The Tarot of Eli 2: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Ten of Cups & The Archeon Tarot - 10 of Cups

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In the Tarot, the Tens represent the fixed and final expression of elemental force—its culmination, completion, and manifestation in the material world. They signify the moment when the invisible has fulfilled its journey into form.

The Rider-Waite-Smith 10 of Cups beautifully illustrates this completion, centering its imagery on the radiant truth that authentic happiness is not born from below, but descends from above. The arched rainbow of ten cups symbolizes this descent of divine joy—an emanation from the higher planes of consciousness, echoing the Qabalistic axiom: “That which is Above manifests in that which is Below.”

This esoteric principle runs counter to the modern and profane assumption that happiness arises from the accumulation of possessions or achievements. The adults in the card may stand in awe of what appears before them, yet the children—the pure, unconditioned Self—rejoice instinctively, reflecting the soul’s innate recognition of happiness as a natural state of being, not a reward for effort.

This card teaches a profound Hermetic truth: Happiness is not something we acquire; it is what we are, expressed through us by the Solar Self as the material vessel of divine joy. We are not meant to chase happiness through things, but rather to embody it as a living current of the Soul. The rainbow itself, an alchemical bridge between realms, is the signature of this truth—Heaven rejoicing in flesh.

The Tens imply, fixed, culminated, completed Force and the Rider-Waite-Smith 10 of cups card concentrates its imagery on the phenomena that all happiness comes from the above. Hence the rainbow band of Cups. This concept is opposed to the mundane belief that "Accumulation of Things" makes one happy. The idea here is that Happiness created us as it's material expression, rather than the gathering of material makes us happy which is what the adults are thinking.

However, when one observes a child at play—fully immersed in the Now, radiating joy without need or pretense—one glimpses a forgotten truth: happiness is not something to be pursued; it is our native state. The child plays not to gain happiness, but because happiness plays through the child. In this sacred spontaneity, we witness the undivided expression of the Soul, still untainted by the egoic illusions of lack or separation.

This principle is echoed in the profound words of the Gospel of Thomas from the Nag Hammadi Library, a treasure of Gnostic wisdom. Here, the Logos, speaking through the figure of Yeshua, declares:

“Let the seeker seek until he finds.
When he finds, he will become troubled.
When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished.
And he will rule over the All.”

This sequence reflects the soul’s descent into matter and the return ascent into gnosis. First comes the seeking, the hunger to remember. Then the troubling: the painful unraveling of illusions, the death of the false self. But from that sacred crisis emerges astonishment—a sudden, dazzling recognition of the eternal "I AM" within. And with that gnosis comes sovereignty: not dominion over others, but rulership over the illusions of the world—the Great Work of inner Alchemy fulfilled.

In light of this, the 10 of Cups is not merely a card of “domestic bliss,” as it is so often reduced to, but a Hermetic revelation: True happiness is not acquired. It is unveiled. It is the Solar Child dancing in the soul, crowned with the rainbow of the Divine Covenant. To reclaim this joy is to remember who we are beneath the programmed seeking.

When we seek happiness outside of ourselves by accumulation of things, titles, or people, after time, we become troubled, for what we thought was happiness, just becomes mundane and mediocre at best. What the seeker finds is that they are what they always sought. After this realization, one begins looking inward, and after being truthful to themselves, they become astonished! For within is the fulfillment of the One who began this universe as "I Will Be", which created the One Mind of I AM (recognition of existence) and after we dig through all the mental trash of our man-made worded identity, we find the glowing Sun of the I Am within, who is now happy and content, for it is now "I AM Being", a fulfillment of the Original Will! We now understand that we are the One who is All, reflecting upon itself as a "Me".

The Archeon Tarot – 10 of Cups: A Moment of Fulfillment at the Edge of Change

The Archeon Tarot 10 of Cups portrays an elegant, contemplative scene. A serene Asian woman, clothed in traditional attire adorned with ten golden cups, stands amid the symbols of material security and emotional fulfillment. Her pose and presence suggest grace, virtue, and quiet contentment. This card speaks to the querent of a time of harmony, mutual respect, emotional wholeness, and enduring love. It is a picture of personal honor, heartfelt connection, and a sense of life’s emotional blessings finally coming into bloom.

Yet unlike the bright, celebratory imagery of other Tarot decks, this version places the scene beneath a full moon. A lone raven circles the night sky above, and the woman’s gaze is turned toward a darkened, leafless tree—symbols which introduce a deeper and more ephemeral undertone to this moment of peace. The moon, ever waxing and waning, reminds us that all manifested joy is cyclical, fleeting. The raven, a harbinger and guardian of mysteries, hints at messages from the unconscious or a coming change. The tree, though presently barren, carries the archetypal memory of seasons—it will bloom again, but only after another cycle of death and renewal.

