Liber T: Tarot of the Stars Eternal - Five of Cups - Disappointment

[WolfyJames]

You can see the card here: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/wolfyjames/decks/libertbig/cups05.jpg

We can see at the bottom of the card the same image from the Thoth. The swirling at the bottom looks like butterfly wings, strange.

At the top left, we can see two men fighting, maybe over the pretty and naked woman on the right, which is noted in Scion's notes. Behind these two men we can see as well a third one holding a decapitated head and a lance. In the middle fly a wormy woman.

The two men fighting probably are about conflicts, betrayal, loss of friendship, anger. With the possibility of the naked woman being involved with these two men: infidelity; with the woman as herself: sorrow, loss, regret. The guy with the decapitated head: treachery, opposition, strife, war.

As for the flying wormy woman, I view it as the possible worm before it turns into the butterfly found at the bottom. The beginning of the end I guess.

 

[PeterS]

Jumping in

I have just decided to start working these images out.

This is my first card to really study. In this image I see the card is constructed of four symbolic pieces. First the woman emerging from the Chyrsalis, second the man with the spear and severed head, third I link the men fighting for the attention of the naked, dark-haired woman, and then finally the pentagram of cups and the butterfly image at the bottom.

Now my main question is why is this disappointment? I feel like I am in the dark alittle here but I beleive that the images at the top of the card may symbolically represent reasons for feelings of disappointment.

The first image could represent disappointment in the personal struggle for development and growth.

The second image could represent disappointment in defeat.

The third image could represent diappointment in strife.

And the fourth adding the classic Thoth illustrations and symbols for disappointment: Withered lotus, empty cups and reversed pentagram.

Now word of confession. I am growing to understand that this is not a deck for someone like me who is a complete astrology newbie, but here is my stab at Mars in Scorpio. While Scorpio is about agendas and possibly secret expectations there is a force in Mars that may some how cause a conflict and therefore as a result disappointment.

Okay just my try to understand the card. If I have strayed into error I hope and expect someone will gently correct me and lead me to truth.

Peter

 

[Scion]

Peter I think you're spot on and everything you say resonates with WolfyJames observations from July. Y'all have pretty much nailed it, I think.

The inverted pentagram is the triumph of Matter over Spirit, and these lotuses aren't running with water as in prior cards. Barren, murky landscape. Even the butterfly is a sort of cruel fading image actually: butterflies cannot eat... they exist only to reproduce and die. As WolfyJames says: they are the harsh end.

The thing about Mars in Scorpio (which it rules) and Geburah (the 5s) is that nothing holds it in check; all that hostility is unleashed and rampaging without restraint... As everyone's mother would say: It'll end in tears. Hence Disappointment. Fantastic, explosive, virile energy that comes to naught because it collapses in on itself in sterile climax.

The only place I'd disagree with y'all's interpretations is that I don't see the 2 men fighting over the woman. They are totally tied up in hating/klilling each other. And her rejection is of everything, including the chrysalis-lady. Everyone on this card is wrapped up in their own mishegas and blind to most things around them. It's a card of self-involvement and harsh divisions and those overwhelming emotions that drive people illogically towards and away from situations.

And Peter, as for being an astrology newbie, all I can say is that when I started with this deck I was the exact same. Frankly, I was kind of annoyed by astrology because it was hard, and my preconceptions were based on the dippy new age mutation. Then I started exploring a bit at a time... If you trust that there's a logic to the whole structure, and just gradually allow yourself to acquire tidbits, you'll piece together a mosaic of astrological knowledge faster than 2 shakes of a Scorpio's tail.

Scion

 

[BleuReynard]

2013 and dusting off the thread.

The main big thing about this card is Mars. Mars' Trump is The Tower. The Tower is destructive energy. It's a male energy that rules Aries. Another name for The Tower is War; a means to an end, the demolition needed to start anew. With that description you can see how it also rules Scorpio (Death).

Being the fifth card it sits in the Sephirot of Geburah. This Sephirot is symbolized by Mars. So what's it like? Pretty much like The Tower trump but more. It also encompasses Strength, Bravery, Chaos, and a passage of time found in the pillar of Severity. So, yeah it has it's ups and plenty of downs.
When I say "a passage if time" look at the card before it and imagine Luxury lasted far too long.

So, Mars' the Planet is in Mars' Sephirot accompanied by a Zodiac it rules, Scorpio. Where's the problem? Well we have a number of them.

First off this is not male friendly Wands but it's female Cups we are dealing with. The double effect of Mars on emotion is unsettling at best. To much energy placed on emotion results in some disastrous drama.

Scorpio's Trump Death is not a big fan of being overpowered by Mars. It's rushing Death. We can see this as Scorpio's lowest aspect, suicide. Rather then a gradual change it's being forced.


The pictures found on this card displays what is mentioned above.
Forced change in the woman issuing from the cocoon resulting in disappointment.
The two men in heated conflict.
The woman is a symbol of Cups and it's rejection to the situation.

The most interesting is the man holding the spear and head. Obviously we have both Death and War symbolized, but where's his face? Possibly emotion has become so overly abundant this man has become jaded and unreadable?
I'd like to think he cut off his own face and that's what he's holding, but that opens a whole new can of worms that can link this card to the Queen of Swords so forget that. Plus, you can see he's a balding gray-haired man, there is no way the two were connected physically.

Scion covers the inverted pentagram as well most of what I said... Sorry if this is just a repeat.


My essay is a result of work with Crowley's BoT, DuQuette's Understanding Thoth Tarot, and the OTO's Liber T.