Grief and the 5 of Cups

The months of June and July can be difficult ones for me. Particularly from Father’s Day until the anniversary of my dad’s death. It’s been 12 years and this time of year the grief can still feel incredibly fresh and tender.

My Tarot practice has helped me sit with and better understand my grief surrounding my dad’s death. By Turing to my cards, I have learned about the layers that make up my grief and how that gets expressed in my life. They have also provided comfort and support when I have needed it.

One of the cards that has come forward as a tool for grief work is the Five of Cups. Traditionally this card is about focusing on the good, not the three spilled cups usually depicted on it. My teacher, Lindsay Mack. suggests letting ourselves grieve those overturned vessels before we then turn to the two that are still upright. I can grieve the loss of my father and still remember all the good memories I have of him. It does not have to be one or the other.

It can be tempting to only let myself think about the happy memories of my dad. But to give full expression to my grief, I want to remember how much pain, sadness, and anger his death caused me. I give myself permission to grieve the future memories I had hoped to create with him but can now never happen.

Do you have a Tarot card you find comforting and supportive for your grief?