We’ve talked a lot about inner light, what we have to give and how we bring it into the world. It’s time now to look at receiving. How able are you to receive? Do you recognise gifts when they appear? What’s really on offer?

I draw three cards. The Page of Wands, The Queen of Pentacles and The 5 of Cups.  Looking at the cards I see a young man on foot offering a large stick (or unlit torch) to a blond woman who holds before her face a golden coin. Behind her sit 5 golden cups surrounded by flowering vines. (We’ll get to those in a bit) Is The Queen offering the coin to The Page or is she so intently focused on it that she can’t see what’s being offered to her? Or is she teasing him with it? 

Regardless, The Page is not daunted.

What’s The Story Morning Glory?

Our young Page is the lowest in rank in the Wands Court – the court of fire.  He brings enthusiasm and a beginner’s mind to the suit. You could consider him an eager student or messenger. He can be impulsive, spontaneous, adoring, hot tempered, ruled by his passions…a bit of an upstart. He has on offer, the initial spark of something new and exciting. It’s a big stick with lots of potential. Attracted by her power, status, he brings it to the Queen of Pentacles. He’s probably also looking for some approval  & validation from this older woman. A bit hooky.

But the Queen of Pentacles is a pretty pragmatic and realistic type. Oh, she loves her luxury but she likes to build  things slowly – organically – and she has great capacity for manifesting  comfort, security and wealth. Her eye is steadfastly on the prize. She is ambitious but grounded, matriarchal but sensuous. She can also be a bit controlling & oppressive if you catch her in a bad mood. She has been described as Persephone all grown up.

What mood has The Page caught her in? That’s the question. How will she receive this offering?

5 Golden Cups 

Let’s take a look at what’s behind her back. 5 Golden Cups, receptacles, sit behind her adorned by beautiful, flowering vines. 5’s are related to The Hierophant, who we met yesterday, and are another bridge to the divine realms. There’s a point of potentiality here, like a bud that is about to open, with the excitement of romance and adventure, perhaps with a younger lover, and an opportunity to find a passion. The way the cups are balanced on top of each other is precarious, a bit daring, a bit thrilling. Anything or nothing could happen.

Hmmm…things could be heating up between our sensuous Queen and the young fellow. Maybe she should take a second look at what he’s offering?

The party line of the abundance industry is that we should all be open to receiving more, increase our havingness levels etc. Say yes to life. But there’s an implicit shaming in that. If you don’t have the things you want in your life then you haven’t done The Work. This may or may not be true. Maybe doing nothing is your work in this life.

None of us exist in a vacuum, there are always other forces and entities at play of which we either have limited power over or we just aren’t aware. We just don’t have control over everything. And like the Queen of Pentacles we can get a bit oppressive and domineering when we forget this fact.

What we do have is agency in your own limited realm, agency with your own boundaries – what you allow in and what you refuse.

The Unbearable Delight In Just Being

This is not to say that it all boils down to a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ polarity. Draw your attention to the space between the Page and The Queen, the space between the offering and its reception. Will she or won’t she? Who cares! The real juice is in the frisson between them. Hot stuff! Now the Queen already has more than most people on this planet: power, wealth, beauty, good health a fabulously luxurious life. Let’s say she she says yes to this young buck. It’s bound to result in pregnancy. What is she really saying yes to?  For her the real gift is this infinitely delightful game between them and the option of not choosing. How delicious just to enjoy this dynamic tension!

Here’s the moral of our story…

Receiving is not necessarily about being an open vessel for more and more abundance. That’s a very fixed way of looking at things. Be open to the possibility that when something is on offer, there might be covert attachments. Be open to the possibility that there also might be covert rewards and delight in the possibility of playing in this space.

‘Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without’

My Great Grandmother succeeded in raising four children during the Great Depression in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in a place and time where the outlook was pretty bleak. They grew up tough as nails, resilient and resourceful, if not particularly warm. They certainly were not overly concerned with politeness or sparing the feelings of others. This phrase is their motto and speaks to this attitude of resourcefulness.

It’s something I’ve heard over and over and over for as long as I can remember. There’s a power to it, a sense of empowerment. You can do it against the odds. But there’s also an affirmation of struggle, lack, obstacles to overcome. And in my family, a rejection of wealth and material comforts. I’ve come to consider that my Great Grandmother just might have cast a spell that kept everyone bound to the struggle. It’s like confirmation bias that there isn’t much on offer and that wanting more is shameful.

I want to break that spell. I invite you to join me in this. Bring your own limiting beliefs, let’s throw them in the cauldron and be done with it once and for all.

Let’s Do This Thing

1. Pull 3 cards, ask:
   What story can I throw away today once and for all?
   In the reading above, I told the intriguing story of The Hot Young Lover and The Sensuous Queen. Experiment with turning your cards into a story too. It helps to start with just describing what you see and imagining who is doing what to whom and how they both feel about it. Start with ‘once upon a time…’
2. YOU WILL NEED – a small twig, a penny, a cup, a jug of water
3. Open your ritual space with your Tower of Power and Incense. Focus on your intention and what it will feel like when you receive this. Really get into the physical sensation of how this will be.
4. In your mind, step into that in between space we described above, the space of potential, frisson and magic. Feel to your left a space of receiving and to your right a space of giving, but stay centred in between. Consider that the whole field is a space of infinitely, delightful gifts. Breath into that.
5. Place your stick and coin in the cup as you say the words below once.A stick to take
   A coin to give
   Say yes to the cup
   It holds  another way
   Fill it up
   Pour it out
   Fill it up again
   Ad infinitum – I receive.
6. Pour water over the stick and coin in the cup as you say the words below again.
   
   A stick to take
   A coin to give
   Say yes to the cup
   It holds  another way
   Fill it up
   Pour it out
   Fill it up again
   Ad infinitum – I receive.
7. Go to your window or door or garden and toss the whole lot outside with as much force as you can. Say the words again.A stick to take
   A coin to give
   Say yes to the cup
   It holds  another way
   Fill it up
   Pour it out
   Fill it up again
   Ad infinitum – I receive.
8. Pour fresh water in your cup and say the words a final time. Knowing that this is new, pure, fresh water.A stick to take
   A coin to give
   Say yes to the cup
   It holds  another way
   Fill it up
   Pour it out
   Fill it up again
   Ad infinitum – I receive.
9. End with, ‘So It Is.’