The Queen of Cups was painted during her two Cancer decans, (the first two) and I did the scan on the Cancer new moon which fell on Monday/Moon Day but technically fell in the third decan (that isn’t hers) but given her lunar nature felt appropriate.

This one is a good example of something I’ve been doing with these cards in that I paint on the BACK side of the paper. It’s translucent, so the colors show through the front but lighter and less intense. So I paint the backs really intense, then move to the front and work on the front with either more paint or colored pencil. It’s like working on toned paper or toned canvas then, as there is a base color to work with. And it preserves the line work better. But it only works well for lighter colors – darks get too lightened and muted.

But in her case not a lot had to be done to the front as I really liked the way it looked as is. Because she is a mirror – literally behind her is a magic mirror with the magic seal of the moon on it, and the water is also a mirror reflecting what is above her. The Queen of Cups is reflective and dreamy, so somehow I liked the muted translucence coming through the paper – it felt very lunar. So I barely worked on the front at all. Only the dark blue background was painted on the front, and a few touches of detail here and there with colored pencil.

The Book T description, which I tried to follow to the letter, reads:

A VERY beautiful fair woman like a crowned Queen, seated upon a throne,
beneath which is flowing water wherein Lotuses are seen. Her general dress is
similar to that of the Queen of Wands, but upon her crown, cuirass and buskins is
seen an Ibis with opened wings, and beside her is the same bird, whereon her
hand rests. She holds a cup, wherefrom a crayfish issues. Her face is dreamy. She
holds a lotus in the hand upon the Ibis.
She is imaginative, poetic, kind, yet not willing to take much trouble for another.
Coquettish, good-natured and underneath a dreamy appearance. Imagination
stronger than feeling. Very much affected by other influences, and therefore more
dependent upon dignity than most symbols.
She rules from 20 Degree Gemini to 20 Degree Cancer.
Water of Water
Queen of Nymphs or Undines.

Here is one of her decans or faces, the Three of Cups, Abundance, second face of Cancer. The color of the card per the Golden Dawn color scales is Black – plus the colors of her related majors for Cancer (The Chariot) and Mercury (The Magus).

The magical description of the decan in 777 reads “A beautiful woman wreathed with myrtle. She holds a lyre and sings of love and gladness.“

Here she is pictured with her lyre, singing and swaying to the music as she proffers a toast with three beautiful cups. You can see the original line art and read more about her at the original post here.

The Two of Cups, her other Cancer decan, has the line art posted but the color version is in this month’s newsletter for subscribers. Subscribe here if you wish to be updated with my tarot newsletter.