Monthly Reflection: Six of Cups & Ten of Cups

An important part of reading tarot is telling the visual story. Sure, it’s vital that we learn the foundation of the traditional meanings, but how these meanings intersect with the story the images are telling you, is where the real magic happens. It’s one of the things I love about tarot. It’s one of the reasons I own so many tarot decks. And I am never more excited about a reading than when the visual story is this clear. So, let’s get into it!

June Reflection: Six of Cups

At the beginning of the month, we pulled the Wheel of Fortune, with a message to pay attention to the patterns in our lives, and more specifically, the idea of history repeating itself.

This is interesting because, as we close out the month, we do so with the Six of Cups - a card that is all about the past, childhood and looking backwards.

Oftentimes, this card is regarded as a positive thing. We are looking back with fondness. Perhaps, on occasion, too fondly (and seeing the past through rose-tinted glasses). There is nostalgia. A yearning. And yet, this is not what I see at all with this image.

At its core, this card isn’t about happy memories. The card simply tells us that our past is playing a significant role in our present. For many people, the things that crop up in relation to the past, or childhood, are less favourable.

And this is represented in the image of the card. We see a little girl who is reaching for the cup of flowers in the older boy’s hands. He is holding it tantalisingly out of reach - teasingly so. The adult in the background has his back turned, so he cannot see what is happening, nor intervene. This does not look like a fond recollection.

And so, through the month of June, it seems something (or multiple things perhaps) cropped up in the present, that cast our mind backward. I guess you could say, something ‘triggered’ us, bringing to our attention something from the past that is unresolved.

But this can be a good thing, because it gives us an opportunity to work through it. We can uncover limiting beliefs that belong to an old version of us (and that don’t reflect where we are now in our lives). We can see toxic behaviour in relationships for what it is.

And most importantly, bringing this back to the Wheel of Fortune, we can be more intentional about the cycles we don’t want to carry forward, unconsciously, into the next chapter of our lives.

Essentially, this reading is for the cycle breakers. The people who want to do better - to be better. The people who want a better life for themselves, and for those around them.

And as we enter into July, perhaps we can start to see the results of our efforts.

July Outlook: Ten of Cups

This is typically a card of emotional fulfilment, but when we look at the visual story told here, we see two things - and one or both might be relevant to you. After all, this is a collective reading.

Firstly, we could look at the story in these cards as a reparation - the two kids in the Six of Cups have repaired their relationship, and strengthened it. This doesn’t need to be about a relationship specifically, but moving into July, there is potential for past wrongs to be repaired in some way. It’s not about erasing the past. It’s not about glossing over it, ignoring it or burying it. It’s about a deep willingness to say, “This wasn’t working before. Why wasn’t it working? What part did I play in this? What part did other people play in this? How willing to take accountability are the parties involved? How can we do better, moving forward?”

The problem is, though, that not all things can be repaired. And that’s okay. It doesn’t prevent us from moving forward. It doesn’t prevent us from finding closure. The other thing I see in these cards is a sense of something coming ‘full circle’, and that is something that can bring us great peace and fulfilment. If we look at the visual story again, we could instead see the woman in this image as the girl in the Six of Cups, all grown up, watching children play together happily, in contrast to her own previous experience. Perhaps realising the part she has played in cultivating that environment, there is a ‘full circle moment’ of deep contentment, and perhaps, healing.

Remember that the image here doesn’t necessarily have to represent your exact circumstances. The visual representation we see in tarot is more often than not metaphorical. So, if we strip it down to basics, what we are seeing here is a past pattern that has not served you (or perhaps caused you pain), being broken. Seeing that play out in real time and realising the power you have to change the narrative, that you are not trapped in that past memory, is the full circle moment, whatever that moment might be. Look out for it, my friend. And if you do spot yourself in one of these moments, be sure to celebrate it. And not just that, be proudof yourself.

Have a wonderful July, my friends. See you on the other side.

Sending love

N x