Prosperity Mandala, Day 3
Apr. 21st, 2019 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarot_scholarThis is belated, because I'm a bad occult practitioner and didn't actually sit down and write my thoughts on these cards for the last few days. But hey, let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
The next card I want to focus on is the Three of Cups—"the happiness and prosperity that you will manifest into reality."
The first thing that struck me is that, out of all three cards that I chose to represent prosperity, this was the one that I felt was the most lacking. Is it just patently self evident, then, that the prosperity I will manifest into reality is the prosperity I feel I lack?
Let's back up. I chose the Three of Cups for this mandala specifically because the point of accruing wealth and resources is, for me, to enjoy it. Money is an abstract representation of time spent at someone else's behest, and since you can never win yourself more time on Earth, then you better put that time you spent for someone else to good use, right? I mean, it's not that I resent my job. I like it a lot, and it's the rare day that it feels like work, but if you forget that money is ultimately a fiction then you're never going to spend it wisely. And for me, wise spending includes "doing things for or with friends."
Those activities that you do with friends, or those favors or gifts that you provide for them, are the foundation for a solid friendship. "Can't buy me love" and so on, of course, but the truth is that it's hard to actually be social with people unless you have some amount of money to spend. And even favors that take nothing but time still take time—if you can afford to take time away from working or trying to find work without worry, then you've certainly achieved a base level of prosperity, yes? Yes.
And out of all of the cards, this one is something that feels more rather than less under my control. I can deliberately choose to say yes to invitations and to invite people to things.
This card gets a rap for being shallow (wonder if that's because the traditional Waite-Smith imagery features women? HMM) but I think that's unfair. Positive, fun experiences are what creates bonds between people. Though of course there can be an escapism element, and that's maybe the warning of this card as well. Create positive bonding experiences, not mindless escapism. Those positive bonding experiences don't have to be overstimulating or over the top; they can be sober and thoughtful as well. The important point is the feeling of relaxation and letting go.
There's also an element of emotional vulnerability to this card, allowing yourself to open up. That's maybe more obvious with the Two of Cups, but: the woman in the middle is holding a wreath of flowers. If it's taken as an award or crown of some kind, rather than decoration (and why not?) then the occasion because a celebration of accomplishment rather than just a run of the mill good time. For me, it takes a lot for me to open up to people when it comes to something that I've accomplished or that I'm proud of. I'm my own harshest critic and I no doubt downplay a lot of what I've done. Likewise, more than one friend of mine has noticed that I have a hard time accepting praise and compliments. I'm always telling my partner "Let me be nice to you"; maybe I should take my own advice.
The next card I want to focus on is the Three of Cups—"the happiness and prosperity that you will manifest into reality."
The first thing that struck me is that, out of all three cards that I chose to represent prosperity, this was the one that I felt was the most lacking. Is it just patently self evident, then, that the prosperity I will manifest into reality is the prosperity I feel I lack?
Let's back up. I chose the Three of Cups for this mandala specifically because the point of accruing wealth and resources is, for me, to enjoy it. Money is an abstract representation of time spent at someone else's behest, and since you can never win yourself more time on Earth, then you better put that time you spent for someone else to good use, right? I mean, it's not that I resent my job. I like it a lot, and it's the rare day that it feels like work, but if you forget that money is ultimately a fiction then you're never going to spend it wisely. And for me, wise spending includes "doing things for or with friends."
Those activities that you do with friends, or those favors or gifts that you provide for them, are the foundation for a solid friendship. "Can't buy me love" and so on, of course, but the truth is that it's hard to actually be social with people unless you have some amount of money to spend. And even favors that take nothing but time still take time—if you can afford to take time away from working or trying to find work without worry, then you've certainly achieved a base level of prosperity, yes? Yes.
And out of all of the cards, this one is something that feels more rather than less under my control. I can deliberately choose to say yes to invitations and to invite people to things.
This card gets a rap for being shallow (wonder if that's because the traditional Waite-Smith imagery features women? HMM) but I think that's unfair. Positive, fun experiences are what creates bonds between people. Though of course there can be an escapism element, and that's maybe the warning of this card as well. Create positive bonding experiences, not mindless escapism. Those positive bonding experiences don't have to be overstimulating or over the top; they can be sober and thoughtful as well. The important point is the feeling of relaxation and letting go.
There's also an element of emotional vulnerability to this card, allowing yourself to open up. That's maybe more obvious with the Two of Cups, but: the woman in the middle is holding a wreath of flowers. If it's taken as an award or crown of some kind, rather than decoration (and why not?) then the occasion because a celebration of accomplishment rather than just a run of the mill good time. For me, it takes a lot for me to open up to people when it comes to something that I've accomplished or that I'm proud of. I'm my own harshest critic and I no doubt downplay a lot of what I've done. Likewise, more than one friend of mine has noticed that I have a hard time accepting praise and compliments. I'm always telling my partner "Let me be nice to you"; maybe I should take my own advice.
