Who’s ready for some wisdom from the Tarot? As part of our (very) occasional series on Tarot, let’s examine the 10 of cups. Today we’ll look at the topic of love and support from community through the lens of this bountiful card.
I’ve been doing a New Moon reading for myself each month for a few years now. This past month, one of the cards that showed up was the 10 of cups. It reminded me that despite my current experience of lack (in the area of finances, specifically), that I am blessed with an abundance of love and support in my life.
Let’s take a closer look at the 10 of cups. Here’s the card from the traditional Rider-Waite deck (click on the image to see a larger version).
Notice the happy exuberance on display in the imagery. The cups spread abundantly across the sky, enmeshed in a rainbow. The couple welcomes this bounty with open arms, while children dance merrily. The landscape is lush and green. There is flowing water, and a building that indicates people live nearby. This cozy picture tells a tale of blessings being received by the community.
Among the traditional meanings of the 10 of cups is the notion of being “at home” with yourself and others. This card is also an affirmation of the joy and wholeness in your life. The 10 of cups indicates the blessing of a happy, loving family and group of friends.
In other words, abundant community.
I have long been blessed with a very supportive and loving family, both in terms of the family I’ve created and in the extended family I came from. What I’d like to talk about in this post, though, is my community of friends, especially my women friends.
Early in my life I was very shy, and thus slow to make friends. I often felt isolated and left out of the groups and cliques I saw at school. In college, I was able to find people who had similar interests and to expand my group of friends. Still, I never really found the circle of women friends that I saw others enjoying.
As an adult, I had a close female friend who was my “best friend” for quite a few years. In retrospect, it wasn’t a very healthy relationship. Most of our activities were things she wanted to do, and I kind of went along for the ride. She kept pushing me to change, but not in ways that grew organically from my evolution as a person; I think she wanted me to live my life her way. I grew to dread seeing this friend’s number pop up on my phone. When I was going through a personal crisis, she chose to lecture me harshly about all the things I was doing wrong, rather than provide the loving support I was seeking.
After that I broke off the friendship, which was a good choice, though it left me feeling lonely.
For a few years I mostly hung out with some of the other homeschooling Moms in my kids’ community. While they were wonderful people, the only thing we truly had in common was that our children were friends. I started feeling left out again, and wondering why none of them shared my passions, or even showed much of an interest in what I was doing, creatively.
At first I tried to figure out once again what was wrong about me, why I wasn’t included in the core group of Moms. This was about the time I was discovering greater self-love. I realized that there was nothing wrong with me, or them. I just hadn’t found my tribe.
I set an intention to develop stronger, more authentic female friendships, probably about 3 years ago. Getting back to the 10 of cups, tens are about completion, results, and rewards. When I pulled this card in my recent reading, it reminded me of the amazing community of women friends I’m now surrounded with. I’m blessed with a true abundance of women who share my passions and interests. My intention has certainly come to pass.
The 10 of cups is a water card, and water is associated with emotions and feelings. The love of my tribe of women flows freely. We’re about fun, support, and personal growth. We’re not interested in judging one another, or playing the comparison game.
Our gatherings do tend to be very watery. The can mean literally gathering on the beach in the summer to skinny-dip and play in the sand, but I also notice it in terms of flow. As a group, we tend to go with what’s needed in each moment. We share our deepest fears, and also our funniest stories. We hold space for each other’s emotional moments. We encourage one another to be wild and free, and to try new things. We also meet each woman where she is, and respect each individual journey.
The 10 of cups also encompasses the notion of gratitude. I’m so thankful for the abundance of love and support I feel from the kick-ass amazing women in my life. I hope that you have a tribe that uplifts and nurtures you, as well.
Leave a comment with your experience with supportive community, your ideas about the 10 of cups, or whatever floats your boat. Blessings!
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