Scorpio in the Minor Arcana: The Seven of Cups

The Seven of Cups, in the astrological correspondence system I follow, is linked to the last decan (12^th-21^st November), as well as Venus in Scorpio.   

So, what qualities does Venus bring to Scorpio? Venus has been called ‘the principle of attraction’. It describes our appreciation for beauty (a very subjective area!) and reflects our taste in all sorts of things (dress, art, music, etc) as well as giving us clues about the relationships we’re drawn to.  So, if we combine this with what we know about Scorpio – the Fixed Water sign – what do we find? A deep, emotional attraction – intense, compulsive, obsessive even! There could be a need to ‘dive into the depths’ of relationship in order to feel close to the other.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

But there’s also a balance between giving and receiving (remember that Venus also rules airy Libra, which has an affinity to the 7^th house of partnership), so Venus in Scorpio can be very healing through transformation in the area of shared resources.

Bu how does this fit with the Seven of Cups? This card is often linked to daydreams and fantasies, and having to make choices from a number of options in order to turn dreams into reality.  In the Shadowscapes Tarot, the image conjures up the phrase ‘castles in the air’. One figure looks up, seeing only dreams and fantasies. The other figure is more grounded, looking at a specific plan.  There are unlimited possibilities, but we need to find a Venusian balance in order to make the changes required.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

We see this too in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli image, the cups contains symbols of things that we might long for – the dragon representing strength, the dove - spirit, jewels - wealth (both emotional and material), the laurel - success, the serpent - sexuality, the castle - security, and the draped figure representing our true self.  All things that we might be attracted to – the power of Venus at work! And it may be that we are unwilling to recognize or admit to having all these desires, especially if we feel that we ‘shouldn’t’ have them – that they are ‘taboo’ in some way.

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

The Druid Craft's version evokes that sense of longing too, but there's a sadness in this image, I feel, leading to an emotional imbalance.  But is he so lost in the choices in the pool that he's unaware of what's going on elsewhere? A bit like the two figures in the Shadowscapes image, perhaps, needing to make a change, a choice, to regain emotional harmony.

Seven of Vessels (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

The Wildwood echoes that sense of sadness - the creators of the deck chose 'mourning' as the keyword for the card. The Scorpio theme comes through here loud and strong, as they write in the accompanying book "a time to honour what is dead and mourn for what is gone. ..offering thanks for cherished memories and being at peace with the past".  Although this is not a deck rooted in astrology, I can see the idea of being at peace with what's gone before, and cherishing memories being quite Venusian and Scorpionic.  We need to let emotions go through their natural cycle (Scorpio associated with cycles of death and rebirth) in order to achieve that peace (Venus being the ruler of Libra, the sign of peace, balance and harmony).

Seven of Cups (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

In the Thoth Tarot, the word that Crowley chose for the card is ‘debauchery’.  As with many of the cards in this deck, I feel it’s coming from the other direction – but yet still brings us to the same point.  The daydreams or fantasies may have led to overindulgence, satiation, succumbing to our compulsions – particularly things which we feel are ‘taboo’ or not allowed – ending up with us feeling emotionally out of balance. Venus is no longer in her beloved Libra, but is now in deep, dark intense Scorpio!  But the message is the same – it’s time to open our eyes and see the reality, not the dreams – otherwise we can’t move forward; we will stagnate.   We may still choose one of those dreams, but it’s time to turn it into reality.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections