Nine of Cups

On this card, an orgy is celebrated in full swing. This round dance involves death, life, beauty and wealth – like a sabbath. The Pisces correlation is expressed through the medium of water and the tempting women, which lure the observer into the deep. This can be a time of joy and celebration. The positive aspect of charity and sharing our wealth may help us to get others, to benefit from the fruits of live along with us. We must be aware of one fact though: „There is no physical satisfaction“ – it can never be. The moment of fulfillment is already the path to falling down again. The ultimate goal of perfection or reaching the top of the mountain is the beginning of the descent. In various tradition, life is considered as a dance, celebrating not the final contentment, but death as the ultimate and imminent goal. If we are aware of this idea, we could learn to overcome our restrictions and barriers and transcend our fears. However, this is a borderline to walk on. It’s a thin path between social and routine commitments and enjoying life like there’s no tomorrow, because there always is and eventually, we will wake up and live with the consequences of our doings. Naturally the decision we make during our excesses, may not be the best ones for establishing a stability in our lives.
We may realize that there are no winners, nor losers, nothing to be gained or lost, there’s only the game to be played. The only one on top of this reality is the skull, death itself, our eternal gamemaster. He is not drowning in the tides of life, but prevails, crowned with the three-headed serpent. This animal is connected to the card of „X  – The Wheel of Fortune“ and the three states of being – creator, sustainer and destroyer, the main actors of the dance of life. In addition, the serpent can also be considered as a reference to Crowley’s „Liber al Vel Legis“ and the „I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight“ passage. Usually, this card appears to be positive to the protagonist’s interpretation. We may express an overflowing amount of energy and relish in entertainment. The main lesson to learn though, (compare to the Seven of Cups card) is, that there is a time to celebrate, but there needs to come a time to rest too. We must respect the cycles of life and not assume to be beyond the reach of consequences.