"Fraternity"
Astrological correspondence: Mercury in Cancer (excited emotions).
Image: Three women each hold a Cup aloft as they dance together in a vegetable garden.
Key Phrase: Celebration within the group.
Statement: "I enjoy sharing myself among my family, friends, and acquaintances. I heal and am healed within their atmosphere."
Quotation: "Friendship, like the immortality of the soul, is too good to be believed." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Friendship")
Major Obstacle: The ego, because of antisocial behavior, feels like an outcast.
strong>The Three of Cups in a Reading
- Efforts of individuals brought to a common purpose.
- Solace from belonging to a group; inclusion.
- Brotherhood/sisterhood.
- Beneficial group activity.
- Celebration with friends.
- Relationships grow.
- Communication; views expressed with sensitivity (Mercury in Cancer).
REVERSED
- Disillusionment (with the group).
- Cult activity.
- Emotional pain caused by those close.
- Unexpected harshness and insensitivity from acquaintances.
- Failure to establish agreement.
- Gossip.
- Conflicts with friends; quarrels (Mercury in Cancer, afflicted).
STRATEGY
- The company of others can be a great source of enjoyment.
- The Three of Cups emphasizes the idea that "no man is an island."
- It is important to appreciate those around you; taking people for granted eventually leads to emotional isolation.
- Activity within the group encourages fellowship, an excellent resource for movement along the path.
Excerpted from Tarot Awareness by Stephen Walter Sterling