My Journey with the Three of Cups
Alright, let’s talk about the Three of Cups in tarot. It’s one of those cards that popped up a lot when I first started really digging into my practice, like, years ago. Didn’t just read the book meaning, you know? I wanted to see how it actually felt and showed up in real life.
So, first thing I did was just pull it deliberately sometimes. Laid it out, looked at the classic Rider-Waite image – those three figures raising their cups. Felt kinda simple at first glance. Celebration, friendship, community. That’s the easy stuff you read everywhere.
But I started keeping a little journal. Every time the Three of Cups appeared in a reading, whether for myself or just practice spreads, I’d jot down what was going on. What was the question? Who was involved? What actually happened afterwards?
Getting Practical with It
I remember pulling it before a weekend trip with a couple of old friends I hadn’t seen in ages. Fit perfectly, right? And yeah, the trip was great. Lots of laughter, catching up, genuine connection. Felt just like the card – shared joy, easy company. That went straight into the journal. Classic interpretation confirmed.
Then there were times it showed up in work contexts. I did a spread about a team project that felt stuck. Pulled the Three of Cups. Wasn’t expecting that. Didn’t feel like celebrating much. But looking back? It was pointing towards the need for better collaboration, for finding that shared success, that ‘cheers’ moment. We actually had a meeting shortly after, cleared the air, and things started moving. The card wasn’t saying “party time,” it was nudging towards finding common ground and working together happily. That was a bit of a deeper layer I noted down.
When It’s Not Just Parties
- Pulled it when asking about creative collaborations. Saw it as a good sign for harmonious partnership.
- Got it sometimes when feeling emotionally supported by my circle, even if no actual ‘event’ was happening. It represented that feeling of belonging.
- Once, it showed up reversed in a reading about a friendship that was feeling strained. Made sense – the harmony was off, the connection wasn’t joyful anymore.
So, I didn’t just stick to the “happy gathering” idea. I started seeing it more broadly. It became about shared emotion, successful teamwork, finding your tribe, the joy of connection itself. Sometimes it’s a literal party, sure. Other times, it’s the result of good teamwork or the feeling of strong friendship.
Final Thoughts (For Now)
My process was basically: pull the card, look at it, feel it, live with it, see where it showed up in my day or week, and write it down. Didn’t overthink the ‘official’ meanings too much after the initial learning phase. Let my own experiences colour it in. It stopped being just a picture and became more like recognizing a familiar feeling or situation. Still learning, always am, but that hands-on approach made the Three of Cups real for me, not just some abstract concept from a book.
