"Fraternity"
Astrological correspondence: Mercury in Cancer (excited emotions).

Image: Three women each hold a Cup aloft as they dance together in a vegetable garden.

Key Phrase: Celebration within the group.

Statement: "I enjoy sharing myself among my family, friends, and acquaintances. I heal and am healed within their atmosphere."

Quotation: "Friendship, like the immortality of the soul, is too good to be believed." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Friendship")

Major Obstacle: The ego, because of antisocial behavior, feels like an outcast.

strong>The Three of Cups in a Reading

• Efforts of individuals brought to a common purpose.
• Solace from belonging to a group; inclusion.
• Brotherhood/sisterhood.
• Beneficial group activity.
• Celebration with friends.
• Relationships grow.
• Communication; views expressed with sensitivity (Mercury in Cancer).

REVERSED

• Disillusionment (with the group).
• Cult activity.
• Emotional pain caused by those close.
• Unexpected harshness and insensitivity from acquaintances.
• Failure to establish agreement.
• Gossip.
• Conflicts with friends; quarrels (Mercury in Cancer, afflicted).

STRATEGY

1. The company of others can be a great source of enjoyment.
2. The Three of Cups emphasizes the idea that "no man is an island."
3. It is important to appreciate those around you; taking people for granted eventually leads to emotional isolation.
4. Activity within the group encourages fellowship, an excellent resource for movement along the path.

Excerpted from Tarot Awareness by Stephen Walter Sterling