Last night, I went for a drive with my brother. We were talking about our love lives, and a recent disappointment I experienced had me talking about “the one that got away,” which really, truth be told, was the one I sent away.
Not having had much success in the dating/relationship waters over the years, I shared with my brother how I was feeling some regret and remorse for having let this person go, and how my life might be different if I hadn’t.
My brother lovingly turned to me, and said, “If I remember correctly, that person had some control issues, right?”
He was right. He lovingly reminded me why that person is gone.
The 5 of Cups, from the Universal Waite Tarot.
And last night’s car ride conversation is a wonderful reflection of our card for today, the 5 of Cups. It’s known as the “disappointment” card.
What can happen is that when we experience a disappointment, we focus on the loss, the thing(s) we can’t get back, which is symbolized by the cloaked figure looking at the spilled cups.
That can then bring up possible feelings of regret and remorse, with a situation or experience that is now “water under the bridge.”
That was me in the car. I was having a pity party, “crying” about “the love I lost” (you know that song right?—it’s playing in my head as I write this) because, as Leslie Gore sang, “it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.”
But my brother was playing out the other aspect of this card. He was asking me to look at things differently, which is the 5 of the card (in one word, the 5 means “change”). That’s the two upright cups on the card our figure is not giving any attention to.
This part of the card says, “All is not lost.” There is still potential, but only if we’re open and receptive (cups symbolically mean receptivity) to it.
So, for today, consider what you might still be disappointed about in your life, what you might have feelings of regret and remorse for losing—especially if it seems like “water under the bridge.”
And then, consider how you can begin to change your focus, because that loss created space for something new to come into your life, and paved the way for you to be where you are today.
For me, when that person left my life, the space had been created for Tarot to enter my life–and has been the most enduring relationship (16 years and still going strong!) of my life (besides the one I have with my brother).
Perhaps it may be time to finally cross that bridge (bridges can symbolize transition and reconciliation) and get to the other side.
life of HIMM 