The Tarot of Eli, LLC-Court Cards: Thoth Tarot- Knight of Cups & The Mystic Palette Tarot-King of Cups

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Lord of the waves and waters; The King of the Hosts of the Sea; King of Nymphs or Undines.

In the Thoth Tarot the Kings are called Knights, who are armored sitting astride their powerful "Spirit Force" steeds. This is because of the YHVH formula (Tetragrammaton) used by Crowley. You'll find this explained in depth in Crowley's book of Thoth.  The Thoth Knight of Cups is known as the fiery part of water, this may sound strange to the neophyte; However, the fiery part of water is the Power of Solution. He is amiable in a passive way, as is solution in water; However, this passivity can be misleading.

The Mystic Palette Tarot shows its King of Cups, as a crowned deity of the stormy sea as if he was Poseidon or Neptune God of the Seas. Before him is a jumping sword fish, inferring there is an underlying wild force here and the wild seas emphasizing his fertile and fecund nature.  Therefore, this is a highly intuitive and secretive personality of great passion.  In business he follows "hunches" with great success while being quite ruthless. 

He is intense, often brooding and a fervent lover. He draws strength from treating others with kindness and tenderness, being truly in touch with his emotions. The Poet, the romantic, the intuitive. These personalities are often a pleasure to be around and people in emotional turmoil often seek them out due to their calm nature. The caveat here is that under that calm surface emotional currents swirl. 

The golden upside-down triangle on his seahorse blanked crown symbolizes the universal element of water. The Sea horses represent the emotional forces of the King of Cups and the association with Posiden/Neptune.

The Seahorse as an animal guide, spirit animal, or totem carries deep symbolism rooted in patience, persistence, perception, and the balance of masculine and feminine energies. This small yet resilient creature moves gracefully through the currents of life, offering guidance in various spiritual and metaphysical aspects.

Seahorse as an Animal Guide

If the seahorse appears as your animal guide, it signifies a period where you are being called to slow down, observe, and trust in the flow of life. Unlike many sea creatures that rush through their environment, the seahorse moves deliberately, teaching patience, focus, and adaptability. It encourages individuals to maintain perspective, avoid impulsivity, and navigate life's currents with wisdom and grace.

Seahorse as a Spirit Animal

When the seahorse comes to you as a spirit animal, it brings lessons of strength in stillness, gentle persistence, and emotional balance. It may indicate that you are:

• A keen observer who notices small details others overlook.
• Naturally intuitive, particularly when it comes to emotional undercurrents.
• In need of patience and trust in divine timing.
• Called to explore emotional depth while maintaining resilience and protection.

The seahorse spirit animal also emphasizes the ability to adapt and flow with circumstances while remaining grounded. It teaches you to embrace your unique nature and not be swayed by external pressures.

Seahorse as a Totem Animal

Those who have the seahorse as a totem animal are deeply attuned to their emotions yet remain steadfast in their personal truth. They are often:

• Highly empathetic and sensitive to energy shifts.
• Loyal and nurturing, as the male seahorse carries the young—a rare trait in the animal kingdom.
• Creative and mystical, drawing upon the mysteries of the ocean for inspiration.
• Resilient in relationships, emphasizing devotion and balance.

As a totem, the seahorse symbolizes a harmonious balance of masculine and feminine energies, reminding individuals of the power of gentleness, emotional intelligence, and strength in surrender.

Symbolic Meanings of the Seahorse

1. Patience & Persistence – Encourages slow, mindful progress.
2. Emotional Depth – Calls for intuitive awareness and emotional intelligence.
3. Balance of Energies – Harmonizes action with receptivity, the masculine with the feminine.
4. Protection & Stability – Symbolizes the importance of staying anchored while navigating life's changes.
5. Mysticism & Hidden Realms – Associated with dream work, the subconscious, and deep spiritual insight.

