The Archetype and The Tarot: The Service Provider and Knight of Cups
Through the Service Provider and Knight of Cups, this week we’re being called to get into the practical side of service work. Can we find a way to balance our emotions with what needs to be done?
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The Service Provider
The card I actually drew this week is called the Servant, but I have a lot of feelings (okay, judgments) about that. In my mind, I keep envisioning Lumière from Beauty and the Beast, and the entire downstairs cast of Downton Abbey and questioning how happy these characters really were. Perhaps a life of service to their wealthy employers truly did bring them fulfillment, but it stirs up in me thoughts of classism and inequality.
It’s probably just semantics, but I’ve decided that I can be much more objective about the archetype (and therefore be more receptive to its wisdom) if I give it a new name. So, I’d like to introduce you all to The Service Provider.
It seems as though we’ve drawn a lot of service-related archetypes in recent weeks, including the Samaritan from the end of May. There must be something in the ethers that wants to draw our attention to the way we relate with caretaking in general.
As the name implies, the Service Provider is one who provides a service. This archetype is ubiquitous in our society. In our day-to-day lives, we frequently encounter individuals who are engaged in acts of service for others, a phenomenon that is particularly evident in the expansive service industry.
The Service Provider highlights the notion of community, emphasizing the fact that we each have our role to play in the greater whole. In fact, one of the most common love languages is called Acts of Service, which means that there are a whole bunch of us whose preference it is to receive love through interactions with others’ Service Provider.
In the light, the Service Provider understands the service they are meant to provide and they know how to accomplish it. Whether the service is for themselves or another, this one knows the importance of following through. Perhaps most importantly, however, the Service Provider in the light is clear on their own motivations for providing the service, no matter what they might be.
On the shadow side, the Service Provider might be unwilling or unmotivated to help out. They might also lack the ability to follow through, finding themselves procrastinating or becoming distracted. Sometimes the Service Provider in the shadows is unable to see the needs of others due to profound levels of self-absorption. More commonly, however, the shadow Service Provider is simply unaware of their motivations for providing service. Not understanding why they are they doing the work, this one might feel victimized or become resentful about serving others.
When the Service Provider comes up in a reading, I believe that we are being asked to get really clear on our motivations for whatever services it is we provide. And to do this without judging ourselves. Maybe our motivation is to get a paycheck. Maybe it’s to feel a sense of accomplishment or to be seen as a great helper. And maybe it’s because we are genuinely answering a call to serve. Whatever our motivations might be, we can help bring the Service Provider out of the shadows simply by acknowledging them. (Bonus! Practicing this level of honesty with ourselves also helps us develop self-trust.)
Some questions to consider this week:
Can you recall a moment when your service to someone had a profound impact on their life? How did it affect you?
How do you respond when your efforts to help others are not appreciated or acknowledged?
How do you navigate situations where serving others conflicts with your own ethical or moral beliefs?
What drives you to serve others, and how does this motivation align with your core values?
The Knight of Cups
In this card, from the Mary-el tarot deck again, we see an up-close image of a knight who is gazing down at a a tiny fountain of blood in their hands. If we look really close, we can see that the blood is actually coming out of their own fingers. From this fountain of blood rises a fully bloomed lotus flower and behind that is an all-seeing eye on the heart space of this knight’s armor.
To me, the general feeling of this card is one of profound vulnerability. Despite the knight’s armor, it is through the spilling of their own blood—the outward expression of what is in their heart—that their soul, in the form of a lotus, grows and blooms. Their downcast eyes and the all-seeing eye is further confirmation that this one is guided only by their heart. Their passion is also their vulnerability.
I believe this knight is tasking us with coming to our own conclusion about whether this level of vulnerability in the world is courageous or foolish, or somewhere in between.
How does this pair work together?
The image I see here is this Knight of Cups working the drive-up window at a fast food restaurant. They’re attempting to put people’s orders in bags, take their money, fill their drinks, etc. but their bleeding fingers are just making a huge mess of everything. The necessary service can’t be provided under these circumstances.
Contrary to what we tend to see most often in these archetype/tarot pairs, this feels like a call towards pragmatism and practicality. Are we letting our emotions negatively impact (or get in the way of) our service work?
This week’s message really brings to mind the sixth house in astrology. I like to call this the house of “the work I usually don’t feel like doing.” It’s the house of maintenance and chores and general service. On the one hand, this week might feel like a much-needed break from probing the depths of our emotions and souls. On the other hand, it might mean we have to get some stuff done that we’ve been putting off.
This week feels particularly challenging for me. Especially after having been focused on The Animal archetype over the last two weeks, it’ll be interesting to see how I fare with doing my service work through a lens of pragmatism rather than emotionality. I’d love to know how you do with it too! Reply to this email, send me a DM or leave a comment below.
Back again, still thinking about the Knight of Cups! I think Thoth is probably my favourite representation, all told. I hear you about the word ‘servant’, though I’ve a lot of time for elements of the concept of ‘servant leadership. Great post, still mulling over this.
(…with an occasional side of doormat if the stars don’t align?)