The traditional meaning of this card is, hey some cups have spilled but look over here at these non-spilled cups! Meaning, yes, something is lost, changed, gone, but focus on what you do have. But another layer is, don't rush yourself in turning away from the spilled cups, from your grieving process. We're really quick to push down emotions and try to get to the "positive" lesson in stuff, but that is not always appropriate. Like, if you'd just lost your mom, how helpful would it be to hear, "yeah, she died but it's so great that you still have your dad!" Zero helpful, right? We gotta grieve when we feel loss. And however that happens for you is ok. Like if you feel angry, numb, relieved, sad, all or none of the above. There's nothing negative about facing your feelings and giving them space. Grieving makes space for us to fully appreciate what we still have, and not as a performance of positivity.
I love when a new layer of a card reveals itself unexpectedly. I was talking about this card in class yesterday and this nuance came through, and I just found myself saying it out loud. Truly the learning is in the doing, with tarot as with everything else in life. Next Tarot for Creativity class is 6/22 at Pioneer Works, tickets available here.
Please reach out if you're interested in a reading, private tarot lessons or a group class. I'm looking to share as much tarot magic as possible this spring and summer!