Five of Cups

The Five of Cups is aligned with Mars in Scorpio and known as the Lord of Loss in Pleasure. It represents a loss of balance, misunderstandings in relationships and conflicts in feelings.

Mars gives great energy to the intensity of Scorpio, and if not careful we may feel that we are overwhelmed on the feeling level.

There has been stability and a sense of continuity in past relationships, and yet something new arises and as it is not yet understood, it causes confusion and pain. When something comes up for us on the feeling level that is not familiar, often we judge it as bad, but it need not be so.

It is just a new element of relating to ourselves and others, and it is understandable that new emotions will create feelings of discomfort. But if we persist and instead of being fearful, get curious instead, there is the opportunity to experience even deeper levels of connection with others, whether they are those we know or those we are yet to meet.

There may be a feeling that we have lost something that we cherished, and it feels like a period of mourning. What we don't understand is that behind the grey stormclouds is a beautiful rainbow that means the sun is about to come out again, we just need to turn our faces to it.

Often this card turns up when there is something on the feeling level - either within ourselves or with an important relationship - that we have denied or pushed away, brushing it off as if it were not real. But the truth always comes back around eventually, and so by trying to save yourself or others from pain, the arrow still finds its target.

Time to look at where you have been disappointed on the feeling level, in relationships with others, and to also acknowledge what your expectations have been around those situations - were they too high, and do you need to release them now in order to move on?

“A wonderful gift may not be wrapped as you expect.” ― Jonathan Lockwood Huie