The Merciless Storm
The Prince of Cups in the Thoth deck is a bit of a departure from his counterpart in other systems. In both the Marseilles and RWS traditions, I think of this card as a gentle, humble soul, wearing his heart on his sleeve.
In Lady Harris’ rendering, this Prince comes storming in on a massive wave, drawn by a black eagle. He holds the gaudy blue lotus almost absent-mindedly. A snake rises from its coils inside the cup he bears.
This card is a good example of how the Thoth deck compels us to focus on the underlying energies rather than what appears on the surface. This Court Card is “air of water” in the Thoth system (Cups representing the element of water, and Princes the energy of air). We can think of it as great winds stirring the deep, or perhaps the same energy expressed by roiling water or steam.
So “heart on his sleeve” in other systems becomes “brash and merciless” in the Thoth deck. He flies directly towards us, coming in like a sudden storm, without regard to consequences or the feelings of others.
At least we know where we stand with this Prince. 🙂
It’s important to remember, once again, that Princes in this deck are analogous to Knights elsewhere, while the Thoth Knights are analogous to Kings in other decks. There is certainly a connection here to the other traditions. In an earlier post, I wrote about how the Knight of Cups in the RWS deck resembles Card XIII.
The longings of the heart, our deepest emotions, will not long be held back. This card reminds me of another lyric from Jackson Browne.
Can you see those dark clouds gathering up ahead?
They’re gonna wash this planet clean like the Bible said
Now you can hold on steady, try to be ready
But everybody’s gonna get wet
This card turns up after the Knight of Swords and Prince of Wands from yesterday’s Sunday Morning Spread. Windstorms, spontaneous combustion and deluge.
Hold on steady.