Bohemian Gothic Tarot

THREE OF CUPS

Lighter or more conventional meanings

Harmony and collaboration * Mutual celebration and rejoicing * Friendship, comradeship * Community and co-operation * Teamwork, an effective group effort.

Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings

Getting together to collaborate on something shady, questionable or outright criminal * Group dynamics that go wrong * Falling into bad company * Being persuaded by friends to join in doing things that you feel are wrong.

This card presents us with a scene of beauty and harmony; a smiling woman and her two daughters stand in front of a magnificent waterfall at dusk. They are elegant, relaxed and seem to be enjoying the amazing scenery. But, there is one thing that is utterly out of place with the overall picture of tranquillity. As the mother reaches up to a flying creature in the sky we see that it's a large grey bat that's swooping towards her, not a pretty bird, and there are dozens more of the creatures streaming from between the cliffs towards the family group.

This could be interpreted as a scene from a nightmare, one of those dreams that begins well and then turns horrific, or it could show a family who are actually involved in this bizarre pastime. They may be practitioners of magic, or the mother and girls could be possessed, or a little crazy. Like a classic Three of Cups picture, they are obviously happy, enjoying themselves and very much in harmony with one another, and it seems also with their surroundings. But one little girl clutches a huge cup that looks ceremonial rather than intended as a drinking vessel and the overall impression is one of people who could be collaborating with dark powers in some way, or at least dabbling with esoteric and occult matters that could well be more dangerous than they imagine. Behind them in the lake there is an oddly-shaped rock that may or may not be a beast rising from the water. We are left wondering if they are conjuring something up, and if so, for what purpose.

In a reading this card indicates all the usual Three of Cups attributes of the joys of co-operation and groups working together. But it challenges us to think about whether all close-knit groups, however well they are functioning, are necessarily a good thing. It surely depends on what the aims and motivations are, and also on the associates and assistants that are brought into the effort. Cults, extreme political groups and associations between people with illegal intentions are all examples of teamwork that might be very effective for the members, but which is bad for society as a whole. When this card turns up in readings, look for involvement in activities that have a shady side, or, to use that old cliche, involve "hanging around with a bad crowd".

Some further ways to consider this card

Are the bats the only creatures that these women are summoning? Are they perhaps the vanguard for something darker and more frightening?

The three sisters' souls seemed to meet on one common ground of terrified understanding through their eyes. The old-fashioned latch of the door was heard to rattle, and a push from without made the door shake ineffectually.
- Mary E. Wilkins Freeman "The Shadows on the Wall" Stories by Modern American Authors.