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Arthur Edward Waite is a well known Western Hermetic Qabalists, and knew the Number 5 to be ruled by Geburah, a fiery Sephiroth of Severity, who is now in the Water Suit of Cups. There is a natural antipathy here, as fiery heat causes a natural disturbance in placid water. What is even more disturbing is the fact that this card is also attributed to Mars in Scorpio. Scorpio is in its worst aspect in Mars, on this lowest plane of Geburah, which in this case, is the putrefying aspect of water. However, the powerful masculine aspect of Mars, slows down the putrefaction so that it is internal and not external, frustrating the anticipated pleasure that is emotionally sought after.

While Waite is the surname of the man: the academic and mystic Arthur Edward Waite. It was only a couple of years later that some started calling this deck Rider-Waite Smith cards. Smith for Pamela Colman Smith, the other co-creator and artist of the deck. Waite's card displays this meaning of loss as a dark robed lord, whose head is hung in despair. His castle is in the background, the flowing river displaying the element of water and the bridge that connects the background to the foreground. The foreground shows the dark image with head bowed over the three overturned cups while the two upright cups stand behind him. The overturned cups imply a battle with casualties and loss of what was loved while the upright imply the battle is won but the cost of winning is too much and brings despair instead of celebration.

The Modern Witch Tarot once again displays a modern approach to the traditional "small cards". Although modernized it to represents the 5 of Cups card as one about loss in pleasure, vain regret and practical loss. This is shown as the 2 behind are upright and not linked in line with the 3 fallen below. The colors of the Cups is that of the Element of love and beneath them the blue of water. Hence, this card is about the "emotional self", where one's mind is locked up in emotional turmoil brought on by loss and regret. Something loved has been lost and often it is "ourself".

All of us have 8 Light bodies that surround our "crystalized and or condensed light body" we call physical. All is Energy influenced by Mind, and since we come from the Above Beginning of Light to the Coagulation of light Below, from the Above down these bodies are called (in English):

1. Super conscious (Supernal trinity in Qabalah).
2. Causal body (the Causation part of Mind).
3. Mental body (the image making aspect of mind).
4. The Emotional Body, (the emoting part of Mind).
5. The Astral Body (the enclosure that our personality can safely travel in the multi dimensions of the mental Astral planes of Liquid light).  
6. The Pranic Body, (the manifested vital life force/ energy of breath and animation).
7. The Etheric Body ( A golden grid that surrounds the body, about an inch deep, that holds all the atoms in a physical form.
8. The Physical Form- made of the most condensed form of light and yet still 99,6% space.

Many authors, and many drawings, have shown these bodies in different names such as the Super Conscious is often called the Ketheric body and list the mental bodies as lower numbers. This is because of the errant fact they believe the body radiates mind. It doesn't. It is a mental copy of the I AM's assumptions of Self. the I Am-Mind was long before physical bodies and is their inventor as "self-image". The Mind dreams itself as the light/Energy bodies and the crystalized physical. There are many aspects to the Mind, which we often call Unconscious (The Universal Collective Unconscious- womb of consciousness) Awake-Consciousness, and subconscious. The body is the home of the subconscious, which is the "animal mind" of Earth, often called the survival mind. Hence, in the body's DNA, resides all the animal fears of the race. Mastery, of this mind is first and foremost for "enlightenment". You are the Mind of I AM (not the personality that is run by fear based thinking), that masters all forms of Self. You began in the "Big Bang", and your goal was to become the most intimate form of the Divine Creative you could manifest as a "self-image".

Most texts on the human aura only list 7 light bodies, completely ignoring the fact that the human form is made of "condensed bio-protons" which means it is of coagulated Light (Alchemy). The Truth being the Great I Am, wished to be. In Western Hermetic Qabalah, this I AM-is called the god name of Eheieh, which means "I Will Be". The physical body supplies that intimacy of "Being", so necessary for joy, love, wonder and the experience of "in-form-action", that makes data/information into knowledge. Spiritual bodies are All Light bodies and the Spirit wishes to be physical. Hence, a Qaballist understands that the Body is the " House of the True Heart". Therefore, being a sacred place of the "holy grail".

No mater how the many light bodies are numbered or named, with this card one is shown as emoting disappointment as what was thought to bring pleasure does not, and the person is disturbed; Expectations were not met and emotional disappointment prevails. This card represents some of the most difficult and painful of human experiences. Here is trouble of all sorts and perhaps, and incurable illness. Indecision may result as a person is most dangerously subject to the whims and influence of others.

Not always a totally devastating card, but disappointing nonetheless, as the Spirit points out to us that dependency on/or expecting, other persons, places, or events to make us happy, breeds disappointment. Look inward to find happiness as Happiness of the Divine Creative, built us to be Us and we don't need to seek it any more than a fish swimming in the ocean needs to seek water. There is joy in the breath as spirit dances in and around you- as Itself.

Being highly emotional, the Five of Cups tells the reader that the querent is experiencing:

• Disappointment in love and marriage. 
• Unkindness from friends, whether the querent deserves it or not, as shown by accompanying cards.
• The end of pleasure, sorrow and the loss of things from which pleasure is expected.
• Sadness, deceit, treachery, ill-will, detraction and ill requited charity and kindness.
• Will be or is trouble from unexpected sources.
• Death of what was loved. This is one of the cards that could mean death of a loved one, depending on the support of such a supposition by the accompany cards.

If Reversed and/or ill dignified by the surrounding cards in the layout:

• News.
• Alliances.
• Affinity.
• Consanguinity. 
• Ancestry.
• Return.
• False projects.

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