Old English Tarot: 8 of Cups

In today's blog entry, Helen Howell continues her exploration of cards from the Old English Tarot by Maggie Kneen (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Old English Tarot

Eight of Cups

by Helen Howell

I have the Old English 8 of cups card by the side of the Rider Waite and as I study the two I can see similarities and also differences. Because this is a Cups card we can take it that this is all about emotions, feelings, etc.

In the Rider Waite we see a man abandoning the eight cups. I like that there is a gap in the top row, to me indicating that something is left unfinished. He heads towards a mountain, perhaps seeking higher ground. This card speaks fairly loudly of letting go of that which isn’t working, emotionally breaking those ties and finding a better ground from which to stand.

When we look at the Old English we get an image of 8 cups and beneath them stands a figure playing his flute. Behind him is a drum that has quite obviously been abandoned. The question here though is, has the figure abandoned it for the flute? Or did someone else leave it and the figure to play alone?

The similarity I see between the two cards is one of abandonment for whatever reason, but the difference is that the man is not walking away. However, the fact that he chooses to stand and play the flute could indicate that he is not going to allow the relinquishment of the drum to hold him back but rather to play on.

Again I can draw a similarity to the RW card at this point of emotionally breaking the tie of something that is not working but seeking to get on with his life in his own way.

Both cards therefore, in my opinion, offer the interpretation of letting go and moving on.

LWB says:
Abandonment of previous plans, discontinuing a project, shyness, modesty, disappointment.
Reversed: Festivity, happiness.