Herbal Tarot - 3 of Cups - Trillium

sunflowr

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Joy, celebration, friendship, dance of life.

"With joy, I embrace and welcome all that I have fostered and created".

The herb is "trillium". Known for it's favorable infuence upon the birth process. Actual birth and birth of spontaneous joy with life.
 

WolfSpirit

3 cups...there are also three leaves on the plant, and three crown leaves on the flower.

One of the folk names for trillium is True Love :)
The root of the trillium can be rubbed on the body to attract love (or so the story goes...)
 

rainstarhorizon

3 of cups

Yes,for this card :Feast,Fun,Sharing:pure and direct.
I seem to also see these as the three guardian faries that accompany a child as guardians-so that reminds me of possible conception or birth.
 

hyatt

I know nothing about this herb! i guess it's a good thing for me to be getting this deck and book. But if it is "known for it's favorable infuence upon the birth process" then how appropriate. Two making a third come into life. I love the three of cups. Perhaps because I am a girl and just seeing other girls getting together frolicing and drinking without a care is beautiful to me. Three women celebrating together how wonderful. In the RWS card you see the fruits of a harvest at their feet. This would also go along with trillium.
 

aurorarose

I feel like I have snuck into the woods and am spying on fairy creatures dancing in the clearing. Definately feelings of joy and happiness seem to bounce off the figures. Especially in this suit I look to the relationship between the suit symbols and the figures. Here they are holding the cups as they dance. I imagine them filled with some really tasty drink, it's a party.

Trillium is also known as birthroot, nice and obvious. Besides the benefits to pregnancy it also helps with coughs, which is great because it is very hard to be joyous when you have a cough.

Important Note; Picking the flowers of Trillium can seriously injure the plant. The three leaves below the flower are the plant's only food source and a picked trillium may die or take many years to recover. For this reason in many areas, e.g. British Columbia, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Washington, it is illegal to pick trilliums.

Interesting facts: Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants and mice. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they can be protected until they germinate. They also get the added bonus of growing in a medium made richer by the ant garbage. A white trillium serves as the emblem and official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario. It features prominently on the Franco-Ontarian flag.

So protect your joy.

Trillium wasn't in my smithsonian herb book but I found some of the cool info on Wikipedia.
 

Soaring Eagle

Herbal Tarot - Three of Cups - Trillium

You can see the minor arcane cards in Constellation 3.

Description: Three women are dancing around a large trillium plant while holding a cup in one hand. There is a forest faintly seen in the background.

Significant Details: The cups signify containing emotions or life forces. The trillium plant represents an aphrodisiac and women’s issues.

Keywords: Friendships, Celebration, Community, Abundance

Medicinal Uses: Trillium (Bethroot) “was introduced into European medicine around 1830” by native Americans. It was used for stemming the flow of post-partum hemorrhage, and to treat excessive menstrual flow. It contains steroids that are effective in treating menstrual disorders. It was also used to treat dysentery and diarrhea, and as an aphrodisiac. American Nature Guides Herbs by Anna Kruger.

My Interpretation: This may be a creative time for you. You may feel drawn to celebrate with friends or family during this time. This is also a time of abundance for you. You will do well in projects that you share with others.

Number Significance: 3 – Fertility, Creativity, Growth, Collaboration, Relating to others

Thoughts/Points to Ponder: The 3 of Cups is ruled by Mercury in Cancer. The threes are in Constellation 3 with III Empress, XII Suspended Person, and XI World. 3 – Creativity, Nurturance, Sacrifice, Surrender, Form, Relatedness, Fertility, Limitation, Imagination.