In this way, the 10 of Cups becomes more than just a card of emotional fulfillment. It reminds the querent that all tens in Tarot, while representing culmination, also mark the finality of a cycle. They are thresholds—brief pauses of completion before the spiral begins anew. As such, this card gently warns: do not cling to the moment, but cherish it with full presence, for change is already gathering.

From a Hermetic perspective, this card illustrates the principle of Solve et Coagula—what has been beautifully coagulated will soon dissolve, only to be transmuted into a new expression of joy and wisdom. It is a sacred ending cloaked in beauty, urging the Soul to prepare for the next octave of evolution.

In gematria and traditional numerology, the number 10 carries significant symbolic meanings, both in traditional Jewish mysticism and in broader Western Hermetic esoteric traditions. Here's an overview of its characteristics:

Jewish and/or Qabalistic Gematria

1. Divine Order and Completion:

   • The number 10 is associated with completeness and perfection, representing the full range of human experience and divine order. This is evident in the Ten Commandments, which encapsulate the moral and spiritual laws.

2. Sefirot/Sephiroth:

   • In the Kabbalistic/Qabalistic Tree of Life, there are ten Sefirot/Sephiroth (emanations), each representing different aspects of the divine and the creation. These Sefirot/Sephiroth form a structure that maps out the path from the divine to the material world.

Western Hermetic Esotericism

1. Tarot:

   • The tenth card in the Major Arcana is the Wheel of Fortune, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life, fate, and destiny. It reflects the concept of change and the wheel of karma.

2. Numerology:

   • In numerology, 10 is reduced to 1 (1 + 0), which is often associated with new beginnings, leadership, and potential. However, as 10, it retains the essence of completion and the return to the beginning.

Symbolism

1. Unity and Duality:

   • The number 10 embodies both unity and duality. It starts with 1, representing unity and the divine, and ends with 0, representing potential and the infinite. Together, they symbolize the unity of creation and the return to the source.

2. Pythagorean Perspective:

   • Pythagoreans regarded 10 (the Tetractys) as the perfect number, representing the sum of the first four numbers (1+2+3+4=10). This sum signifies harmony and the foundational structure of the universe.

Cultural and Historical References

1. Ten Plagues:

   • In the biblical narrative, the ten plagues of Egypt symbolize divine intervention and judgment, leading to the liberation of the Israelites.

2. Ten Days of Repentance:

   • In Judaism, the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for repentance and reflection, emphasizing the importance of spiritual purification.

Conclusion

The number 10 in gematria is rich with meanings, symbolizing completeness, divine order, and the unity of creation. Its characteristics span various esoteric traditions, reflecting both the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one.

Western Hermetic Qabalistic Tradition places the 10 of Cups Tarot cards with the Planet Mars in the house of Pisces. When Mars, the planet of action, assertion, and energy, is in the dreamy and sensitive sign of Pisces, it creates an interesting blend of energies. Here are some characteristics of Mars in the house of Pisces:

1. Subtle Expression of Energy: Mars in Pisces tends to express its energy in a more subtle and indirect manner compared to its placement in more assertive signs. Individuals with this placement may not always confront situations head-on but instead prefer to navigate them with a more gentle and intuitive approach.

2. Sensitivity and Empathy: Pisces is a deeply empathetic and compassionate sign, and Mars here imbues the individual with a heightened sensitivity to the emotions and needs of others. They may possess a natural ability to understand and empathize with people's struggles, making them excellent listeners and counselors.

3. Creative Energy: Mars in Pisces infuses the individual with a creative and imaginative spirit. They may excel in artistic pursuits such as music, poetry, dance, or visual arts, using their creativity as a means of self-expression and emotional release.

4. Idealism and Spirituality: Pisces is a spiritual and idealistic sign, and Mars here can infuse the individual with a strong sense of idealism and a desire to make a positive difference in the world. They may be drawn to humanitarian causes or inspired to fight for justice and equality.

5. Tendency Towards Escapism: While Mars typically represents action and forward movement, in Pisces, it can sometimes lead to a tendency towards escapism or avoidance of confrontation. Individuals with this placement may struggle with asserting themselves directly, preferring to retreat into their inner world or engage in activities that provide an escape from reality.

6. Sacrifice and Selflessness: Mars in Pisces may manifest as a willingness to sacrifice personal needs for the greater good or for the sake of others. They may be selfless in their actions, putting the needs of others before their own and finding fulfillment in acts of service or compassion.

7. Vulnerability and Sensitivity to Criticism: Pisces is a sensitive and impressionable sign, and Mars here can heighten the individual's vulnerability to criticism or harsh treatment. They may struggle with asserting boundaries and standing up for themselves, preferring to avoid conflict whenever possible.

