The Ten of Cups signifies reaching a point of emotional fulfilment and stable relationships.
It represents a state where efforts have led to success and satisfaction in personal connections.
Highlighting periods rich in contentment within family and community life,
It underlines the importance of mutual support and understanding.
In this Active Imagination exercise,
We'll explore these themes,
Seeking to understand the balance between personal fulfilment and shared joy,
Aiming to cultivate a harmonious and nourishing environment for ourselves and those around us.
Just make sure you're comfortable.
You can do this exercise sitting down or lying down.
Close your eyes.
Just take a couple of deep breaths.
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Just allowing yourself to breathe normally now.
And bring your attention to the sensation of the breath.
If at any point the mind wanders,
No problem.
Simply bring the attention back to the exercise.
And now,
Imagine yourself in a lush and vibrant meadow.
And in this place,
There's a joyful gathering of people.
Take a moment to soak in the environment around you.
Take note of the colours,
The energy of this space,
And the various people around you.
Every facet of this experience represents something about your own mind.
Take a few moments to look at the various people who are gathered here.
Take note of their demeanour,
Their clothing,
And their behaviour.
Imagine yourself joining the gathering.
How does the group respond?
Take some time just to be here in this gathering.
And pay attention to how it feels.
You decide to enter a conversation with a particular figure from this group.
Choose one of the people now to converse with,
And take note of their appearance.
You're going to begin a conversation with them just by asking them a series of questions.
And as you do,
Just ask the question each time,
And listen to what the figure has to say.
Remembering that they are part of you,
And they may hold wisdom that you are not consciously yet aware of.
Ask the figure,
Who are you,
And what do you represent in my life?
There's no right or wrong answers here.
Just allow the figure to communicate.
They may or may not appear to make sense at this time,
And that's okay.
Trust that everything they have to say has value.
Ask them,
What makes me feel truly fulfilled and content?
What are my true needs?
And where might I be denying them to myself?
How can I cultivate more of these joyous and harmonious moments in my life?
Having asked these questions,
And listened to the answers,
Now it's time to engage in a free-form dialogue with this figure.
This is your chance to say whatever you need to say.
And in particular,
If there has been any resistance or conflict emerge,
Whether expressed as behavior,
Or even in the words that have been said to you,
Now is your opportunity to reconcile with this figure,
And everything that it represents.
So engage with them now,
As though they were a real person,
And bring the same wholesome intention that you would in any other conversation.
So take this time now to have this conversation.
As this conversation draws to a close,
You're now going to make a gesture of either reconciliation,
Or affirmation of your relationship with this figure.
This could be through words,
Or some kind of action,
Perhaps giving a gift.
Make this gesture now.
Say goodbye to the figure now,
Thanking them for their wisdom,
And also to the group around you.
So just allowing the scene to fade,
And bringing your attention back to the space around you.
Noticing any sounds,
Or sensations,
Taking a deep breath,
And in your own time,
Opening your eyes again.
