Happy Monday! I hope you had a great, IV of Swords kind of restful weekend. Today's card is the Knight of Cups, the kindest, in my opinion, of the Knights in Tarot. Of all the court cards, this is the card that resonates with me the most.
Traditionally, the Knight of Cups is a compassionate and understanding person who is caring and tends to wear their heart on their sleeve. They leave their heart wide open to others and seek to help others with their intuition and connection to their own emotions. They are a true humanitarian, and while they hold the designation of Knight, they are more a field medic than a fighter, choosing to lead emotional, creative, and imaginative projects than charging into battle.
The "Knight of Swords" playlist is available on Spotify.
Message of the day: I sat a good while thinking on this card this morning. The Knight of Cups presents as someone with the best of intentions and a strong desire to help those in need, particularly where emotional support is needed. Sometimes it's hard to not get involved when you see someone hurting, particularly when it's kids or someone who is a victim.
For me, the natural inclination is to scoop them up, comfort them, and tell them it's going to be okay. Shit, when I play video games online, I always play as a healer; I'm great at handing out band-aids. But I've learned (the hard way) that being the healer in your group isn't always effective when the person isn't willing to help in their healing and continues to stand in the bad stuff.
About two-three years ago, I volunteered to work with a young teenager who'd really had some very difficult things happen in their life, all emotionally centered. Our relationship grew over time as we worked together on positive and healthy forms of communication, positive self-image, and trying to identify ways to express emotion that weren't negative. That last bit, as it turns out, was the real kicker.
Expressing our feelings to others can be difficult, particularly when there is fear of judgment or ridicule, but also because there can be a LOT of pain harboring inside those emotions that goes much deeper than just sitting and talking. That is when professional guidance is needed; but when someone isn't willing to participate or recognize the need for help, or lies about their feelings... it's heartbreaking, particularly when you want to help them so badly, but they continue to make the same mistakes. Sometimes we have to accept that there is nothing else we (as Knights) can do until they are willing to step up for themselves.
We see this in people suffering through addiction, children with physical and emotional trauma, people living with depression or PTSD... and they just don't make band-aids big enough to patch those kinds of things. Even though we want to help, a large part of the healing has to come from them and, very often, requires therapeutic support. And when they flat out refuse to do the work it can be infuriating for someone like the Knight of Cups - as it was for me when this young kid continued to burn the world around him to the ground, consequences be damned. This is when boundaries become an important part of the relationship.
It's important that we learn to recognize our own feelings and handle those emotions in a positive way. The Knight of Cups encourages channeling your feelings through creativity and imagination. Expressing yourself in writing, art, music, or performance (including athletic or physical activities), and being a part of nature. Just like real wounds, emotionally challenging situations may not be healed in a day, a week, or even a month. Self-care is critical in healing all wounds, physical or emotional, but self-expression and finding your own emotional voice are also critical parts of maintaining mental wellness.
I'm happy to say that three years later, that teenager I worked with has begun to understand the impact of his decisions and has begun to make better choices. They are out of the group home and with a foster family. They're still a teenager and continue to fuck up in stupid ways, but it's all about being present, finding forgiveness, and learning to handle emotional situations in a positive way - something we all go through, ourselves, every day.
Today's challenge: When you think of some of the more challenging emotions and emotional situations in your life, what do you do to channel that energy in a positive and healthy way? I challenge you, as the Knight of Cups, to open yourself to new ways of self-expression and encourage others to join you. Journal on some thoughts, take a walk and sing or hum as you go, sketch or paint as you feel inclined, and use it as a form of personal therapy.
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