The Queens of the Tarot: The Queen of Cups

Now that we’ve taken a look at the Queen of Swords, the next Queen in this series is the Queen of Cups. Again, as a reminder, the list of decks I’m using appears below.

• The Wild Unknown Tarot – Kim Krans, creator/artist
• The Robin Wood Tarot – Robin Wood, creator/artist
• Rider-Waite Tarot – A.E. Waite, creator; Pamela Coleman Smith, artist
• Haindl Tarot ~ Hermann Haindl, creator/artist
• Morgan-Greer Tarot – Bill Greer, creator/artist; Lloyd Morgan
• The Wildwood Tarot – Mark Ryan/creator, John Mathews/co-creator; Will Worthington, artist
• Thoth Tarot – Aleister Crowley, creator; Lady Frieda Harris, artist

As we see, The Queen of Cups is as intriguing as is the Queen of Swords. Our intellect was in play with the Queen of Swords while the Queen of Cups represents Elemental Water and our emotions. The Wild Unknown and Wildwood decks continue their use of animals to depict our Queen while Haindl and Crowley construct their own non-traditional view. Only the Robin Wood and Morgan-Green really emulate the Rider-Waite depiction.

Beginning with the Mother of Cups, the author again uses black and white in her depiction of a swan, standing tall, her wing extended in loving protection over a single cup below. Blue and pink stars dot the night sky. Contrasted with the Queen of Vessels from the Wildwood Tarot this Queen is represented by a salmon jumping upward through a small waterfall on her journey upstream to spawn. Both representations illustrate the need to protect their legacy, one reaching out in protection, the other reaching for calmer waters in which to bring forth new life.

The Queen represented by the Robin Wood and Morgan-Greer decks most closely resemble the Rider-Waite version. All three Queens face West, the direction assigned to Elemental Water, or our emotions, but the similarity ends there. Although each Queen card contains a throne, each one is quite different from the others. The Queen from the Rider-Waite deck sits on a traditional-looking throne, her head bowed and seemingly lost in thought at the water’s edge.

The Morgan-Greer Queen has a different focus with the Queen herself the most prominent figure in the scene. In the other two cards, she is only part of the card, one with her throne as it were, but the Morgan-Greer assures us that she’s the main focus, her throne to her side as she looks dreamily at a world unseen.

The loveliest Queen in today’s series, the Robin Wood deck creates a sense of mystery and flow as the Queen sits on a large shell-like throne, light radiating from a cloth-covered chalice in her right hand against an azure sky. A snake-like tiara adorns her golden hair while her green and blue dress is covered by a colorful and flowing robe. Sea birds flying above swoop down to the surf in search of food as it crashes over rocks. She seems more interesting than the other Queens, more regal in her emotions perhaps.

Finally, we come to the last two decks in the Queen series, the Thoth and the Haindl decks. The Venus of Willendorf provides Haindl with his representation of the Queen of Cups as he retitles the card the Mother of Cups in the North. From her pendulous breasts to her faceless presence, her feet, unseen, appear buried in the earth. Haindl presents a different view of the Queen, placing her as the Queen in the North instead of the West. Emotions traditionally define the Queen evidenced by the brief appearance by the crescent moon above and the water below, however, Haindl sees her as the heart of the Earth.

Emotions swirl around the Queen in Crowley’s Thoth deck, Lady Harris painting her reflective nature into the scene. Her face nearly hidden from view, the Queen of Cups is shrouded in mystery as she sits on her throne at the water’s edge, a lily in one hand and a fish-shaped chalice in the other. A heron stands quietly at her side symbolizing grace and certitude as both reflections are visible in the water below. Of all the Queens, this card captures the loving, reflective nature of our Queen more than the others. Her visage is fluid with the suggestion of balance reflected by the two lilies floating serenely on the pond.

If anything is clear so far it is that there is nothing like a Queen. She is elegant and noble, yet she stands in her own power and takes no prisoners when nonsense is afoot. Next up, the Queen of Pentacles!

Queenly Blessings to all!