07. Seven of Cups
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Number: 7
Card Title: Seven of Cups
Esoteric Title: Lord of Illusory Success
Numerical Keywords: 7: Passion, Karma, Instinct
Numerical Attributions: Venus, Green, World, Above
Intelligence: Concealed or Occult Intelligence
Element: Water (cold, wet)
Elemental Keywords: Love, Container, Emotions
Elemental Attributions: West, Fall, Twilight
Astrological Attribution: Venus in Scorpio
Dates & Timing: November 13 to November 22
Qabalistic World: Netzach in Briah
Translation of World: The Victory of Creation
Suit Color: Cups - Blue
Keywords: Fantasy, Romantic Illusions, Rose-Colored Glasses, Too many choices, Confusion
Ill-Dignified:Decisiveness, A Realistic Attitude, Determination, Good Choice, A time for action
Interpretation: Need to harness creative energy to focus on goals. Emotional identification with many area of interest. Many goals are a waste of time. Deception in love or friendship
Reversed Interpretation: Willing to focus on one thing or one person. Hs overcome confusion and inertia caused by ambivalence. Realistic attitude toward idealism and illusions. You should focus on what is essential and persevere in following through on your good ideas.
Rider-Waite Imagery
A man stands in front of 7 cups that are floating in a cloud. He is seen from behind and in shadow. The cups contain strange objects. The represent among other things, the 7 planetary trump and the 7 deadly sins.
- Head: Venus - Empress
- Ghost: Moon - High Priestess
- Snake: Mercury - The Magician
- Castle: Mars - The Tower
- Jewels: Jupiter - Wheel of Fortune
- Wreath: Saturn - The World
- Dragon: Sun - The Sun
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite (1911)
Strange chalices of vision, but the images are more especially those of the fantastic spirit.
Divinatory Meanings: Fairy favours, images of reflection, sentiment, imagination, things seen in the glass of contemplation; some attainment in these degrees, but nothing permanent or substantial is suggested.
Reversed: Desire, will, determination, project.
4 Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana
Seven.–Fair child; idea, design, resolve, movement. Reversed: Success, if accompanied by the Three of Cups.
The Recurrence of Cards in Dealing
In the Natural Position: 4 Sevens = intrigue; 3 Sevens = infirmity; 2 Sevens = news.
Reversed: 4 Sevens = quarrellers; 3 Sevens = joy; 2 Sevens = women of no repute.
The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus; tr. A. P Morton, [1896]
Signification of the Four Series of Minor Arcana in the Divining Tarot
CUPS. Preservation. Love. Instruction.
SEVEN. Success assured to the lovers.
The Tarot by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1888]
Meanings of the Cards
43. Seven of Cups.–Idea, Sentiment, Reflection, Project; R. Plan, Design, Resolution, Decision.
Additional Remarks
The following additional remarks may be serviceable to the to the inexperienced Cartomancer. They are chiefly taken from Etteilla.
43. Seven of Cups.–Explains the card which follows; thus, 43, 30, 33, The idea of attempting some undertaking. This will again be modified by the following cards.
Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa
Scorpio III
A man bowed downward upon his knees, and a woman striking him with a staff, and it is the signification of drunkenness, fornication, wrath, violence, and strife.
Picatrix the Goal of the Wise by Ghayat Al-akim
Book "T" The Tarot
XXXII. The Lord of Illusionary Success
Seven of Chalices
THE seven cups are arranged as two descending triangles above a point: a hand, as usual, holds lotus stems which arise from the central lower cup. The hand is above this cup and below the middle one. With the exception of the central lower cup, each is overhung by a lotus flower, but no water falls from these into any of the cups, which are all quite empty. Above and below are the symbols of the Decanate Venus and Scorpio.
Possible victory, but neutralized by the supineness of the person: illusionary success, deception in the moment of apparent victory. Lying, error, promises unfulfilled. Drunkenness, wrath, vanity. Lust, fornication, violence against women, selfish dissipation, deception in love and friendship. Often success gained, but not followed up. Modified as usual by dignity.
Netzach of HB:H (Lying, promises unfulfilled; illusion, deception, error; slight success at outset, not retained).
Herein the Angels HB:MLHAL and HB:ChHVYH rule.
Often the General signification of the Majority of a particular suit and of the particular signification of the either 3 of 4 cards of a sort in a reading:
- A Majority of Cups Pleasure, merriment.
- 4 Sevens Disappointments.
- 3 Sevens Treaties and compacts.
