Pisces in the DruidCraft Minor Arcana: The Nine of Cups

Today we move on to the Nine of Cups, which - in the system I use - is linked to Jupiter in Pisces, as well as the  middle third of Pisces (28^th February to 9^th March).  Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces, so already we have a sense of how this might play out! Jupiter, the ‘Greater Benefic’, expansive, generous, jovial... and in Pisces, described so well by William Blake’s “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" (from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell). Jupiter in Pisces is compassionate and sensitive, and has great faith or trust in a higher power (and the self).  It wants to grow by living according to its ideals – it’s high-minded, yet its generosity of spirit makes it sympathetic to everyone and everything. 

Nine of Cups (trimmed)
DruidCraft Tarot

Jupiter’s expansiveness gives rise to a sense of benevolence and of being satiated. In Pisces, it’s all about bliss, deep joy, overflowing love... without restrictions.  In the image in the DruidCraft, we can see that this man’s emotions are nourished, the senses are satisfied (symbolized by the spread of food and cups). It’s a time for indulging, to enjoy dreams now fulfilled – “a full and rewarding emotional life”, as the creators of the deck write in the accompanying book.

Jupiter in Pisces also reflects imagination and creativity, which might also be in full Piscean flow. Things really do seem to be going swimmingly! There’s also the sense of ‘blessedness’ that comes from deep-rooted, absolute joy.

The shadow side of Jupiter in Pisces, and the Nine of Cups, is the tendency towards escapism, and losing focus. Not that escapism is always a bad thing, but Jupiter takes things to excess, so what might be healthy escapism runs the risk of becoming an addiction. It could be difficult to deal with the outpouring of emotions, to the point where the emotions end up becoming blocked for fear of the consequences.  There’s also the risk of becoming complacent or lazy in our contentment – the hot-air balloon of Jupiter, the nebulous depths of Pisces...it can be hard to stay grounded!

DruidCraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections 2004