Knight of Cups: Mary Oliver
Tarot Chats
The Knight of Cups is probably one of my least favorite cards in the tarot. It’s about romance. It’s about chivalry. It’s about all the stuff I don’t actually enjoy about reading tarot. I don’t do love readings. I don’t really do relationship readings. That being said, I have had a change of heart recently, and it started with a reading for my mom.
Something that is very different about reading for close family vs acquaintances or strangers is that you know very intimate bits of their lives. I can’t remember the other cards my mom sent me in that reading to interpret (she pulls, I tell her the meaning), but the Knight of Cups spoke to me in a completely different way that day. It was a message of slowing down, enjoying the process, and romanticizing life. I was able to finally remove its meaning from relationships and see it as a tool for enhancing life through intentionality.
This month, I have been reading more poetry than I ever have in my life. Usually in February, I feel drawn to some form of poetry. In the past, it’s been Amanda Lovelace as I’ve been able to get my hands on her books. This year, with the help from Libby (dude, I LOVE Libby), I have been looking at poetry a lot more. It started with this amazing podcast style audiobook called Wild and Precious: A Celebration of Mary Oliver. It was a great listen for me because it contextualized Mary Oliver’s poetry. I am not great with poetry. It is not something I have studied or had much practice with. This book was lovely, and I recommend it if you’re a Mary Oliver fan!
From there, I grabbed a couple of Mary Oliver books. I read Blue Iris, which I thoroughly enjoy, and Winter Hours, which I did not because I prefer her verse over prose. I also flipped through some Emily Dickinson. Not my cup of tea. I tried another that I also was not a fan of. Too wordy, not grounded in reality enough. What I enjoy about Mary Oliver is how nature based and conversational it is. I am now reading Rose Quartz by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe, and I am loving it.
What does all of this have to do with the Knight of Cups? That is a good question, and I promise there is a point!
I think that Mary Oliver, her philosophy on life, and her poetry are a stunning manifestation of the Knight of Cups. She is intentional in every aspect of her life. She slows down to notice the smallest parts of life. She sings the praises of nature’s timing, beauty, and the human condition, even when humans are rotten. She had a horribly traumatic childhood, and she still chose slowness and the path of love.
I think what her work has taught me this month is an even deeper understanding of the word love. I use the word love freely, and I always have. I understand love as a universal feeling, but there is something about Mary Oliver’s writing, the way she lived her life, and her energy that gives the air of full green heart center energy. Know what I mean?
This month, this year, I am definitely trying to live more intentionally: buying more used than new, calling my MOC as often as I can (I’m at 4-5 days per week right now), and using February to practice writing poetry. No, I won’t share. Thank you.
The Knight of Cups asks us the same questions as Mary Oliver. What do you see? What do you hear, smell, feel, taste? How is it impacting you? What is the smallest speck that can be observed, and how does that affect you in your soul?
There is not only the romanticization of life in the Knight of Cups, but like many of the cups cards a sense of deep gratitude. We can’t be present, embodied, experiencing the wonders of Nature and life without a sense of gratitude. We see this often in Mary Oliver’s writing as well. One easy way to start romanticizing your life, finding sensuality and simple pleasures is by being grateful for everything.
Gratitude begets joy, presence, love, laughter, kindness, reciprocity. Walk with gratitude. Thank the earth. Thank the meat you eat. Thank the plants and the farmhands, especially the farmhands who grow and harvest your food. Thank your body for breathing, circulating oxygen and blood, for the movement it allows, for the ability to eat without a feeding tube. If nothing else, thank it for being able to perceive the world and the beauty within it.
If we are going to live more in line with the Knight of Cups, we must be able to keep the world a place that allows for such subtle, quiet, intentional movement. We must be able to seek and find joy. I just wrote about joy last week. You can find my thoughts on it there. Now, more than ever, we need to remember that the Knight of Cups is still a knight. He is still riding off into battle, just at a slower, more intentional pace than the wands or swords. Be intentional about your energy, your fight, the battles. We are all fighting this together. If you need a day of rest, know that there are thousands of others continuing on that day. Take the day, come back the next so other people also have the chance to rest.
When I say rest from battle, I mean however it is that you are fighting back against this fascist regime, this dictatorship. For me, that’s calling my MOC, as silly as it sounds posting to Threads for my local community/state, and staying up to date with the needs of local grass roots organizations so I can donate or boost. Your fight is your fight. Your action are your actions. They will be different from mine, but know others are fighting even when you need a break, as you are fighting when THEY need a break.
Let me know what you think about the knight of cups, if any of this resonated. If you have a favorite Mary Oliver quote or poem, drop it below!!
Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.
With love,
Aventurine ✨
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Yes! I get that completely. Although the Knight of Cups is a romantic charmer underneath it is about finding beauty in the world and enjoying that beauty whatever it may be for you.
I can’t find anything in my local library by Mary Oliver but I’ll keep looking 💕
I loved this reflection on the knight of cups and love that you are enjoying Mary Oliver. I will check out the Wild and Prescious book. The poem that asks what we will do with our wild and precious life was very formative and influencial for me.