
Let’s compare the Five of Cups!
As we look on the Five of Cups from both decks, this is a time where the imagery may differ slightly, but both convey the same meanings, as opposed to the Four of Cups. On the left, from the Santa Muerte deck, we see a figure in chest deep water, their head a maze, while they look down into the depths. On the right, from the Tarot of the Divine, we see a woman in white with long dark hair standing in water, sobbing into her hands while there are spilled cups all around her.
Without having looked, I could have told you immediately that the Tarot of the Divine based this card on the folktale of La Llorona. If you are unfamiliar with La Llorona, or the ghost story of a woman in white, here is a quick reference. La Llorona is a mother who drowned her own children and wanders the afterlife looking for them, or looking for more children to drown. Depending on the region the story comes from, the basics include that La Llorona was cheated on by her husband and thus drowned her children and killed herself or her children drowned in an accident and then she took her own life in grief. She is condemned to wander the afterlife looking for her children. She is used as a ghost story to scare children away from waterways and to scare them into good behavior. There are several other variations that the link above can go into detail for you.
Both cards I feel are great at conveying the helplessness of grief and depression. La Llorona, besides being a murderous ghost herself, is a grieving mother, who has lost her children whether by her own hand or by accident. The figure in the Santa Muerte deck is obviously stuck in their head, and facing depths that they cannot fight. Both figures are trapped by grief and depression, and seem lost, unsure of what to do. When this card appears, it is likely a sign that you may be fighting a battle inside yourself that is related to the dark feelings of depression or grief.
These feelings are not always bad, and need to be confronted. If you feel unable to help yourself, remember that there are always resources available in many forms of therapy, readings, support groups and systems. A solution is available; sometimes that means reaching out for someone to be with you while you sit with these emotion.
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