Hi Veronica,
This 5 of cups is a very beautiful and stunning card. It is in a very peaceful autumn setting by a calm lake. An abundance of trees to the right of the card grows on the lake’s shore. The trees are painted in a very soft focus of mostly greens with a touch of orange, creating an invitingly warm, open and compassionate Nature.
On the lake we see an otter chasing after a fish, maybe a salmon? To the right of this scene stands a solitary person in a hooded robe painted in a blue/gray color. They seem oblivious to anything around them. Behind this person stands two cups on a rocks ledge that he/she doesn’t see and to their left, we see 3 cups that have apparently fallen.
I do get the sense this person has done a lot of personal work on themselves…he/she learns their own way….they avoid or don’t want input/advice from others. Nature in this card seems to express this individuals projected inner nature. I wonder if they learn from the inside out…to understand something they must first absorb it, possess it and become it. When they surrender themselves to nature, it reveals its secrets.
The person’s blue/gray cloak reveals an intense inner focus that temporarily holds back the outward flow of emotions. When in the throes of pain, it’s hard for us to talk or express ourselves. All we can think at the moment is why, why, why??
This blue/gray color also overshadows this person’s entire head area…..this may also indicate a time when our minds goes blank and closed temporarily to any new experiences. When we are ready, we’ll be able to turn around and see the 2 of cups behind us and Nature expressing herself to us.
This person may have suffered a severe loss or disappointment. Perhaps a betrayal by someone they trusted or a breakup from a loved one. When we are in this state of mind, all our thoughts and feelings become focused in one area. This concentration creates an emotional vortex, which slows down the free flow of energy within the aura. This can create a draining effect on the adrenals as well as the whole body.
In Ted Andrews, Animal Speak…he says of otter…
If otter has surfaced in your life, it may be time to find some play time. Involve yourself in some creative activity. You do not have to be good at it; just have fun with it. or are you being too playful? Are you not staying focused? Are you afraid to have fun? Are you getting too serious? Are you worrying? Do you need to awaken your inner child? Treat yourself to something special. Honor otter and it will teach you not only how to have fun, but it will reawaken a new sense of wonder at life and all things within it.{/quote]
In Animal Magick, DJ Conways says of Salmon…
The salmon is depicted as a sacred creture primarily in Celtic and Norse Cultures. It was especially sacred to the Celts and figures of their myths. Usually the inhabitant of a sacred well, the salmon was eaten or consulted for wisdom and prophecy. Any time a Celtic hero eats a salmon, it symbolizes him gaining wisdom and supreme knowledge.
From the Druid Craft Book….
When we experience loss we tend to go through a series of feelings, from denial to anger, to despair, until finally we have mourned enough and are able to look around us. It is at this point we discover that other opportunities, other experiences await us, symbolized by the two cups that have not been overturned.