Cease trying to work everything out with your minds. It will get you nowhere. Live by intuition and inspiration and let your whole life be Revelation.
Eileen Caddy (1917-2006, co-founder of Findhorn)

This week of the Full Moon and the holiest week in Christendom, as well as the sacred time of Passover for Jews, we are visited by a powerfully feminine force. Say hello this week to the Queen of Cups.

The Queen of Cups has been compared to the mystical, beautiful High Priestess, and it is not a far stretch to consider her the real-life equivalent. As a Court card, of course, she is usually an actual person in your life, or some aspect of you, yourself.

Although she is kind and empathetic, she is no wimp. She conducts herself with mature wisdom, and as a Queen, she is a gentle, but powerful leader, creator, or innovator.

She sits upon a throne carved with mermaids, the magical beings of the seas. Her throne, firmly on land, indicates that she is connected to the work and protection of her lands in practical ways. The echoing shape of the cliff behind her also hints at her solidity and groundedness.

But the waters flowing over her right foot at the water’s edge, and blending with her gown, make clear her unity with the seas of the unconscious, dreams, imagination, intuition and emotion. And of course, the sea is The Mother’s womb of all life on our Planet.

The Queen’s gaze is very intent, as if she is studying the markings on the cup. Arthur Waite tells us that it is of her own creation. Certainly it is the manifestation of great artistry, for it is by far the most ornate and unique cup in the Waite-Smith Tarot.

The Shekhinah

Her cup is closed, presided over by two angels on each handle, which some scholars compare to the seraphim on the Ark of the Covenant. In Judeo-Christian traditions, the Ark is believed to have held the Shekhinah, which is considered by some to be the Feminine aspect of God.

According to the Talmud, the Shekhinah is what gave God’s chosen ones the power of prophecy and how King David was blessed with the ability to create his beautiful Psalms. The Shekhinah manifests as a form of joy, connected with prophecy and creativity. Is such a gift contained in the Queen’s cup?

This somewhat rare visit of the Queen of Cups might inspire our friends who practice the most ancient of the Abrahamic faiths to remember and honor the Divine Feminine Face of their God this Passover week. For surely that aspect is desperately necessary in these parched, violent times.

It also reminds me of the ornate baptismal fonts in Anglican and Catholic churches, or the ciborium, which is the box (often silver or gold) that communion wafers are kept in. As you may know, the R-W-S Ace of Cups shows the dove of Spirit delivering one of those wafers.

This is the week when Christians will be celebrating the events surrounding that first mystical ritual, as enacted at the Last Supper, as well as the subsequent death and resurrection of their God, for the redemption of humanity.

Thus we have a beautifully timed message from the Tarot about forgiveness, love, renewal, and divine Grace. In this week of solemn celebration for those who claim Jesus of Nazareth as their Lord and Savior, this theme seems to have been lost to bigotry, arrogance, and power struggles among so many who claim to worship him.

The gift of the Queen of Cups is a matter that goes straight to the heart – one that you are not likely to understand intellectually. Happily, you don’t have to; you have only to receive it.

Try a Little Tenderness

Like all Tarot cards, there is both light and shadow within this image. The Queen of Cups’ challenging aspect is that she can unconsciously soak up and act out the emotions and moods of those around her.

She can also be emotionally needy, yet fickle in her dealings, first going one way, then the other, taking the path of least resistance.

In what ways might you need to set good boundaries between your own sensitive heart and the possibly intensely flowing feelings of those in your life? Where would it be wise for you to cultivate stillness and more depth?

Have you learned good energetic hygiene techniques to clear and cleanse away the emotional gunk that you tend to accumulate? Do you allow joy to be your guide in the realms of intuition and psychic awareness?

Though there may be challenges, the Queen of Cups nevertheless can be kindness and compassion personified. Who in your life offers gifts of intuition, love, healing, and forgiveness?

She (or he) may be inviting you to study with seriousness your own psychic gifts. In what ways are you being asked to listen to non-ordinary guidance and the longings of your heart? What love is in front of you, but perhaps hidden under the lid, for now?

This week, there are challenging astrological aspects that this feminine grace can mediate. And under the bright beams of the Full Moon, pay close attention to your dreams and longings.

Remember — tenderness is not weakness; it is the truest kind of strength. What wounds need the touch only you can give, that they may be healed? Yours is the power to do so, through your inner knowing.

May gentle blessings and grace wash away all sorrows. Let our whole lives be Revelation.