Three of Cups

paradoxx

I wonder if there is corralation between these three women and the three women (as well as other female deitis) that are depicted in various seals of the united staes. They remind me of Lady Liberty, Lady Justice and Lady Equality (of Wyoming) by how they are standing and holding their respective cups. considering that the figure that has its back turned to us is not nessacarly a woman that relates to justice, i see liberty to the left and equalty to the right. i say that the one figure can be a male by looking where his/her left hand is positioned. It is this placing that i believe relates to justce and liberty, 1. since justice is not always female and 2. that Justice and Liberty were present in the seals long before Equality.

Even in the Universal WAite the arm in question does look out of place, and since justice and equality are related in the law system this relation of symbols starts to make sense. I don't know if the symbolisim was deliberate (given teh origin of these cards it wouldn't suprise me) but it attributes itself very well.

ok i've ranted enough on a confusing topic long enough. i'll shut up now.

Wyo seal http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/wy_seal.htm

New York Seal
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/ny_seal.htm

New Jersey Seal
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/nj_seal.htm
 

Adele

3 of cups...

when this card keeps coming up for someone... what do you make of it? is it celebration w/ women friends? or a celebration coming in? or what? thanks.
 

TemperanceAngel

just a thought

Not actually my thought the Three of cups came up in conversation at my work the other day and a very amazing, experienced reader was saying that it refers to the 3 phases of the goddess: the maiden, the mother and the crone.

I've gone a bit off the track I do think, but Major Tom was suggesting perhaps the figure with his back to us could be a man?

XTAX
 

paradoxx

Re: 3 of cups...

Adele said:
when this card keeps coming up for someone... what do you make of it? is it celebration w/ women friends? or a celebration coming in? or what? thanks.

a gathering for sure. lots of energy, it could be emotional (think baby shower or wedding ceremony) or it could be ritual (coven or church meetings). If it comes up reverese maybe the gathering is taking place or perhaps the genders of the people involved are reversed.

on the most basic of levels though, it seems to indicate that a great deal of emotional energy is coming in from multiple sources.
 

Jewel-ry

Going back to the earlier part of this thread. I have the Radiant Rider-Waite and my thoughts are that all people are holding their cups with their right hands. That said, the lady on the right (in yellow) does appear to have a very long arm!!

I too have read somewhere (not sure where though) that these three represent the three goddesses.
 

firestorm

Didn't notice it before, but I see what you mean. I'm trying to figure out which woman is "helping" the woman in the front hold the cup in her right hand......or is that the coloring error that has been mentioned?
 

WalesWoman

I just got the Radiant R-W deck and had this card come up in a reading yesterday, duh, didn't notice a thing odd at all until reading this thread. It seems the woman on the left with roses in her hair wearing a white dress has her right arm raised but the hand is backwards, there is no way a human can do this, not this human anyway, I've been trying this position myself. She seems to have the only arm unaccounted for as far as I can tell. And as for what I thought was the woman with her back toward us, I just noticed where the left hand is resting. Check out that person's feet, they aren't "correct" either unless person has two right feet. At first I thought it looked right, but when you really look at it, the flow of the dress doesn't match the foot placement, either the person is pigeon toed or standing in two seperate positions. One foot looks bare and the other foot looks like it has a shoe on it. It doesn't make anatomical sense (I draw human figures all the time) The woman in yellow just has two arms, I've been looking very carefully, and has a bunch of grapes in her left.

So maybe the hand on the white ladies hip or fanny has to do with the wanton elements, going beyond the celebration and into debauchery? Especially since the clothing is red but concealing. Maybe it's about all is not as it appears or seems, that there is some sort of deceit, to look for what is wrong with this picture?

I've always thought of this card as a time to celebrate, there is some kind of good news or good times with friends or family or maybe to look at what there is to take joy and celebrate in and the reverse or depending on what else was involved was taking it to the extreme, a more hedonistic nature, pleasure devoid of emotion.
 

firecatpickles

Jewel-ry said:
I too have read somewhere (not sure where though) that these three represent the three goddesses.
I have heard it suggested (or maybe I am coming up with this on my own, I do not know) that these three women represent the ecclesiastical virtues of Charity, Hope and Faith, present in some early Minchiate and tarot decks but now only present in the former.

KK
 

cdabs

Three (3) Of Cups

Like most of my posts...I'm jumping in on an old post. I got onto this 3 Of Cups thing last night....by way of the Three Of Wands and Four Of Wands. I'll post about those later.

I did a reading for a friend and the Three Of Cups came up...and my usual interpretation is "celebration," however, this time...I wanted to take a closer look.

http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/cups03.jpg

The FIRST thing I noticed was...the maiden with her back to the viewer...in a red "dress" (for lack of better word)...reminds me of the "Justice" card. http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj11.jpg Her tunic/dress is very similar.

BTW...Is it just me or, if you turn the card on its left side, does a mean-looking face appear at the bottom of this red gown/tunic? It looks like a bearded/helmeted head/face...with a crooked nose...and bottom-lip sticking out. Forgive me...I really used to get into "Highlights" magazine when I was a kid...really dug the "hidden things" puzzles.

Anyway...I looked a little more closely at this maiden and realized she has what looks like a "Shin" symbol (Hebrew letter; looks like "W") on her hem near the left foot (left foot is crossed over her right...in her "dance"). This is the same letter ("Shin") which is on top of The Hierophant's crown http://learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj05.jpg
Shin probably means "serenity" or "harmony." Its number is "300." (see link below for Hebrew letters and Gematria/Hebrew Numerology references)

I also believe there is an "arrow" ("V" looking thing) pointing to this maiden's left foot...and if you look at it, it is the foot that stands out the most (no pun!) of the three feet pictured in the card...because it is the brightest colored. So...some significance on "left"...which in the cards may mean...not so much action, but more intuition/feeling.

I believe there are a few more Hebrew letters present in this card: the maiden in gray has a small, upside-down looking "Y" on her tunic/dress just above the left hand of the red-tunic'd woman. This could be the Hebrew letter "Gimmel." It probably means "benevolence" and its number is "3." At the top of this same lady's tunic (gray) she has what looks like the Hebrew letter "Chet." It probably means "life" and its number is "8" (as in, the lemniscate?).

See some of the Hebrew letters here: http://www.inner.org/hebleter/default.htm

I believe the maiden in yellow has the Hebrew letter "Lamed" in the center, near the top of her dress/tunic. It probably means "teach" or "learn." Its number is "30."

Please check me on this stuff...I'm more or less a "newb" at Tarot....only been at it under 2 years. The only reason I started looking more closely at these cards is probably because it was pointed out in one of my books that the Temperance card had some Hebrew lettering at the top of the angel's gown. And of course, the Wheel Of Fortune card has Hebrew lettering.
 

AmethystEyes

Hm I never noticed that arm before. I think that that hand holding the grapes could be the lady on the left with the brown hair holding her arm around the lady in yellow. The more I look at it the more it looks to me that they are very uncoordinated. The one in red's feet?? Maybe a bit too much drinking? And what is going on with the lady on the left, the bottom of her, why does she bend like that? Falling down? The red is trying to hold her up and she is trying to hold on to the yellow (hand with grapes) to stay up maybe? Team work. Hmm wait is the lady on the left facing inward or turning inward. OH the lady in yellow is facing outward so that is her hand, didn't see that before. Anyways those are my thoughts.