King of Cups

The King of Cups shows a man, sitting on a throne riding a rough sea.  He can see where he's going but has no rudder or sail to steer his way.  Like the fish to the left of the card, he's going with the current or the flow - he's in command of himself but not in control of the situation.  When we find ourselves in troubled waters sometimes the only thing we can do is be in control of our emotions.  Look at what the facts are and separate those from rumors because we just might find that things aren't as bad as they seem.

The Magician

The magician stands confidently and full of faith - he holds his wand to heaven while the other hand points to the ground.  The magician believes in his abilities and he believes in the heavens showing him the resolution to whatever issue or situation he faces.  The elements on the table, the pentacle, the cup, the sword, and the wand represent the four elements: earth, air, wind, and fire.  The infinity symbol above the magicians head represents the heavens.

What we can learn from the magician is that we need to utilize all of our strengths and abilities when we are faced with life issues.  Where we lack in ability we learn by facing opposition - but even when we lack experience in a situation we can be confident and strong.  Go forth, don't be intimidated, you just might surprise yourself and your opponent.

9 of Wands

The 9 of Wands shows a man who has been beaten, bandaged, but keeping an eye out for the next onslaught that he thinks might be coming.   Sometimes we feel that way when we've been caught in an unexpected battle or fight that seemingly came from no where.  The urge is to build a wall around ourselves, to with draw - sometimes there's a need for that just to regroup, however we cannot allow ourselves to stay behind our wall.  We must get ourselves back out there and attempt and understand what caused the situation in the first place. Sometimes  we'll find that there was no rhyme or reason why the attack came.  In those situations, listen to the Universe as you will receive guidance to deal with the person or situation.  At other times, we'll find out that the other party had a misperception about us and make amends.  But regardless, we should always be positive, have love in our hearts, and be willing to forgive even when the other party refuses to.

Temperance

Temperance is a card that shows an arch angel combining the contents of two separate cups into one, a union is taking place.  Another common meaning this card has is bringing things into balance.  In either case, sometimes in life we need the opportunity to experience something new - this gives depth to our life and a new set of circumstances to relate to, hopefully for the better.

The plants near the waters edge represent vitality and growth.

The path leading from the waters edge to the mountains represent the path of life each of us travels. We grow as people, learn from experience, and take on new challenges.

I think this card also represents intuition.  The circle on the archangels forehead is like a third eye.  Skill and experience are needed when trying to commingle to different individuals or parties to come to a common ground or understanding.  Wisdom, still, and finesse are required to achieve a positive resolution.