Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

In the Four of Wands, we see two dancers, followed by a joyous troupe of people, leave a castle for a flower-garlanded bower. This is a card of celebration, joy, openness, and freedom; the citizens of the fortress have chosen of their own free will to come forth into the sunshine - the card can be seen as a parallel of The Tower. Here, though, rather than allowing the castle to become their prison, the people have left it of their own accord, carried along by hope, trust, and the will to celebrate the bounty that life has to offer.

The Three of Pentacles is the card of mastery and skill which can often lead to recognition and attaining a good reputation in work and business. This card also shows a knack for teamwork and collaboration and being open to working with others. 

The card of Temperance concerns balance, and harmony achieved through successfully merging all the many elements of our lives. This is seen literally in the image of the angel pouring water from one cup into another, mixing the streams in a never-ending flow. The card hints at it figuratively, too, in the way in which the figure stands with one foot on land - a symbol of the outer world - and one foot in the water, which is representative of the inner one. The path in the card’s background suggests that, with the hard-won self-awareness and openness to change brought about by The Hanged Man and Death, we are now ready to return to our lives, clarified, and with a new sense of purpose.

In the Eight of Cups image, there is a sense of deep sadness but also resolve; we see a figure walking away from a collection of Cups that remain upright and unspilled. The stick that the figure uses and his cloak suggests a long journey ahead: we intuit that he is not planning to return.

The Queen of Cups sits on her throne, gazing at the emblem of her suite: in her hands, this Cup has been crafted into an intricate, ornate wonder, symbolizing the transformative power of love, empathy, and creativity. The Queen’s dress flows into the water before her, becoming one with it: here we see the peace and sense of flow that comes with perfect alignment.

In this card the Hierophant sits, Pope-like on a raised throne, while two acolytes pay homage to him or await his bidding, In full regalia, with crown and scepter, The Hierophant is the point at which The Emperor and The Magician combine - he is the master of the stage, but, unlike the former, there is no element of service here and, contrary to the latter, The Hierophant does not wield his power lightly or playfully. Depending on the context, this is not necessarily a bad thing.