The Tarot allows endless variation in interpretation of any given card. Let's take the 4 of Cups.
Case in point: A woman in her late twenties chose the 4 of Cups. She is the mother of three children and she was contemplating a fourth. This is an interpretation I've never seen in any Tarot book. But it spoke perfectly to her and her situation. The image of the 4 of Cups depicts a figure sitting under a tree with arms and legs folded looking at a row of three Cups.
The suit of Cups represents matters of the heart, family, joy. A hand coming from a cloud, some call it a "hand of God" is bringing a fourth cup.
Another woman chose the 4 of Cups. In her case, the card was "reversed" or upside-down. A reversed card suggests that the energy is working in a different way or is perhaps blocked.
This woman was trying to maintain a positive attitude around people who were full of negativity. There was a seemingly endless succession of tales of woe. This client was determined not to allow the negativity to undermine her attitude and ability to remain effective.
In this case, the cups in the Four of Cups represented the negative people and negative stories around her. Cups, when upside-down, cannot hold liquid--this negativity can easily leave her very drained. But the figure is looking away (from the other cards in the spread). She doesn't want to partake of the pity party and so she holds herself apart.
One card, the Four of Cups, and two very different meanings. In both cases, the card spoke directly to the client and the situation at-hand. To me, this is a demonstration of the magic of the Tarot.
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