Aces symbolize beginnings, the start of something new and the seed of new growth, feeling something new, maybe something you haven't felt before.  It might be a new emotion, a new relationship or a new awareness about an existing relationship.  The seed of love, anger, jealousy or another emotion has been planted.  Cups are associated with the element of water, with emotions, love, pleasure in life, matters pertaining to the unconscious, intuition and inner planes.   They represent the growth and awareness of the unconscious, emotional interactions and relationships with others.  Cups can also connect us with psychic activity and the Universe on an unconscious level.  The Ace of Cups traditionally refers to a new emotional connection, new insight about a relationship or new growth in an area that brings pleasure to your life. 

As I was considering the meaning of this card I was struck by something - I was being given one of the cups held by Temperance in yesterday's COTD.  I am being given a cup of healing, of self-love, of joy.  For too long I have drunk from the cup of bitterness, self-doubt and self-hatred.  I need to find the balance that Temperance offered yesterday and the way to start to do that is to drink from the cup of love and joy and happiness and allows its waters to flow through me, washing out all that negative energy I've been carrying around for so long.

It's as if the cards are telling me that I need to allow myself to feel purified and cleansed in order to regain my balance again.  And, as a lot of folks know first hand, loving ourselves and letting ourselves release the negative and damaging energies lingering from our childhoods can be easier said than done.  Perhaps that is my focus right now - using my own healing process to help others heal too.

I've been really thinking a lot about Mackenzie Phillips' latest revelations.  It occurred to me that those of us who over-indulge or even abuse drugs and alcohol are trying to drown all that pain and sorrow; to silence the voice that demands we reveal this horror to the world.  We become convinced that we have done something to cause these acts to be committed upon us - whether we are rape survivors, incest survivors or physical abuse survivors.  Our egos become so shriveled that we think alcohol will help plump it up a bit, even if it's only temporary.  We think stuffing drugs, alcohol, food or something else into our mouths will fill that hole in our souls, but it won't; it can't.  The only thing that can heal that is to cleanse ourselves of the guilt, the responsibility and the shame.  We did nothing wrong.  We survived.

So I now accept the cup of love and joy and healing from Temperance and I'm going to try to lets its healing energy flow through my body and my life.  I know it won't be easy and it won't be quick, but at least it's a start.  I invite anyone and everyone who reads this blog to join me in a draught.