When the Seahorse Appears in Your Life

• If you see a seahorse in dreams or meditation, it may indicate that you need to slow down and observe before making decisions.
• If you are feeling overwhelmed, the seahorse reminds you to stay present and navigate life’s currents with grace.
• It may be calling you to embrace a more nurturing role or reminding you of your innate spiritual gifts.

Seahorse in Mythology & Esoteric Traditions

• In ancient Greece, seahorses were linked to Poseidon (Neptune), the god of the sea, symbolizing protection and guidance for souls traveling through emotional and spiritual depths.
• In Chinese culture, the seahorse is seen as a symbol of good luck, strength, and perseverance.
• In esoteric traditions, it is associated with the astral realm, dream work, and deep emotional healing.

Final Thoughts

The seahorse spirit animal teaches us the power of patience, observation, and emotional balance. It reminds us that strength is not always about force, but about resilience, adaptability, and trust in life's natural rhythm. If the seahorse has come into your awareness, it may be time to embrace a more intuitive, patient, and balanced approach to your spiritual and personal journey.

The Thoth Knight/King of Cups is not unlike the fiery attack of rain or springs. He rules the Zodiac from 21st degree of Aquarius to the 20th degree of Pisces. All Tarot Kings Authority radiate from the 2nd Sephiroth-Chokmah-wisdom. The Armor, the bright wings, and the leaping white charger, all represent the most active aspects of water.

 The crab represents the aggressive nature of water and its regenerative state, as crabs individually regenerate by shedding their hard outer shell and also represents the Knight's ability to remove his armor and therefore, seemingly becoming a more empathetic persona.

The Knight of Cups totem is the Peacock (bottom right corner), as the very nature of active water is its brilliance. The Peacock is also the totem of the Peacock God Myths of which are often seen in Hindu mythology . However, in Western Mythology the peacock is associated with the Greek god Argus. Who was a huge many eyed Warrior.

Whether those fixed unseeing eyes on a Peacock's feathers are the tragic eyes of Goddess Hera’s favorite spymaster, Argus, remains questionable. But the story, so poignant in its emotional ebb and flow, that for echelons of time, made people look at the peacock as bird symbolizing the transforming power of love and trust between mistress and bondman.

As the story goes, Hera had posted her hundred eyed giant to keep an eye on her cheating husband Zeus, who was at the time thinking of indulging himself with Io, a river nymph. Zeus, clever enough to take and manipulate himself into the role of the king of the God’s could easily solve this problem of being under constant observation. Therefore, Zeus put Argus into a rich dreamy state of sleep and chopped off his head. This put Hera in a deep funk. The inconsolable Hera, placed each of the delicate eyes of Argus in the tail feathers of the peacocks that pulled her chariot. This was probably to keep his protective eye and his spirit close to her, also to remind her of his trust and loyalty, maybe also a bit about his incompetence despite his giant size- in the world of Gods. Scholars really don't seem to know. However, this myth explains Argus's and the Tarot King's utter devotion to the Grail/Creatrix.

In the Indian/Hindu context, peacocks have layered and complex roles in legends and myths. The one element that remains unchanged through it all is the belief that the peacock was created from the feathers of Garuda, the giant mythical bird who is Vishnu’s mount. It’s beauty, fearlessness of snakes and power over time are traits that the peacock inherits from this mythical creation.

The most interesting and metaphoric representation the peacock has in Hindu mythology is the link that it has with time. Garuda carries Vishnu through time, preserving and maintaining a balance in a cosmos that tends to lapse into chaos as easily as a blink of Vishnu’s eye. As a default of being created out of Garuda’s feathers, the peacock is able to break through the cyclical nature of Earthy or human time as envisaged by the Hindu Mystics. The peacock does this by devouring snakes! Yes, that is because snakes are symbolic of cyclical time in Hindu Myths. Also, it is absolutely true that peafowls can eat poisonous snakes without obvious disruption to their digestive system.

