The Six of Cups

In the tarot deck, the Six of Cups represent a return to our younger days with a focus on happier times and memories. Tarot cards have a range of interpretations, though they work from basic symbols and metaphor. Often, when this card appears in a reading, we may be warned not to become entrenched in the past, though it can be a joyful place to visit. In the card, there are five cups filled with blossoms, with the sixth gently being offered as a gift. It signifies a certain kind of abundance in the world, and represents a vibrant aliveness between the giver and the receiver.

This notion has been resonating with me in my own life, and more recently, with music. Music is heard and felt in time and space. I'm older now, and many of the musicians I loved in my youth are older too, some are passing on. While in the present moment, a song from the past is transporting, evocative...and we visit our past with such vivid, emotional abundance. Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of all mankind.” The universe is a heavenly realm filled with rhythm and harmony, reaching out to the furthest corners of the earth. The musician is the giver, and those of us who listen are bestowed the gift.

One of my little pleasures has been mingling with the creative community on Twitter. This was my last tweet, a retweet, on January 18th. It was from David Crosby. He died the next day. Eleanor Rigby on a rainy day. The Beatles, The Byrds, Crosby, Stills and Nash. The Six of Cups reminds us to take the gift and its blessing. Linger, but don't get lost.

David Crosby, eternal bad-ass and brilliant flame, rest in peace.