the old persona and adopting a fresh new one. Whether he did so as a prelude to trying to reconcile with you seems doubtful.