Maybe if we focused on being light and less on the dark, we might actually see things change.
Michael M. Rose
In this week that brings us the sweet mystery of the Lady Luna in Her own sign of Cancer and the start of the much ballyhooed Barbault Basket, we are visited by another Knight this week. Following on the heels of last week’s Pentacles champion, the Knight of Cups brings his message of hope and love.
Heaven knows we need this gentle and timely inspiration right now.
The court cards of the Tarot may sometimes represent the abstract energy pattern of a subtle but important relationship interaction. But often, they represent actual people. They may stand in for you or someone else (of either sex, regardless of the gender in the card).
There are four Knights in the Tarot court, and they are the “action figures.” They are the champions, the energetic and often forceful movers and shakers. Like knights of old, they are soldiers that quest, battle, and act as the agents of pivotal changes.
And the Tarot suit of Cups centers on emotions, dreams, imagination, and love. Thus, this is a knight who is both a warrior and a romantic.
He wears a cloak covered with images of fish. Perhaps the fish is the salmon, sacred bearer of wisdom for many of the First Nations, as well as in Celtic lore. Or it may be the esoteric emblem of the Christ. But it is certainly a symbol of spirit, compassion, and empathy.
This Knight travels with his eyes open, looking ahead, yet holds the cup as if in offering. Or perhaps, like the Cups’ Queen, he sees it as a tool for divination. His heart and his dreams guide him.
His helmet and feet are winged, similarly to the messenger of the Gods, Hermes, indicating that he (or she) has an active and eloquent imagination. Yet he rides his horse with measured, graceful steps.
Horses are significant allies for humanity, for they represent power, freedom, energy, and endurance. And in traditions the world over, white horses are especially noteworthy. Since prehistoric times, in folklore across the globe, they are nearly universally honored as bringers of good fortune and the steeds of Goddesses and Gods, radiating purity, spirituality, and light.
Here, the Knight of Cups prepares to cross a stream in an otherwise arid land, facing the steep mountains ahead. This is a card of transition, the beginning of the adventure, not the homecoming. Perhaps the cup he holds is yet to be filled. Or he may be on a mission to deliver its contents to others.
The New Moon’s Loving Gifts
This week’s New Moon is, arguably, one of the most important ones in terms of what is near and dear to your heart. It is the Moon of the Moon sign itself. And as you probably know, New Moons are the times for setting your magical intention.
Our brilliant astrologer friend Elisabeth Grace tells us:
After a somewhat rattled start to the week, Tuesday’s Cancer New Moon places a renewed focus on feelings, family, and a longing for the comfort and security of times past. Flights of fancy—from the inspired to the deceptive to the downright delusional—may carry us away in a wave.
Those possibilities are especially relevant for the United States, given the prominence of dreamy Neptune in the New Moon chart…
With his gentle, fanciful influence, our Knight is a poetic dreamer who would be at home under this Moon’s guidance.
And speaking of Lady Moon, Elisabeth continues:
This week is also marked by more than one long Moon void, which, coupled with Mercury still retrograde in touchy-feely Cancer, encourages us to make time for rest and self-care. We are building toward the climax of this year’s second-most-talked-about planetary pattern (the first was the conjunction of Saturn and Neptune at 0° Aries back in February).
That second pattern is the Barbault Basket, mostly exact on Monday. Norma and I discussed this pattern in last week’s Spontaneous Chat, where we reviewed the chart for this rare celestial event. This pattern strikes me as one long, sustained chord, resonating with all the anticipation of sitting in a darkened movie theater, waiting for the feature to begin.
Harmonious, irrevocable change is possible under the influence of the Barbault Basket. With this good Knight carrying a gift of grace, there is tremendous hope for our new beginnings to be good ones.
But please remember that what this potential may amount to is up to us. Neither astrology nor the Tarot guarantees a future one way or another. Our free will and actions are always the final arbiters.
Annie Heese at Café Astrology also emphasizes this New Moon’s potential:
On Tuesday morning, the Sun and Moon align in the sign of Cancer. The New Moon in Cancer is a good time to commit to personal goals that express the positive energies of the sign of the Crab. These include honoring our deepest, most irrational, and intimate feelings; recognizing the sense of security and safety we derive from whatever it is we call home; allowing ourselves to accept support and offering support to others; and starting a project aimed at improving our domestic lives or a major long-term venture.
With this potent Cancer energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives that will benefit us well beyond this Moon cycle.
If the Knight’s cup is the loving chalice that offers this support with generosity and unconditionally, what would your New Moon wish be?
Now is the time to ask.
Magical Bringer of Love and Healing
The Knight of Cups expresses some of humanity’s most ancient longings. Perhaps this is the storied cupbearer that brings true love and healing. Often interpreted as a pure-of-heart hero who carries the famed Holy Grail, he very much resembles the White Knight of Faery tales and the faithful, idealistic protector. This is the traveler who tells the saga of the human heart.
Traditional meanings point to the significant arrival of someone or something of great, heartfelt worth.
Youthful and kindly in outlook, yet fully prepared to battle for what is noble and good, who is this Knight in your world?
Or in the larger world around us? The last time he came to call, this past Winter, I nominated the Buddhist monks who were walking for peace.
Who would you suggest at this time?
This person may tend towards moodiness, introspection, and flights of fancy. One moment, brimming with idealism and romance, he can be easily wounded despite all that armor, for he wears his heart on his sleeve. Practicality, objectivity, and follow-through are not his strengths either, so he may be prone to despair when his poetic fantasies do not materialize.
Of a graceful, sensitive nature, he or she hungers for all that is fine and beautiful, and the arts play a supremely important role for this empath.
Listening to the Promptings of Our Hearts
His appearance this week urges us to find our courage for change. He may call for us to sweep away some kind of dishonesty, particularly in matters of the heart. It would be no surprise if the catalyst for this revelation is a vision or the mysterious promptings of a premonition.
What message has been coming to you in your dreams? Who comes knocking on our heart’s door, calling us to engage in a mission of love and inspiration?
What emotional journey have you embarked upon? Expressing your artistic side is vital at this time and positive news is in motion. Love’s gifts beckon.
This Knight’s promise is that our hearts may safely guide us, as long as we agree, like him, to remain alert, calm, and guarding wisely the chalice of love that is most precious to us.
Despite all the difficulty now closing in on us, it is time to reject rancor, cynicism, and despair. Let us instead seek beauty as the sacrament and strengthener of our divine purpose.
Let us drink deep and share, for we each carry an empty cup that only Love can fill.