November 24, 2025 • 12 mins
In today's episode, we explore the King of Cups as a model of emotional mastery, tracing how empathy with boundaries becomes steady leadership. Through symbols, psychology, and practice, we show how to respond instead of react and build capacity over control.
Deck: Folk Lore Tarot
For a closer look at the cards, follow me on Instagram @the_cardcast. For more about mental wellness and psychology, sign up for my newsletter at www.natashasheyenne.com.
Thanks for listening!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hi there, and welcome to the cardcast.
I'm Miss Hushman, and I'm soglad you're here.
Together we explore the art ofnoticing.
The symbols, stories, and quietharms around us every day.
(00:40):
And let's see what today's cardhas to offer.
This week we meet the King ofCups from the Folklore Tarot.
And he's the archetype ofemotional mastery, compassion,
and calm leadership.
In this card, every symbol isreally intentional.
(01:03):
Here we have a frog-like figurewho's sitting serenely among
lotus flowers, hands raisedalmost as if in gentle balance.
A small cup is resting near him,and the water below is calm,
dotted with some ripples.
The imagery feels both playfuland deeply symbolic.
(01:25):
So let's unpack it.
The frog is a creature oftransformation.
They live in both water and onland.
And that symbolizes emotionaladaptability, our ability to
move between feeling and action,and intuition and reason.
And like the frog, the King ofCups can navigate multiple
(01:46):
emotional worlds without losinghimself.
The lotus flowers rising fromthe water are symbols of purity
and growth through struggle.
Lotus flowers, they bloom frommud, but they are untouched by
it.
And this reflects emotionalresilience, the ability to rise
beautifully, even from life'smurky depths.
(02:10):
The cup is the heart of thissuit.
And that's love, intuition,empathy, creativity.
Cuffs represent not justemotion, but the willingness to
receive emotion, to sit with it,to listen to it, and to let it
inform action rather thancontrol it.
(02:31):
And the water, ever-present,flowing, reflective, symbolizes
the unconscious, our emotionallandscape.
Calm water doesn't mean there'sno depth, it means there's peace
within the depth.
So altogether, the King of Cupssits like a meditation on
(02:52):
emotional leadership, bothwithin ourselves and with
others.
And it's the kind that listensbefore reacting and feels before
deciding and loves withoutlosing boundaries.
The King of Cups representsemotional maturity.
So that's the integration ofempathy, self-awareness, and
restraint.
(03:12):
And he has felt every storm andknows how to no longer become
the storm.
In developmental psychology,this stage really aligns with
what's called emotionaldifferentiation.
And that's our ability tomaintain our sense of self, even
in the presence of strongemotions, whether they're your
own or someone else's.
(03:34):
It's what allows you to staycentered when the world around
you begins to ripple.
Think of it as emotionalgravity, that invisible pull
that keeps you steady whileeverything else feels
unanchored.
Without it, we're like smallboats just being tossed in every
direction by the waves of otherpeople's moods and opinions and
(03:55):
reactions.
But when we develop it, webecome like the king of cups
himself, rooted and still evenwhen the water rises.
Emotional differentiation is notcoldness.
Rather, it's clarity.
It doesn't mean detaching fromfeeling, but anchoring within
(04:15):
it.
It's the maturity that lets yousay, I can care deeply about you
without losing sight of me.
And in everyday life, it showsup in these really quiet but
powerful moments, like when yourpartner is upset and instead of
absorbing their pain as yourfault, you listen with empathy
and stay grounded in your truth.
(04:38):
Or when a colleague lashes out,and instead of spiraling into
self-doubt, you take a breathand respond with calm authority.
When a friend's sadness stirsyour own, but you can sit beside
them without needing to fix it.
Or even within ourselves, whenyour own emotions rise, whether
(05:01):
that's anger or fear or grief,you can give those things room
to exist without letting themdictate your next move.
It's in these moments that webecome emotionally sovereign.
We stop outsourcing our peace tothe moods of others or the chaos
of circumstance.
So this whole like thisemotional differentiation, it's
(05:24):
not the absence of empathy.
It's essentially empathy withboundaries, love with edges, the
compassion that knows where itends and another begins.
And it's not something thatappears overnight.
I think we all know that.
We have to go through a lot ofstorms.
It's, you know, we build itslowly through these heartbreaks
(05:45):
and disappointments and longseasons of learning that calm
isn't something you find, butsomething you practice.
So the King of Cups representsthis mastery, the balance
between heart and self.
He reminds us that emotionalsteadiness doesn't come from
(06:05):
silence or suppression, but fromawareness.
You can hold space for the stormwithout becoming that storm.
