Cancer in the Druidcraft Tarot: the Four of Cups

In the system of astrological correspondences that I use, the Four of Cups is linked to the Moon in Cancer, and to the final ten days in the sign (approximately 11^th-21^st). If we combine the qualities associated with the luminary and zodiac sign, the Moon in Cancer could be said to represent the potential for a wealth of love and care.

 

Druidcraft Tarot: Four of Cups (detail)

Yet the Four of Cups is often associated with concepts such as boredom, discontent, apathy, confusion, depression, and even rejection.  Those needs haven’t been met; we feel fed up with our lot. Perhaps we feel unloved, or that our offer of love has been spurned.  The number ‘four’ makes me think of squares – four-sided stable figures that are hard to shift. Once we hit this ‘slough of despond’ (thanks, John Bunyan) we are at the mercy of our emotions, which ebb and flow – like the tides at the mercy of the Moon.  Like high and low tides, our emotions can carry us to extremes - to the point where we lose sight of reality, and we can’t see the love that’s being offered to us.  

The Druidcraft’s Four of Cups shows this – the figure in the image disregards the three cups before him, but even more importantly, he’s yet to notice the cup nestling in the tree above and behind him. It's there, at hand - if only he'd turn around and notice - a cardinal action!

Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections