Saturday, May 21, 2016

The Four of Cups - Taking a Time Out



From the Fenestra Tarot

The Four of CupsTaking a Time Out

Original writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

Sometimes it is just too much. Life may be rich and full but there comes a point when we feel we cannot take on – or feel  - one more thing. We need a time out, time to process and regroup.  The woman in the above card looks “done” to me. Three goblets sit upon her table. Maybe she has partaken of all three and is now fully sated and unable to consume one more drop. Or maybe she drank them all and found their contents lacking, unsatisfying, and certainly does not want any more of the same. Whatever the circumstances, as a fourth goblet is offered to her, she folds her arms and, completely uninterested, does not accept the offer. I can just hear her saying, “No. Really – no.” 

I so know how she feels.  

Those three goblets represent the previous card in the Tarot – the Three of Cups  - which was all about creativity and definitely being in a celebratory mood.  We loved, we partied, we expanded our emotional limits, we let the floodgates open and run free. But now, the Four of Cups is upon us.  We are maxed out and need the luxury of a time out, to process and feel our way through that watery world of emotions we just immersed ourselves in and so happily celebrated.  All that new emotional input has left us feeling floundering and washed out to sea, past the safety of the shoreline. Maybe extravagance caused us to lose track of how much we were emotionally expending. Perhaps we have taken on burdens that belong to others, not us. Maybe a personal relationship has challenged us past our comfort zone. It could be an over dose of empathy for the crazy world emotions constantly spewed out to us through the media.  Or maybe we simply have reached a point where all the touchy- feely living has put us into boredom and apathy.  

The Fours in the Tarot are about structure and foundation. The Four of Cups is telling us it is time to pull in, to allow some space and time while we regroup and sort out our feelings. We are called to step back and allow the creative jumble of the Threes to settle down into a new foundation and support, to re-establish some boundaries and get our bearings. We need to find out where the heck we are again. What in all that emotional input really works for us? What did we learn from it all? How have we overextended ourselves? Were we honest and authentic or did we perhaps party for the sake of selfish emotional indulgence?  It is wonderful to create and celebrate and bring forth the new, but then we need a place to put that energy, to apply it and let it work for us, to build upon it, to become more aware of just how our emotions are moving through us and out into the world. 

If you relate to the woman in the card, please give yourself the luxury of time out.  Going into a prolonged state of denial, angst, or boredom will not serve you well in the long run, but taking a conscious retreat and finding your emotional base again will be of life-long service to you. Maybe you need to learn to say “no” or “yes” based on what you really feel rather than what you think you should feel (please don’t should on yourself!)

Reach out if you need help. Be solitary if that would serve you better. Listen to any intuitive messages coming through – after all this is the suit of Cups – of emotions and intuition and the ability to tune in to Spirit’s promptings. 

So take a break and enjoy your journey.



Kathryn Ravenwood  May 20, 2016