Let’s compare the Four of Cups!
In these cards, we see vastly different scenes. Up to this point in the cards, most cards have been very parallel in their images; this is the first time we are seeing stark differences. In the Santa Muerte deck on the left, we see a masculine figure, in a chair, his head spilling water onto the ground. His head is also a cup. He looks tired, or possibly upset. In the Tarot of the Divine on the right, we see a figure admiring a beautiful tea set with peacock-like embellishments, while a plain bird sings in the window behind him.
The Tarot of the Divine card is based on the folktale of the Nightingale, from Denmark, by Hans Christian Anderson (yes, that one). The Nightingale story is about an emperor who is told of a talented nightingale bird in his kingdom that sings so wonderfully, so the emperor procures the bird to be in his court, so the bird can sing for the emperor always. The emperor is then given a wind-up bejeweled bird that can sing. The emperor is so enchanted by the machine, the real bird leaves feeling unwanted. Here is a link to the story itself.
Here is where we can also find some conflicting meanings in cards, and how each deck can be different. In the traditional Rider-Waite illustrations, a man is seated with three cups in front of him and is offered the fourth by a spectral hand. The Tarot of the Divine shows this card as more closer to the traditional meaning; a warning of counting your blessings and being dissatisfied with what you have. The Santa Muerte deck shows a man going through depression or even apathy as his emotional parts are spilled in front of him carelessly.
Each card can carry multiple meanings, and even the same card across different decks can give you different lessons and meanings.
Head back to the Overview to see more!