ARIES: Five of Cups
You may be dealing with relationship issues this month that force you to face some difficult realities. You could be struck by a sense of discontent and disillusionment over what once seemed like a “magical” union but is now developing cracks. Misunderstandings or miscommunications can abound, sending you hurdling back to earth and back to the reality of your situation.
Look at the imagery in this card. We see a mythical Unicorn seated atop an old-fashioned wishing well. At first glance it looks like something you’d expect to come across in a fairy-tale. But if you look closer, you can see that the Unicorn is not seated at all. He’s trapped in the well and has been hobbled, immobilized by his unfortunate circumstances.
The water flowing from the sides of the well has slowed down to a trickle. He looks away from the set of withering vines on the left and toward those that are lush and plentiful on the right. The skeleton key symbol over his heart is reminiscent of the astrological glyph used for Greek Mythology’s wounded healer, Chiron.
How might this imagery apply to you? And what can you learn from the circumstances that make this card now relevant in your life?
The Five of Cups — this version from the Mary-el Tarot — can refer to heartache, disillusionment and lost love. You could be stuck in rut, reeling from a rejection or coming to terms with a relationship that was never meant to be. You may also—just like the Unicorn in this card—be refusing to see what no longer sustains you. There is as much danger in not learning from your mistakes as there is in focusing only on what might be.
But there are positive aspects of this card as well. There are messages to be unraveled and lessons to be learned. Perhaps the “wounded healer” aspect provides you with an insider’s understanding of what it’s like to hurt, to be alone, and to be denied the very thing you’ve so desperately wanted.
Your heartache becomes a powerful conduit for healing. It can also become a gift that you pass onto others: the gift of empathy. Your own experiences lead to a deeper understanding of what others may be dealing with, and can translate into compassion, understanding, forgiveness and unconditional love.
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