Overall, Mars in Pisces blends the assertive energy of Mars with the sensitive and empathetic qualities of Pisces, resulting in individuals who are compassionate, creative, and spiritually inclined, but who may also struggle with assertiveness and boundaries. Learning to harness the creative and compassionate energy of this placement while also asserting oneself when necessary can lead to a fulfilling and balanced expression of Mars in Pisces.

The Tenth Sephirah on the Qabalistic Tree of Life is Malkuth, which corresponds to the Earth and the realm of physical manifestation. Known as The Kingdom, Malkuth is the solitary Sephirah of the World of Assiah, the plane of action, sensation, and form. Unlike the other Worlds on the Tree—Atziluth (Emanation), Briah (Creation), and Yetzirah (Formation)—each of which contains triadic structures of three interconnected Sephiroth forming energetic triangles, Assiah stands apart: it is a world with but one Sephirah—Malkuth.

This singularity is meaningful. Malkuth, like Kether at the other end of the Tree, exists in a kind of isolation—but it is a sacred solitude. For just as Kether represents the unmanifest, ineffable Source—the Crown of Divine Will—Malkuth is its ultimate realization. It is the Completion of the Great Work in the densest strata of existence. As such, Malkuth is not merely the bottom of the Tree—it is its foundation in experience, the crucible in which all higher forces become embodied and revealed.

The Divine Name associated with Kether is Eheieh, meaning “I Will Be.” In Malkuth, that primordial declaration is fulfilled. The potentiality of Kether becomes actuality in the material world. Thus, Malkuth is not a fallen state, as some misinterpretations suggest—it is the culmination of the entire evolutionary thrust of the Tree. It is where the Divine Will “descends” into the garments of flesh, sensation, and time, not as a prison, but as a temple of experience.

Malkuth is the Active Word—Logos made flesh. It is the place where the Divine declares, “I AM,” clothed in the raiment of the senses, declaring its being through your eyes, your hands, your breath. It is through you, the awakened consciousness in form, that the Great Work reaches its realization.

Hence, the goal of the entire Tree of Life is not some disembodied transcendence, but full embodiment—the Soul fully inhabiting the physical, spiritualizing matter by its very presence. The path from Kether to Malkuth is not a descent into exile, but a descent into sovereignty. The Kingdom is not a reward at the end—it is the throne upon which the Divine Self must sit.

It is often overlooked by the aspiring initiate or seasoned traveler of the Inner Realms that the sensual intimacy of experience—so richly felt in the flesh—is not abandoned as one ascends the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. In fact, it is deepened.

Upon entering the luminous realms of the Astral or the Akashic strata of the Psyche, one may become so enthralled with the “higher” states of consciousness that they begin to devalue the body's role, as if it were merely a vessel to be escaped. And yet, paradoxically, without the body, there is no feeling—no echo, no warmth, no pulse to give resonance to the images of ascent.

To be clear: Yes, the astral traveler may soar through radiant temples of Yesod, Netzach, Tiphareth and beyond, but it is still through the interface of the body that these visions become meaningful. It is the nervous system, the endocrine cascade, the subtle currents in the spine, and the breath itself that make these experiences not just ideas, but living revelations.

For even the Mind—exalted though it may become—remains tethered to a body while incarnate. And this tether is not a chain, but a silver thread of devotion, anchoring the Divine Self to the sensual fields of Becoming. Without that thread, without this sensory temple, the inner landscapes would be felt as ghostly sketches—colorless, toneless, without knowing. The Path would become an abstraction rather than a sacrament.

Thus, to travel the Sephiroth without the body is to feel nothing at all. The sensual world is not a distraction from the Divine—it is the vehicle of the Divine. It is how the Eternal knows Itself in motion, texture, and song. The embrace of the body, when purified by the Soul, becomes the sanctified Grail through which all higher truths are tasted.

Let the Magus remember this: Ascension does not require escape from the flesh, but illumination through it. To reject the sensual is to abandon the final mystery of Malkuth—that the Kingdom is not a shadow of the Divine, but its shining expression in form.

There is, in truth, only One Sense underlying the vast ocean of the Collective Unconscious—a primordial awareness that has refined itself over millennia into what we now call the sense of "I", or more precisely: I AM. This singular, undivided perception is the original “Eye” of Consciousness, the archetypal Witness, which gazes through time and form to behold itself.

The so-called Five Senses of the physical body—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell—are but differentiated expressions of this One Sense that sees, feels, and knows itself. In truth, the human organism contains not five, but at least thirty-three discrete senses, as both ancient initiates and modern neurobiology are beginning to agree. These senses—proprioception, kinesthesia, balance, magnetoreception, temperature gradients, cellular memory, and psychic intuition among them—are all nuanced facets of that One Eye that the Qabalists know as the I AM.

