rachelcat
I didn't see a thread for this guy, so here goes!
Prince of Cups
Air of Water
Mostly fixed water = Scorpio
The prince is bluish green with a helmet with an eagle on top. He stares into the cup that he holds that has a snake rising from within it. In his other hand he holds a large lotus down toward the water. He rides in a light blue/purple chariot that is swirly like a shell that is drawn by an beautifully stylized eagle close to the surface of the water into which rain is falling. In the back are “wings” that are really white curly clouds.
The eagle and snake are symbols of Scorpio. The scorpion is not in evidence. Crowley implies that the scorpion is under the water of the lake.
Air of water is clouds, water vapor. Crowley also says “elasticity, volatility, hydrostatic equilibrium, catalytic faculty, and energy of steam.” Just conversed with my son about what hydrostatic equilibrium means, and we decided that it refers to the upward pressure and expansiveness of gases. As does, of course, the energy of steam. Volatility has the alchemical meaning of something transforming from matter to spirit. Crowley mentioned catalytic function of water for another of the court cards—Princess of Cups maybe? I find that interesting. Many chemical reactions take place in water. The water (or liquid) is necessary as a place for the transformation to take place.
What would all that mean for the Prince of Cups? He is someone who allows spiritual transformation to take place. He is comfortable with and facilitates spiritual expansion.
The last time I did a Thoth study, I was most struck with the description of the stagnant lake, and that much is going on under the surface. Even though it is stagnant, the life-giving rain is falling into it. Stagnation/putrefaction is necessary to create new life. Just add water!
The rest of Crowley’s description is pretty negative, all about the secrecy, passionate intensity, self-centered deceptiveness, and “overweening ambition” of the Scorpio character.
He also says the transition from Libra to Scorpio has enormous energy and weight. Hmm, I wonder why? Banzhaf says it’s “when the outer nature dies to form humus beneath the earth for the new year.” This agrees closely with the putrefaction in the lake combining with the rain to prepare for new life. Maybe that’s why this time of year is so powerful: at Halloween/Samhain, it’s obvious all around one that death is necessary and that it will lead to new life! Sacrifice for the greater good. Or a deep connection between the dead and the living. That’s a lot of meaning for one little court card! The Prince of Cups is turning into a mini Hanged Man. But that works too with its connection to the Grail. The death of Christ brings life to others.
Crowley gives us hexagram 61, Sincerity, Wind over Lake. In the I Ching, Taoism, and Confucianism, sincerity is one of the most important virtues, therefore, this is one of the most auspicious hexagrams. All the lines are about good fortune except the last, which, not surprisingly, warns against insincerity. This is perhaps a warning for those Scorpios of “subtlety, secret violence, and craft.”
In a reading: The Prince of Cups is a person in touch with the truth of spirituality, that it often requires sacrifice, and that it’s not always pretty. He is comfortable with transition and transformation. He may keep this inner knowledge to himself, and people might be uncomfortable with what appears to be his secrecy and of passionate intensity.
Prince of Cups
Air of Water
Mostly fixed water = Scorpio
The prince is bluish green with a helmet with an eagle on top. He stares into the cup that he holds that has a snake rising from within it. In his other hand he holds a large lotus down toward the water. He rides in a light blue/purple chariot that is swirly like a shell that is drawn by an beautifully stylized eagle close to the surface of the water into which rain is falling. In the back are “wings” that are really white curly clouds.
The eagle and snake are symbols of Scorpio. The scorpion is not in evidence. Crowley implies that the scorpion is under the water of the lake.
Air of water is clouds, water vapor. Crowley also says “elasticity, volatility, hydrostatic equilibrium, catalytic faculty, and energy of steam.” Just conversed with my son about what hydrostatic equilibrium means, and we decided that it refers to the upward pressure and expansiveness of gases. As does, of course, the energy of steam. Volatility has the alchemical meaning of something transforming from matter to spirit. Crowley mentioned catalytic function of water for another of the court cards—Princess of Cups maybe? I find that interesting. Many chemical reactions take place in water. The water (or liquid) is necessary as a place for the transformation to take place.
What would all that mean for the Prince of Cups? He is someone who allows spiritual transformation to take place. He is comfortable with and facilitates spiritual expansion.
The last time I did a Thoth study, I was most struck with the description of the stagnant lake, and that much is going on under the surface. Even though it is stagnant, the life-giving rain is falling into it. Stagnation/putrefaction is necessary to create new life. Just add water!
The rest of Crowley’s description is pretty negative, all about the secrecy, passionate intensity, self-centered deceptiveness, and “overweening ambition” of the Scorpio character.
He also says the transition from Libra to Scorpio has enormous energy and weight. Hmm, I wonder why? Banzhaf says it’s “when the outer nature dies to form humus beneath the earth for the new year.” This agrees closely with the putrefaction in the lake combining with the rain to prepare for new life. Maybe that’s why this time of year is so powerful: at Halloween/Samhain, it’s obvious all around one that death is necessary and that it will lead to new life! Sacrifice for the greater good. Or a deep connection between the dead and the living. That’s a lot of meaning for one little court card! The Prince of Cups is turning into a mini Hanged Man. But that works too with its connection to the Grail. The death of Christ brings life to others.
Crowley gives us hexagram 61, Sincerity, Wind over Lake. In the I Ching, Taoism, and Confucianism, sincerity is one of the most important virtues, therefore, this is one of the most auspicious hexagrams. All the lines are about good fortune except the last, which, not surprisingly, warns against insincerity. This is perhaps a warning for those Scorpios of “subtlety, secret violence, and craft.”
In a reading: The Prince of Cups is a person in touch with the truth of spirituality, that it often requires sacrifice, and that it’s not always pretty. He is comfortable with transition and transformation. He may keep this inner knowledge to himself, and people might be uncomfortable with what appears to be his secrecy and of passionate intensity.