Seasonal Support & Embodiment With the 4 of Cups
Seasonal Support & Embodiment With the 4 of Cups
By Davidia Turner
Spring is in full force and feelings of anticipation, excitement, regeneration and “opening up” are abound. After a year of social and physical distance, this Spring also brings with it the hope of reconnecting like never before. Sitting with folks in readings, having conversations with students and close friends, and during my own self reflections, a recurring theme has presented itself this season. “How do I honor and process the experience and events of the past year (personal & collective), while making way for the new?” Realizing the toll the pandemic has taken on a personal and collective level is just as important as cultivating new projects, fresh ideas and renewing our faith. And holding these two opposing spaces at once can feel daunting. After a major disruption of the routines and status quo, the prospect of finding sustainability and stability, both qualities of the number four, are on the horizon.
We can look to the energy of the 4 of Cups for emotional support and guidance as to how we can hold the past, the present and the future. The 4 of cups is an invitation to process, digest and evaluate previous experiences and actions, before taking on potential new opportunities and next steps. This is taking the time to choose wisely. It’s a chance to step back, step in and notice emotions, the body and the mind. This is about facilitating embodied connectivity to the choices and decisions we might be making at this time.
If the past year has activated your survival instincts, disconnected you from your body, or activated certain negative mental conditioning, the 4 of Cups can be a reminder to reconnect to self trust and your intuition. Intuitive listening allows us to honor our own timing, a view of this card I learned from my teacher Lindsay Mack. It asks us to make sure we aren’t pushing or persuading mind and body to leap into something we might not be fully ready for, or even really want. It can also show us how to address discontent, acknowledging outdated paradigms and inspiring us to build something new in its place. How have your priorities shifted this past year?
What matters most to you?
Have you taken time to steady yourself?
Name one thing that you are Excited to Begin and one thing You’re excited to Move on from; how are they connected?
Spring is an opportune time to implement supportive self-care practices that remind you to ground, center and reconnect before pushing ahead. Like the person sitting against the tree, taking in fully the three cups (emotional experiences) before them, while also contemplating what’s next (the cup presented by the disembodied hand), we can reflect on the past experiences we have had, and how they are disrupting or supporting any new habits and behaviors we wish to create.
The beauty of Spring is seeing the world wake up again. And many of us feel more than ready to get outside of ourselves, experience community and connectivity. The Four of Cups reminds us how important digesting and disseminating all that we have been through is to this process of re-emergence.
Simple Ways to Embody the 4 of Cups:
Give Yourself a Belly Massage
Sit/Lay or Place Feet on the Earth
Make a Cup of Ginger Tea
Connect with Davidia at https://www.davidiaturner.com/ or on Instagram @davidia.turner