Aces symbolize beginnings, the start of something new and the seed of new growth.  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.  

"You're feeing something new, maybe something you haven't felt before.  It might be a new emotion, a new relations, or a new awareness about an existing relationship.  The seed of love, anger, jealousy or another emotion has been planted." - Gail Fairfield

As soon as I saw the images on these two cards, the first word that came to mind is blessings.  These blessings might not be in the form of possessions or material goods but they are a joy to have in one's life.  The blessings I see pouring forth from the Sacred Rose Ace of Cups can be seen as the divine blessings bestowed upon us by a greater power.  Perhaps it is this gift that allows us to love one another and care for those around us.  It is this gift that allows us to create psychic connection to the world around us; to be sensitized to the various energies that flow in our environment.

The fish swimming in a pond on the Gaian card reminds me of the Celtic legends involving a salmon of wisdom.  Eating the flesh of this salmon enables the taster to understand the language of the animals and to gain great knowledge.  Perhaps it is making the effort and having the desire to understand the world around us that give us this ability.  Sometimes just sitting next to a lovely pond like this and simply watching the world around us will allow us to understand so much more about our environment.  Perhaps humans lost the ability to connect with the plants, trees, animals, birds and fish because we started moving so fast that we just pass them by instead of watching what they do.  This image reminds me that slowing down and taking the time to simply watch the fish swim, the squirrels scamper and the birds soaring in the air will teach me more than any book ever could.

Both these cards serve as a reminder that not only am I blessed by the divine in life but I am blessed by the world around me too.  If I am not careful and honor these gifts I may lost them or lose my ability to appreciate them.  It's so easy to get caught up in the day to day craziness that surrounds us and as a result we lose our connection to the quieter and more important, at least to me, side of things.  These cards remind me that taking the time to enjoy a warm, sunny summer day or listen to the birds chatter to each other is just as important a part of enjoying life as making sure the bills are paid.  Actually it's a much more enjoyable and pleasant part of life.  And this card symbolizes a new opportunity to enjoy, appreciate and celebrate those moments.