Pages always represent a message and youthful innocence. This Page of Cups of synchronicity and creativity embodies the mythic image of Narcissus, often seen as the representation of vanity, of someone who's in love with themselves, or having emotional immaturity. In fact the story of this ambiguous figure symbolizes the gentle beginnings and feelings of self-love and knowing our self-worth.
Anyone could be excused for being enamoured by this youth, known for his beauty, but Narcissus was unaware of his own identity. As a creative young Thespian, the son of a river god Cephisus and his mother the nymph Liriope, she was advised by Tiresias the blind seer, never to be allowed to see his own reflection. However when he does see his reflection, upon coming to a river he sits by, he falls in love with the image he sees thinking it is someone else, not himself. Once realizing this is his own reflection, sadly Narcissus kills himself because this was an unobtainable love, that he could not bare to live without. In Greek Mythology it is also thought that he was so completely overwhelmed with sorrow over the death of his twin sister, it led him to take his own life. The very beautiful Narcissus flower grew and bloomed in the exact place where he'd died.
The tragic and sad ending to this story can also be interpreted as getting past self-preoccupation to the awareness and concern for others. Narcissus is transformed into the Knight of Cups who is on a spiritual vision quest, much like Galahad, one of the legendary Knights from King Arthur's Round Table and who were in search of the Holy Grail.
The Cup that Narcissus is seen here gazing into, reminds me of the Holy Grail, the Living Grail, which reflects the transformation of the unconscious psyche or our soul, where we can find the love we all seek in serving one another.
2 comments:
For me the story of Narcissus has too many negative connotations to do justice to the archetype of the Page of Cups
I think it's all about perception and interpretation. Many don't know the story of Narcissus and relate to it as a story that is only about vanity, but it can be interpreted on a number of levels, not only negative.
The Page of Cups perhaps is what does justice to Narcissus. There are many folks that are like Narcissus, rather tragic figures I think because many of their stories don't end well, especially if they don't ever learn there is a better way.
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