Exploring the Two of Cups

/ Warren Tode

Welcome to Tarot Thursdays! This week we will be exploring the Two of Cups and how it can be used as a prompt or brainstorming in our writing.

Tarot is an interesting thing. It’s based upon symbolism and metaphors through imagery. With these images the subconscious mind is tapped into through the story provided. Not everyone gets the same thing from a piece of art. Each piece will influence each person in a slightly different way.

Introduction of the Card

2c

The Two of Cups is card number 37 in the deck and the second card of the Cups Suit in the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.

Let’s take a look at the following examples of Two of Cups below.

Card Examples

L-c2Notice the similarities between them and take note of their differences. Do any of these move you more than the others? Take your time and allow these cards to tell you their story.

My Analysis of These Cards

In each of these cards, the thing they have common is that it appears to me that the two cups are being brought together. Two of them have people. One of them has a pair of swans and the dragon is by itself. But they all suggest unification to me.

Themes of the Card

Each card has a set of keywords associated with it that serve as themes for its image. These keywords will vary somewhat depending on who you ask.

According to the Learning the Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:

  • CONNECTION
  • TRUCE
  • ATTRACTION

You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.

According to the Biddy Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:

  • UNIFIED LOVE
  • PARTNERSHIP
  • ATTRACTION
  • RELATIONSHIPS

You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.

What this Card Means to Me

The Two of Cups is about relationships and not just the romantic kind. Spouses, family members, business partners, neighbors, friends, and more are all people we have relationships with. But this cards is more specific than that. Look again at the images in the cards and see how the cups are coming together and consider what this means in terms of relationships. To me, this represents the formation and maintenance of bonds between two entities.

In terms of storytelling, one classic duo I like to think of is Batman and Robin.

The keyword I’ll be choosing for this card is: BONDING.

Music Playlist

In this spirit of all this, these are the songs I have picked out for this card.

The Writing Exercise

This exercise is a free write. Permit yourself to write whatever comes to mind based upon the theme of this card. Choose a keyword or key phrase and run with it to see what you come up with.

I would love it if you linked or pinged back what you wrote so I could see where you went with this.

Happy writing!

Mythic Tarot by Liz Greene (Author), Juliet Sharman-Burke (Author), Tricia Newell (Illustrator) © 1989
Dragon Tarot by Terry Donaldson (Author), Peter Pracownik (Author) © 1996
Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo (Author), R. De Angelis (Illustrator), A. E. Waite (Designer) © 2001
Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti (Author), Lee Bursten (Author) © 2015

2 thoughts on “Exploring the Two of Cups”

  1. Pingback: Exploring Emotions with Two of Cups | The Art of Chaos

  2. Pingback: Exploring Character with Two of Cups – The Art of Chaos

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