Welcome to The Psychology of Tarot, a series that offers a Jungian reimagining of the cards as pathways into the psyche. Each episode draws on a key psychological concept and archetypal themes to offer insights that deepen both inner work and your tarot practice.
Today, I’m exploring the relationship between the VII of Cups and projection. This card, rich with images of fantasy, desire, fear, and overwhelming choices, is often read as a call to get grounded, to see things as they truly are.
But what if, instead, we viewed this moment as an encounter with our projections? An invitation to sit with the images, not dismiss them, and to trace them back to their psychic origins.
In this episode I cover:
* The classic definition and interpretations of the VII of Cups
* Quotes from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by A.E. Waite, 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, The Symbolic Life by C.G. Jung and Psychotherapyby Marie-Louise von Franz
* How the VII of Cups connects to projection and the challenge of discernment
* A Jungian perspective on working with and withdrawing projections
* The VII of Cups as a call to engage with, rather than turn away from, fantasy, illusion and images
* Example readings and approaches to interpreting the card in a psychological context
Join the conversation
How do you navigate working with projections? Does the imagery of the VII of Cups remind you of another psychological concept? How do you typically read the card?