Thus, the Self is not merely something one possesses—it is all that is perceived. There is no experience outside the Self; the world is a mirror of one's own assumptions, a grand illusion of Otherness cast by the light of the “I” through the lens of form. What we call “reality” is a refracted image of the I AM gazing upon its own endless potential.

The Qabalist, and the true Kabbalist as well, understands that "I AM" is the absolute truth of Self—the eternal Name uttered from Kether down through all ten Sephiroth. But what "I AM" is? That is left open, undefined—a sacred space for the creative fiat of Will. What I AM is what I choose to become. This is the heart of divine autonomy: freedom of assumption, or what some call freedom of thought, is the great metaphysical power by which the One becomes Many.

And herein lies the great paradox of individuation:
There is only the Self, but the Self is free to pretend otherwise.

Freedom of thought gives rise to “me,” the personal mask of the Universal "I." Thus, to know thyself is not merely to ask “Who am I?” but rather to declare it—to take up the wand and speak, “I AM That I AM,” and let the worlds tremble in recognition.

To those who practice the Mysteries or Ancient Wisdom, there are more senses "felt" than five. For some as many as ten, for a Tantric master as many as 33 but the meditative process for awakening is not for this blog to describe, so if you are interested in a greater Wealth of Sensuality....start your journey up the Tree while you still support a physical body, you'll find that you will practice Tantra Yoga along the way. Tantra is a Sanskrit word that means "To expand and liberate", while Qabalah is a Hebrew word that means, "Receiving" or "to receive". One can see how they go together, as receiving from the Greater Self, expands and liberates the Spirit-Mind-Body of the receiver. Hence, the practice of Qabalistic Tarot is a Tantric Rite. I recommend one gets the A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook, by Dr. John Mumford and learns to Temper their body for the inner Celestial fire of the Kundalini.

The true name of the One Mind—the Source Consciousness from which all things arise—is I AM. This is the eternal declaration of Being, the utterance of pure existence before form. Each of us, as microcosmic emanations of the Creatrix/Creator, has inherited this sacred Name. It is the Divine Spark within—the Solar Logos—that speaks through us whenever we affirm our existence.

"As it is done Above, so it is done Below." In the Supernal Triad, the Divine declares "I AM"—and in the realm of Assiah, the physical world, that same declaration manifests as "me": the individuated expression of the Universal Self. The "me" is the crystallized outcome of what the "I AM" affirms and energizes.

When you say, "I AM", you are activating the Creative Principle. What follows those words becomes the mold of your reality, shaped by the emotional current—energy-in-motion—that fuels it.

• To declare "I AM Wealth" is not to chase abundance, but to become it.

• To say "I AM Poverty"—or worse, "I seek"—is to affirm lack, to anchor yourself in the vibration of not-having.

Your declarations act as focus-lenses for emotion, channeling the formless sea of energy into precise, manifest currents. This is not mere affirmation—it is magick, in the highest Hermetic sense. For thought, fused with emotion, commands the currents of subtle energy, shaping the astral substance that precedes physical manifestation. This is the hidden engine behind what many call the Law of Attraction.

"I AM Wealth. I AM Health. I AM Well-being. I AM the Will and the Way. I own the Day."

—one is aligning the lower self with the Supernal Self. These are not idle phrases; they are vibrational sigils, each resonating with a Sephirothic truth. They expand the magnetic field of the Soul and draw into one’s sphere the correspondences of that declared identity.

To live consciously as "I AM" is to walk as a living Tetragrammaton—Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh—in motion. The Divine Word is no longer distant or theoretical; it is embodied, spoken through you. For you are not merely declaring what you are—you are becoming it in real-time, radiating it into the Field of Malkuth, shaping the substance of the Kingdom with every breath.

The message of the 10 of Cups, is that you have reached the highest level of happiness at this stage in your life, and it is finished as a phase. A new phase of your emotional life is now beginning as education never stops. Here a greater emotional control is produced as we now focus energy-in-motion on what "I AM" rather than "I Want".

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WHEN THE 10 OF CUPS IS THROWN DURING A DIVINATION, IT IMPLIES:

• Emotional contentment, reached after strife.
• Happiness found internally.
• When motivated by love of being, the unfoldment of the highest wisdom.
• Experiencing an emotional relationship or psychic work that is stable and satisfying with awareness that soon it will be time to move on.
• The gift of bringing light and good cheer to others, simply by happily being yourself.
• The fulfillment of a desire of paramount importance and not necessarily what one wants.
• A happy community of family.

When ill defined by the surrounding cards or reversed, it implies:

• Sentimentalism. 
• Bathos.
• Inner emptiness.

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