There does seem to be a striking differance again betweem the 2 & 3, and the 4 of this suit. It seems to me that the 2 and 3 get the more positive sides of Cancer, the sensitive, caring, loving, protection etc. The 4 seems to get the more negative side, crabby, moody, jealous, manipulative.
This comes out especially in the RWS decks. I'm looking at the Mythic Tarot, and in the 4 of Cups it shows a pair of jealous vindictive sisters manipulating their previously happy sister. The RWS itself has the typical boredom/apathetic loner, which seems a little closer in meaning the the Thoth's depicition of Luxury, leading to too much of a good thing.
Always Wondering said:
But it seems to me this progression is more dramatic due to the Moon ruling Cancer in the Four of Cups. This rulership does not seem as complimentary as the Sun is in Aries, is that due to the difference in the nature of the Sun and Moon?
I've been sitting down and working out the astrology dignities, and realized this group is very different to the Aries ones we looked at first. All 3 Aries cards had major dignities between the planets and sign which really brought out the meanings of the planets and signs. In the cancer set, that is not the case at all.
2 of Cups & 3 of Cups have very minor attributions, the 3 is slightly stronger than the 2, but neither is very strong. (Venus in Cancer is in its Face & Mercury in Cancer is in its Face and its Term)
4 of Cups however has the Moon in Cancer, which is its Ruler. However the 2 and 3 are "happier" cards, as they are more balanced. The explanation seem to be the 4 of Cups is all water and very unbalanced, so the moodiness comes to the fore. Overly emotional maybe heading towards bitterness. The Moon is attributed to babies so perhaps this also makes the card more juvenile as well as more instinctive? Pure emotion without reason or intellect?
I was looking again for physical things in the images that relate to the signs and planets. In the RWS for of Cups you see a discontented man folding his arms across his stomach. I'm thinking of that image now as if he is so caught up in his dissatisfaction that he's somatizing it as stomach pain, which is a weak area for cancer.
In the two you get the two lovers, as suitable for Venus. And in the 3 we see Mercury enouraging communication with the "Group", in an emotionally satisfied Cancer type way.