Reversed: Temptation, illusion, diversionary tactics
The Seven of Cups indicates that the images in your mind must be dealt with not only in your dreams but in the world of reality. Be careful of wishful thinking or illusions in the choices you currently face. The character in the Seven of Cups is a dreamer who is able to see beauty and excitement as well as fearful trials and difficulties in the future. If you are constantly caught up in your own dreams, fantasies, and/or fears, we will never be able to move forward and make those dreams a reality or overcome those fears.
The Seven of Cups is also a wish card. Oftentimes, this card shows choices and plans that have little or no basis in reality. With the Seven of Cups, there is a risk of illusion. You need to separate what is real from what is illusion. Protect yourself against unclear or wishful thinking and habitual day dreaming. Avoid intoxication and escapism.
However, not every cup is filled with a positive result. Some cups holding a snake or a demon and thus the Seven of Cups can be a mixed blessing. Be careful what you wish as you may just get it, and at a price. Temptation is associated with the Seven of Cups.
Rider-Waite:
The Seven of Cups depicts an individual faced with the mysterious appearance of strange images from cups in a floating cloud. Clouds conjure ideas, dreams, thoughts, illusions, transitions and mystery. Though the character’s back is toward us, we can see from the half-raised arm-gesture that the apparitions before him are something of a surprise. The various prizes appearing from the cups are a mixture of positive and negative visions. These cups each have a single item rising from them – a snake, representing wisdom and knowledge; a shrouded figure, representing the need for illumination; a human head, representing a companion for the conjurer; a tower, representing stability and power; treasure, representing abundance and wealth; a laurel wreath, representing victory or honour, and status; and a dragon, representing supernatural forces. The character faced with these spectres is taken aback by their confusing nature. Although the seven cups appear as gifts or prizes, there is always danger hidden within one or two of them to sting anyone who ventures near. What this suggests is that sometimes you have to choose between many options, all of which may be tempting but only one of which is the best choice. At others times not all of those choices are real options at all; they are delusions of the imagination.
No comments yet.