Today I feel like talking about a sad card. Maybe because I’m feeling a little disheartened myself. When you are feeling a certain way, do you ever flip through your decks, look at cards, and find yourself attracted to ones that reflect your mood? I suppose it’s a natural way to connect with the cards. In them, you can find compassion and understanding reflected back at you…and if you look deep enough, maybe you can learn something useful.

This is the 5 of Cups from the Ludy Lescot Tarot (HERE):

This particular image is so poignant, if perhaps a bit over dramatic. But there are times, there are definitely times when a loss just feels that overwhelming and there is nothing to do but throw yourself on the ground and weep. Now I don’t think this is good to do for very long, but notice in the image, the cup on the ledge is still pouring out liquid, so it couldn’t have been overturned more than a moment ago. This is a reaction to a fresh wound, an agony that you haven’t been able to get used to yet.

There is a shadow of someone walking away. Again, he must have just left her side. The hurt is so very raw.

Sometimes we focus so much on “being happy” and feeling good and fixing things that we don’t take the time to feel pain and sadness. Sometimes we, as tarot readers, focus on finding the positive message in every card, denying ourselves, our clients, the right to weep and wail at the tragic injustice of being hurt! So this card says it’s okay to cry. At least for a little while.

Then, of course, we have to get up, brush off our cute outfit, pick up our precious cups, and move on.

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Written by Barbara Moore
The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Later, she served as the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. Over the years, she has ...