Ace of Cups dark and red colors??

[faunabay]

I did a search and although I found a thread talking about the Ace of Cups it didn't mention anything about the colors in this card. I've also skimmed through Duquettes book and the Thoth Companion and nothing about the colors for this card.....well that I could find.

Specifically I wonder why there is the dark and red colors in it. Of course I understand the blues and whites, but what's with the dark and red?

Duquette says he thinks this is one of the most beautiful cards in the deck. I've always seen it as muddy looking because of the colors. I see what he means if I just concentrate on the blues and whites in the center, but when I take the card as a whole it looks muddy to me.

I drew it in my daily spread for today and am taking it as bringing the emotions, happiness, and intuition from the cups and letting it break through the darkness and angst of daily life sometimes. Using it to brighten my day through positive emotions, but......

Maybe if I can understand why the darkness is there I can understand a bit more. So anyone? What's your opinion of the colors? Or have you read somewhere why it was done this way?

 

[Aeon418]

Black and Crimson are colours associated with the qabalistic sephira, Binah.

 

[Grigori]

Black and Crimson are colours associated with the qabalistic sephira, Binah.

Binah being attributed to Heh, the female part of the tetragrammaton, and hence the suit of Cups.

Also I wonder if it's useful to compare the Ace of Cups to the Cup being carried on the Chariot card. The blood of the saints poured into the Cup of Babalon/Binah or maybe a recipe for some sexual alchemy.

 

[Aeon418]

Also I wonder if it's useful to compare the Ace of Cups to the Cup being carried on the Chariot card.

It might be. The Charioteer's function is to bear the Holy Grail.

The Ace of Cups depicts the same Grail being consecrated from above by the Holy Ghost. Members of OTO may wish to reflect on the Lamen of their order and it's central secret.

 

[faunabay]

Black and Crimson are colours associated with the qabalistic sephira, Binah.

Thank you. But I thought Crimson/Red was associated with Geburah? While black is with Binah?

When I think of it this way I can see why they're on this card though. The Ace of cups almost being born through the black and red womb of Binah. The white and blue pushing through the black and red. Kind of the the way I originally made sense of it but with more information behind it now.

I guess I am supposed to figure this out....working with the energies of the Ace of Cups....... because I drew it again today!! LOL

Also I wonder if it's useful to compare the Ace of Cups to the Cup being carried on the Chariot card.

hmmm..... I like this thought.

 

[Aeon418]

Thank you. But I thought Crimson/Red was associated with Geburah? While black is with Binah?

But each sephiroth has a different colour assigned to it it in each of the four qabalistic worlds. Crimson relates to Binah in Atziluth. Black is Binah in Briah.

 

[Aeon418]

See the table on page 68 of Lon DuQutte's Thoth book.

Knight Scale = Atziluth

Queen Scale = Briah

Prince Scale = Yetzirah

Princess Scale = Assiah

 

[faunabay]

See the table on page 68 of Lon DuQutte's Thoth book.

Knight Scale = Atziluth

Queen Scale = Briah

Prince Scale = Yetzirah

Princess Scale = Assiah

This is over my head for now! LOL Thank you for pointing it out, but I think I'll just take your word for it until I get a bit further into my studies and knowledge of the deck.

I'm just beginning my studies into the Thoth and qabala too. So I didn't even know there were 4 qabalistic worlds! Sorry but I'm really a newbie to this.

Don't get me wrong...I'm having a blast learning it. But I have to take a little bit at a time otherwise I get overwhelmed.

 

[Grigori]

This is over my head for now! LOL Thank you for pointing it out, but I think I'll just take your word for it until I get a bit further into my studies and knowledge of the deck.

Easiest way to think of it, is there is a tree of life for each of the 4 elements. So a red fiery aspect of Binah (the 3 of wands), a black watery aspect of Binah (the 3 of cups), etc...

 

[faunabay]

Easiest way to think of it, is there is a tree of life for each of the 4 elements. So a red fiery aspect of Binah (the 3 of wands), a black watery aspect of Binah (the 3 of cups), etc...

oooh! That actually makes perfect sense to me because I'm very element oriented. A little over enthusiastic IMO....to have 4 tree of lifes but I understand now.

So it's kind of like, in theory, the courts where say the Knight of Disks is Fire of Earth right?