SIX OF CUPS

This card represents the water aspect of Tipareth, which is Kether in the lower arc and Yesod in the upper arc. It is a point of transmutation between form and strength.

The Six of Cups is the most balanced, beautiful, and perfect manifestation of emotion. It is 'Pleasure', as its title shows, pleasure in its truest meaning; that is, the harmony between natural forces, which lead to peace, well being, deep gratification[1], and spiritual heightening when creatively expressed.

Following the Martian transformation of the Five, a new equilibrium is possible in the Six. New relationships are fostered and love can flow without limitations or conditionings.

This card reveals a twofold relationship with the Sun, which governs Tipareth and the second house of Scorpion. In The Sun, consciousness and energy illuminate sexuality, coupled with Scorpion's tendency of transforming, resulting in a boost in the vital current, in psychic-physical health, enthusiasm, creativity, and in the recovery of pleasure on all levels.

This card and its attributes lead us to consider the more conscious use of sexual Energy, which is channeled upwards, and is known in India as Tantra, and in China as sexual Taoism.

The image depicts the stems of the lotus moving gracefully in a sensual and harmonious dance. Crystalline waters cascade from its flowers, filling six cups that do not overflow, showing that there is neither excess nor waste; rather, the concept of feedback is graphically depicted. The undulations in the green sea are symmetrical.

For some authors such as A.E. Waite and S. Kaplan, this card represents that which is illusory, or the influences of the past that annihilate objectiveness. These seem like somewhat odd meanings for the water aspect of the most balanced sphere on the Tree, and would be more applicable with the Moon of Yesod in the Nine of Cups.

This is a time of great pleasure and personal satisfaciton. The questioner watches his/her activities flow more harmoniously. His/her sex life is also enrichened and experienced with love and awareness.

In the words of Alexander Lowen, "The important thing for this person is to have fun, or seem like he is having fun, or at least make others think he is having fun."

This is an ego that must prove to itself and to others that it is doing well, content and happy, since it is disconnected from an internal pleasure. Escaping from a chronic internal dissatisfaction, he/she puts on a mask of happiness and fun, of someone who knows how to enjoy the good things that life has to offer, specially in the realm of sex. He/she is a seducer who loves to tell friends about his/her conquests.

This sort of compulsive fun is the other side of the coin of the compulsive worker. Thus, between beers, jokes, and snacks - football on Sundays - he seeks to forget problems, conflicts, and painful emotions. He/she does not like responsiblities or committments, since they go against his/her escapist attitude towards life. The Agrimony essence will aid in acknowledging his/her grief and frustrations and in working on these feelings honestly.

Pleasure was banned for far too long, so it must now be recovered, though not by buying compensations or seeking fun and distraction; rather, giving oneself affection, following the voice of the heart, knowing how to surround oneself with pleasant and nourishing people, slowly creativity and pleasure will emerge.

A) This is the best time in a relationship. There is live, pleasure, enthusiasm, and sexual attraction. The lovers are less compulsive in bed, and more loving, aware, and creative. With the Sun or the Three of Wands - Virtue - we may say the couple is experiencing a Tantric sexuality.

B) The questioner seeks out pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, not so much to reaffirm him/herself, but rather as pure fun. When the need for assuming committments and responsiblities arises, he/she disappears, for he/she knows not how to assume them with freedom, which, in this case, is the secret to happiness. This person's relationships are of the sex and friendship type. This childish behavior can mature by using the Fairy Lantern** floral essence.

This could indicate a happy, emotionally satisfying, and pleasurable childhood, devoid of sexual repression, and full of nourishing physical contact with the parents. Anyone who had such a childhood, and in the absence of any card indicating a significant trauma in adolescence, would undoubtedly possess characteristics of self-esteem and pleasure that would show throughout the rest of the cards.

If this is not the case, then this card may be indicating that true pleasure, which the child experiences when it feels loved, supported in its initiatives, and heard in its opinions, was pilfered. In exchange, the child was offered fun, distractions, and delicious snacks and desserts. It learned to compensate for the frustrations and perhaps invented fantasies, altering its perception of reality.

The card in this position may also indicate that the child was conditioned to act out a behavior in which balance and harmony apparent in emotional expressions were the dominating factors: "You ar e a gentleman/lady and cannot allow yourself certain liberties."

Within this sort of upbringing, there was greater flexibility than that which as suggested by the rigidity of the Four of Cups, and less cruelty than indicated by the continuous rejection of the Five of Cups, yet the child's authenticity was nonetheless extinguished.

We suggest that this person create the necessary internal and external conditions to increase the doses of pleasure in his/her life.

Pleasure is a bodily feeling connected to an emotional flow, which emerges from the inside in an outwardly direction. It is not something given to us, that we can simply buy; its emergence is a phenomenon related to creativity. Pleasure should be the human being´s natural state, but a series of psychic-physical tensions hamper its flow. We therefore suggest, first of all, bodywork to soften the person up, dynamic meditation, and that the person let go of destructive attitudes so that love and pleasure may blossom naturally.

. We also suggest self-nourishing, rewarding, and vitalizing activities, as well as receptiveness in affectionate relationships with others. The Lotus* flower may aid this person in accessing the internal spiritual world, so that his/her development is not restricted to material plains.

"Simply do that which brings pleasure to you and your surroundings. Simply do something that brings a song and strikes a rhythm around you. This is what I call a religious life." Osho Rajneesh

This is a time of balance and pleasure born out of a more conscious form of relating with oneself and the world.

This person was able to unclog the channels for expressing pleasure. The emotional conflicts have been resolved. He/she feels integrated, balanced, beautiful and sensual, and able to admire harmony, beauty, and sensuality in his/her surroundings

He/she is able to enjoy in many things, and this deep pleasure guides his/her steps, not, however, entailing any shirking of responsibilities or committments. Rather, the questioner faces responsibilities in a creative fashion, integrating them in his/her being, and knowing how to also enjoy the Saturnian side of life.

This person radiates peace, beauty, and an immense internal satisfaction. He/she is balsamic and nourishing with his/her surroundings.

[1] Notice that gratification and gratitude share the same root. The pleasure that gratifies internally automatically leads to gratitude, to being grateful to Existence. Pleasure stems form an amorous connection with the Cosmos and, thus, with the spirituality of life.