Often many mythological god traits are represented in one Thoth Tarot Card. The Knight of Cups is no exception for in Western Myth, this card also represents Dewi, the ancient lord of the Abyss, who is also latter known as Bran or Bron the blessed who later became the Christianized Fisher King or Rich Fisher named Bron. He represents ageless power and strength, a reliable protector of the needy with a quality of irresistible force underlying a calm surface.

The fluorescence characteristics of the person's personality, born between Feb. 19 to Mar 20th, signified by this card are surprisingly passive, as dictated by the Zodiacal attribution. With the qualities of Venus, s/he is a graceful dilettante (a weak Jupiter) who is amiable and quick to respond to attraction, but the stimulation fades away as s/he is not very enduring. Emotionally triggered by outside influence, this person has no real material depth of character. Therefore, the Knight of Cups has an undeniable innocence and purity that is hardly clouded by their ill dignified sensuality, idleness, and untruthful nature (a storyteller). In fact, this persona may be so superficial that it is hard to reach any depth in them. But in truth, he or she is a really "nice guy or gal".

The figure of the Fisher King in Arthurian legend is believed to have roots in Celtic mythology, particularly in the tales of deities associated with the abyss or the deep sea. One such deity is Nodens, a Celtic god worshipped in ancient Britain, associated with healing, the sea, hunting, and wealth. Nodens is sometimes referred to as the "Lord of the Great Abyss."

en.wikipedia.org

In Arthurian legend, the Fisher King is the guardian of the Holy Grail, often depicted as suffering from a wound that renders him impotent and his kingdom barren. He awaits a hero, typically Percival or Galahad, to heal him and restore the land. The Knight of Cups actually represents Galahad the emotional healing hero.

en.wikipedia.org

The connection between the Fisher King and Celtic deities like Nodens suggests a blending of mythologies, where earlier Celtic gods associated with the sea and healing influenced the development of later medieval legends.

To be sure, there is great difficulty in rightly mating water with Fire, as the swift violent nature of fire (Will to Force) ill suits a character that is naturally as placid as water (Will to Form). It is a rare persona indeed that has mastered the balance, so most often we find this personality mismanaging their affairs and unless good fortune attends them through the Jupiter connection, their career and life is littered with a trail of failure and disaster. Hence, the wounded Fisher King association.

There can be a mental "civil war" here, which can lead to depressions, and/or schizophrenia. The abuse of stimulants, alcohol, and narcotics is not uncommon with such a personality. As is often the case, the surrounding cards will help the Reader decide the positive or ill dignified nature of this card and within the reading along with the recommended nature of correcting the unwanted behavior of this ill dignity. All in all, a very fun bubbly, bright person to be around---as long as you show attraction, to stimulate his/her attention. Good fun for short visits!

Some of the modern personalities associated with the Knight of Cups/King of Cups Tarot Card are: 

Sonny Bono, Mia Farrow, and Burt Reynolds. However, there is something in this card that engenders the likes of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, and Thomas Edison all of whom sport more depth than this card displays. This might be because this card also represents the Myth of Dewi, the ancient lord of the Abyss, who is also known as Bran the blessed who later became the Christianized Fisher King or Rich Fisher named Bron. He represents ageless power and strength, a reliable protector of the needy with a quality of irresistible force underlying a calm surface.

WHEN THE KNIGHT/KING OF CUPS IS THROWN DURING A READING, IT IMPLIES:

• The optimist.
• Issues with family and/or relationships.
• The Spirit of Water; intuitive.
• One has attained their position of authority by listening to their conscientious, by action and looking ahead into life.
• Becoming aware that a psychic process in one’s life has come to an end.
• Releasing and old emotion by realizing it has run its course and is no longer operative in one’s life.
• The ability to love. 
• A counselor or caregiver who is creative and imaginative.
• A seductive personality that is good in the art of love.
• A powerful, dominating person. 

If ill defined by the surrounding cards, it implies:

• Seductibility.
• Duplicity.
• Instability.
• Helper syndrome.

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