What is my lesson for the day?

Queens are associated with inner and personal control, competency, maturity, introspection, self-awareness, nurturance, healing and fulfillment.  Cups are associated with the element of water, with emotions, love, pleasure in life, matters pertaining to the unconscious, intuition and inner planes.  The Queen of Cups may be devoted to the needs of family and friends, and at her best shows a radiant, compassionate heart.  She is intuitive and able to tune in to the emotional needs of others.  She's a dreamer who can turn her imaginings into creative activity.  Reversed she can symbolize someone who indulges in emotional outbursts and a martyr complex in a quest for sympathy.  She can also become manipulative on an emotional level if she is unable to channel her energies into a productive outlet.

On the Fradella Adventure Queen of Masks we see the figure of Courtesan (I'm guessing her occupation fits her name).  She is a dark-haired siren wearing a light purple dress that is both concealing and revealing at the same time.  She holds a mask over the right side of her face.  A waterfall pours down behind her and she stands thigh deep in a pool of water.  He expression is one of both knowledge and sorrow.  On the Anna K Queen of Cups is a blonde woman garbed in a long deep blue gown.  A silver crown adorns her brow and she holds a gold chalice in her hand.  Her forehead rests upon the chalice as though in sorrow or deep thought.  She sits on a rocky outcropping under the crescent moon as her feet and left hand dangle in the water.  She appears thoughtful and pensive.

Both these cards gave me a view of the Queen of Cups that I hadn't considered before.  My connection to the Queen of Cups has always been weak at best.  She has always been my least favorite of the Queens.  I usually envision her as overly emotional, rather manipulative and clingy types.  I hadn't fully appreciated the power and wisdom inherent in being the Queen of Cups.  Both these women have expressions that makes me believe they have faced the most sorrowful aspects of human nature.  It cannot be easy to look deep into the hearts of humans.  We can be a fairly duplicitous and dishonest group.  We lie to ourselves about our motivations and even when we do claim to love others there is often some ulterior motive involved.  Yes, that is a cynical appraisal but I'm exaggerating to make a point.

These women have not only looked into the deepest heart of human nature, they have been willing to try to heal those in pain.  Courtesan stands thigh deep in the waters of human nature and she is not overwhelmed.  She seems in control and clear about her goals.  Her name reminds me of the sacred prostitutes of the ancient world - women who would provide any man who visited the temple with the gift of sexuality.  They would embrace the dregs of society and provide him with the healing power present in sacred intercourse.  The blonde woman on the Anna K Queen of Cups is surrounded by darkness under a crescent moon.  Despite being vulnerable to the darkness, she is clearly defined and seems to be troubled but not in despair.  I get the sense she is making a plan or has reached a decision about what she will do.

Both these women seem strong and determined, not weak and clingy.  They use their intuitive and emotional power as a tool to make the world a better place.  They are strong and focused women who may know how to manipulate people on an emotional level but that is not their primary function.  They want to heal and fix the wounds that plague us all.  They want to sooth those hurts and makes people's lives a bit more hopeful and joyful.  That is certainly a worth effort.

How appropriate that right now I am in the process of rediscovering my interest in Reiki.  I had received my Level I attunement several years ago (by the creator of The Stone Tarot - one of my secret joys).  And this has also helped me see how positive emotional energy can help the world heal and become a more positive and hopeful place.  It is so easy to take pot shots at people, to wound them with words or withhold our support and love to punish them.  All that does is make the world even more ugly.  Reiki healing is one way to try to counter-balance all the negativity and nastiness in the world. 

I have always been drawn to the darker side of human nature.  I studied forensic psychology, love horror novels and movies (especially Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft) and have personally witnessed some of the darkest actions humans can commit.  It's almost as though I have to face that side of human nature in order to overcome it.  I am fascinated by serial killers and at one time I would devour books about them and watched endless documentaries.  When I wondered why I realized that on some level I hope that if I understand what motivates them and causes them to behave in the ways they do then maybe I can ensure I am never hurt by one.  Of course that is also a product of the US media's obsession with convincing us all that we can be victims.  They create a paranoia and fear that is unhealthy and has caused a lot of damage over the years.  At the same time I realize that despite my fascination with the dark side of human nature, I still have faith in us.  I still think that our better natures will eventually win out.  It may take longer than we'd like but I do think good eventually triumphs over evil.  Hope and the genuine goodness inherent in human nature will overcome our darker impulses.  It will take people like me and others who are interested in healing the world doing our part to offset all that negative energy.  It might not be easy but it can be done.