The Princess of Cups
The Princess of the Waters
The Lotus of the Palace of the Floods
A beautiful Amazon-like figure, softer in nature than the
Princess of Wands. Her attire is similar. She stands on a sea
with foaming spray. Away to her right a Dolphin. She wears as
a crest a swan with opening wings. She bears in one hand a
lotus, and in the other an open cup from which a turtle issues.
Her mantle is lined with swansdown, and is of thin floating
material.
Sweetness, poetry, gentleness and kindness. Imaginative,
dreamy, at times indolent, yet courageous if roused.
When ill dignified she is selfish and luxurious.
She rules a quadrant of the heavens around Kether.
Earth of Water
Princess and Empress of Nymphs or Undines.
Throne of the Ace of Cups.
• • •
“The Princess of Cups represents the earthy part of Water; in particular, the
faculty of crystallization. She represents the power of Water to give substance
to idea, to support life, and to form the basis of chemical combination. She is
represented as a dancing figure, robed in a flowing garment on whose edges
crystals are seen to form.
For her crest she wears a swan with open wings. The symbolism of this swan reminds one of the swan in oriental philosophy which is the word AUM or AUMGN, which is the symbol of the entire process of creation.
She bears a covered cup from which issues a tortoise. This is again the tortoise which in Hindu philosophy supports the elephant on whose back is the Universe. She is dancing upon a foaming sea in which disports himself a dolphin, the royal fish, which symbolizes the power of Creation.
The character of the Princess is infinitely gracious. All sweetness, all voluptuousness, gentleness, kindness and tenderness are in her character. She lives in the world of Romance, in the perpetual dream of rapture. On a superficial examination she might be thought selfish and indolent, but this is a quite false impression; silently and effort lessly she goes about her work.
In the Yi King, the earthy part of Water is represented by the 41st Hexagram, Sun. This means diminution, the dissolution of all solidity. People described by this card are very dependent on others, but at the same time helpful to them. Rarely, at the best, are they of individual importance. As helpmeets, they are unsurpassed.”
— Crowley, The Book of Thoth
For her crest she wears a swan with open wings. The symbolism of this swan reminds one of the swan in oriental philosophy which is the word AUM or AUMGN, which is the symbol of the entire process of creation.
She bears a covered cup from which issues a tortoise. This is again the tortoise which in Hindu philosophy supports the elephant on whose back is the Universe. She is dancing upon a foaming sea in which disports himself a dolphin, the royal fish, which symbolizes the power of Creation.
The character of the Princess is infinitely gracious. All sweetness, all voluptuousness, gentleness, kindness and tenderness are in her character. She lives in the world of Romance, in the perpetual dream of rapture. On a superficial examination she might be thought selfish and indolent, but this is a quite false impression; silently and effort lessly she goes about her work.
In the Yi King, the earthy part of Water is represented by the 41st Hexagram, Sun. This means diminution, the dissolution of all solidity. People described by this card are very dependent on others, but at the same time helpful to them. Rarely, at the best, are they of individual importance. As helpmeets, they are unsurpassed.”
— Crowley, The Book of Thoth