Monthly Reflection: Six & Seven of Cups
As we enter into the month of December, could I use any deck but the Yuletide Tarot for our Monthly Reflection? In this Christmastime-themed deck, the Cups suit is renamed to the suit of Good Cheer, and interestingly, we’ve pulled sequential cards - the Six and the Seven.
Deck: Yuletide Tarot
November Reflection - Six of Good Cheer
Traditionally, this card is about nostalgia and, in this deck, we have a parent watching what appears to be his children, walking off to the front door of a house. We could assume that this is dad, sending his children off to their other parent for Christmas. In that moment, we might expect he reflects on previous Christmases spent with his children. Perhaps he reflects on how little they once were (and how fast they’re growing). Perhaps he recalls Christmases pre-separation, where the whole family was together, and the children weren’t being passed between their parents. All of this can bring up mixed emotions. Memories of happy Christmases past can equally feel painful when we realise that things are different now. But that doesn’t mean that where we are is bad or broken. We can feel fully content with the life we are leading, and still be sad that some things don’t exist anymore.
Let’s contextualise this with the father who watches his children walking to that front door. He might have happy memories of a previous Christmas, when he and his partner were still together. But that happy Christmas was so significant because it was the only time he and his partner weren’t arguing. He might miss the younger years of his children, but be even more proud and in awe of the children they’re becoming. Perhaps the situation was reversed last year, and he had a phenomenal Christmas with them, but this present moment doesn’t taint or diminish the happy memories of the year before.
In essence, this card encourages us to remember that nostalgia and looking back at good times and missing something that isn’t there anymore, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Good memories don’t erase the reality of the present. They don’t make your current happiness any less relevant. These memories can be cherished and preserved for what they are, and can serve as a reminder to remain present in the moment now.
Because everything becomes a memory, over time. Even the bad times will, at some point, become something you’ll look back on because - it will either make you appreciate how much better things are and how far you’ve come, or it will become a piece of the puzzle that helped you along the way. Perhaps, looking back, it’ll even make you laugh.
So, whatever is happening in your life right now. Soak it in. Enjoy it. Because nothing is permanent, so every moment is precious.
December Outlook - Seven of Good Cheer
What an incredibly relevant card for December! In this card, we have multiple options. It’s really hard to know what the right thing to choose is. Do we choose cup number one, number two or number three? Each kind of presents us with a ‘promise’, and they can all look good on paper to some degree, but it’s impossible to actually know the reality of any of these options. As we enter into the Christmas season, no doubt, many of us are presented with multiple options and lots of choices to make. Do we spend the holidays here or there? Are they going to like this present more or that one? Should I go to the work’s Christmas do or the friend group Christmas get together… or do I just stay home, make myself a hot chocolate and curl up under a blanket watching Christmas movies? (*cough* Option 3. Option 3! *cough*)
How many couples have to make the impossible choice of which family to spend Christmas with. How many adult children of divorced parents have had to make the impossible choice between parents. How many people have spent Christmases driving from pillar to post, only for everyone to be disappointed they couldn’t stay longer? The point is that there’s always too much for us to do over the holiday season - whether there are time, financial or logistical barriers that prevent us from doing everything we set out to. So the question is, how do we know what to choose, what to prioritise, and what to say ‘no’ to?
The thing is, we can’t actually know for certain. And so we’re going to need to rely on our instincts and our intuition to make the call. This is something that we can learn from our experiences in November. In the Seven of Good Cheer, the figure we see is a snowman. Soon, as the weather warms, he will melt. If life is short, and if memories are to be cherished, whether things go well or fail miserably, then we need to be unafraid of living during the month of December. Enjoy the ride. Some things we’ll forever remember for the joy we felt. Others we’ll remember for how disastrous they were. But if we do it with an open heart full of love, we’ll always gain something from the journey.
Have a wonderful festive season my friends! See you on the other side.
N x
