page of cups

Translation by Kitos Digiovanni from smallcabin.org

synthetic meaning

The Page of Cups, by the orientation of his movement, by the tall uncovered cup which he is presenting before him, and by his white hair, garlanded with four-petal flowers, indicates that all work, all effort either physical or spiritual, accompanied with an offering, is becoming the harbinger or the transmitter of a beneficial contribution.

analytic meaning

The passivity of the Cup, joined to that of the Page, is indicated by his step towards the left. Not having any initiative, the Page would have to remain immobile; his movement indicates therefore that this is internal and that his step symbolizes a tendency and not a reality.

On the other hand, it is useful to remember that his change of position is only towards the left from the point of view of the person looking at the card and that, for the Page, the movement he makes is towards the right. [1] This contradiction is apparent. The activity of the Page towards the right is within him and suggests a pronounced internal elaboration; in its exterior manifestation, this activity reverses its meaning, as the act of a personfrozen in the moment, and this reversal symbolizes a strong psychic disposition, strong owing to the internal operation of the Page, who is altruistic since it is turned towards his right,psychic in its aspect since it appears on the outside as an expansion of the heart.

specific analogies

The Cup, tall and narrow, indicates depth and the retention of that which it contains; it is open so that it can be filled, thus indicating that some things must be given in exchange for the promise made by the movement of the Page, so that there is a communion.

He holds the cup in his right hand and the lid in his in his left hand to show that Man conceals or reveals his achievements according to the needs of his undertakings.

The red bulge in the middle shows that the offering must be a sacrifice made in the material world.

The veil, flesh-colored against the cup, the underside of the yellow veil surrounding his neck, is the protection which an intelligent design and the use of vital forces provide for him, since the psychic gifts born by the Page are by necessity balanced and must be protecting against any forfeiture.

Furthermore, these offerings, half covered and not plainly revealed, are hopes, promises not yet fulfilled, and thus possibilities and not realities.

The large red vest, floating around him, unlike the one that tightly clings to the Page of Swords, shows that he is more free of matter than is the later.

The garland of flowers indicates that the mental elaboration of what is given and what is received by the Cup are on the animistic level, but susceptible to turning into emotional feelings; the four petals, as a set of four, suggest their becoming concrete.

The whiteness of the hair shows the impersonality of the Page, which is to say, the absence of individualism in the beginnings of a psychic operation.

The red shoes indicate undertakings on the lower plane.

The black ribbing, the yellow ground, uneven, specify resistances on all the planes; the green tufts of grass indicate sources of energy vital for overcoming them, and the yellow tufts of grass are intellectual contributions.

While the cards in the suite of Cups from Two to Ten display cups entirely yellow, with the exception of their red interiors, symbolizing the vessel of human undertakings, passionate sentiments dressed in intelligence, and which, if they start with a sincere spirit direct at that which is Above, will come to fruition; but the Cup of the PAGE has a red center, round [2], implying an energetic effort which the soul must make in the material world in order to reconcile the universal and synthetic aspects with animistic intelligence, manifested by the sphere.

meanings as they relate to the three planes

MENTAL. Comfort in spiritual thoughts, projects. Elimination of doubt.

ANIMISTIC. Comfort even more powerful than in the previous one, because the Cups are psychic, comfort in hopes. Emotional support.

PHYSICAL. Being set free from an emotional matter, liberation from sorrow. For matters of health, the hope of being healed, if there is a serious affliction.

INVERTED. The weight of distress, psychic neediness. A feeling of complete abandonment.

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In sum, in its Elementary Sense, the happy, spiritual contribution which comes to Man when his psychic evolution is accompanied by the offering of his soul.

[1] On this topic see the discussions about the position of the figures presented in n. 1 on the Magician.

[2] The same detail exists for the Knight of Cups and the Queen of Cups.