THE FIVE OF CUPS, LORD OF LOSS IN PLEASURE

   Your ally stands in a black cloak, staring down at three overturned cups. He (or she) reminds us of The Hermit, an archetype of solitary wisdom, except that your ally is not carrying a lantern. At the moment, your ally seems focused only on loss. The influences of both Mars and Scorpio can be felt here. Mars is known for conflict and the accompanying sense of loss, and Scorpio is associated with the deep transformation related to death and rebirth, which can occur on any level--physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Your ally, though seemingly unaware of the two cups still standing behind him and the bridge over the nearby stream that leads to a building--possibly a stable new beginning--in the distance, is developing wisdom related to loss and transformation in a world where change is the only constant, and loss of all kinds--including a sense of identity--is inevitable. Calcination, the burning away of a substance (a quality of Mars), is the first stage in the alchemical process of spiritual growth which leads to the gold of the Higher Self. Your ally is faced with a choice: wallow in sorrow, abet the forces and continue spiritual growth through the process of calcination, or cross the bridge to search for something new.

CORRESPONDING COLOR: Scarlet red.

Reversed: acceptance of loss or change; able to move on and grow spiritually