And I think a lot of times weequate strength with certainty,
or with having all the answers,or taking decisive action, or
standing unshakable in ouropinions.
(06:27):
We picture leaders as those whonever flinch, and parents is the
ones who hold it all together,and creators is the ones who
push through no matter what.
But this is the kind of strengththat doesn't roar.
It doesn't need to because itregulates.
It's staying present when theroom grows tense, remaining kind
(06:50):
when tempers rise, and breathingwhen everything in you wants to
react.
Emotional steadiness means thatyou've learned how to move with
emotions instead of againstthem.
You know that waves will come,we all know that.
And rather than bracing orretreating, you're gonna let
(07:10):
them pass through.
You trust that you'll bestanding when they do.
And sometimes we think of calmleaders and we don't necessarily
think of the most boisterouspeople, and we don't need to
because some types of power arequiet but magnetic.
(07:32):
And people are really drawn tothose who can remain calm in
chaos, not because they'reunfeeling, but because that
transmits safety.
When you can hold your center,you invite others to find
theirs.
So with this, it's not a passivestrength, but an active
presence.
It's the deliberate choice tostay rooted in your values when
(07:56):
the emotional landscape aroundyou begins to shift.
So the King of Cups teaches thatpower isn't about control, but
about capacity.
The greater your capacity tofeel without fracturing, to
empathize without absorbing, tostay open without losing
yourself, the more powerful youbecome.
(08:18):
And this kind of mastery takestime.
Like I said, it's forged throughall those failures and
heartbreaks and seasons ofuncertainty.
But when you can cultivate thisemotional steadiness, you stop
needing the world to be calm inorder for you to feel peaceful.
And when we operate from thisenergy, we become emotionally
(08:40):
safe people.
Not because we never feel, likewe've said, but because we don't
make others responsible for whatwe feel.
And this is the highest form ofemotional intelligence: this
empathy that doesn't collapse,this compassion that has
boundaries, and this sensitivitythat is balanced by discernment.
(09:01):
On a more magical level, theKing of Cups rules the realm of
water, intuition, emotion,healing.
But his magic is not flashy,it's alchemical.
He teaches that water holdsmemory, that emotion, when
acknowledged, can cleanse andtransform.
And the spell that he casts isone of balance, head and heart,
(09:24):
intuition and reason.
So working with this card reallyinvites you to treat your
emotions as sacred messengersrather than inconveniences.
It's about learning the languageof your inner tithes, when to
dive deep, when to let go, andwhen to simply float.
(09:44):
So the King of Cups here isreminding us that emotional
wisdom is not inherited.
It is cultivated through yearsof sitting with discomfort and
forgiving instead of freezing.
So this week, I would say theKing of Cups, I know for me and
I hope for you, is inviting usto practice this emotional
(10:05):
leadership, both with ourselvesand with others.
So you can, a couple ofreflection questions that you
can ask yourself are whenemotions rise, do I react or
respond?
Where am I still trying tocontrol what I feel instead of
(10:26):
learning from it?
How can I be a steady presencefor myself, for my
relationships, and for my work?
The King of Cups teaches thattrue mastery is soft power, the
ability to stay centered whilethe world moves around you.
It's what allows you to lovedeeply without losing your
(10:48):
footing.
So it's not that absence ofemotion, it is emotion refined
through wisdom.
The King of Cups walks throughthe heartbreak, the chaos, the
confusion, and so have you.
And you've learned, we've alllearned, that peace is not found
in the calm seas, but in theability to navigate any tide.
(11:08):
And the King of Cups comes to usat times to remind us that we
have learned these lessons, andwe just needed a reminder.
So this week, let this cardremind you that balance is not
found in avoidance, but inpresence.
Feel what you feel and feel itfully and honestly and tenderly
(11:28):
and trust that you can hold it.
Because when your heart and yourmind work together, you become
the calm in the storm.
Not because life stops moving,but because you've learned how
to move with it.
Thank you for spending this timewith me today.
For more reflections and acloser look at the cards
(11:50):
themselves, you can find me onInstagram at the underscore
cardcast or novel and substack.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
Hi there, and welcome to the cardcast.
I'm Miss Hushman, and I'm soglad you're here.
Together we explore the art ofnoticing.
The symbols, stories, and quietharms around us every day.
(00:40):
And let's see what today's cardhas to offer.
This week we meet the King ofCups from the Folklore Tarot.
And he's the archetype ofemotional mastery, compassion,
and calm leadership.
In this card, every symbol isreally intentional.
(01:03):
Here we have a frog-like figurewho's sitting serenely among
lotus flowers, hands raisedalmost as if in gentle balance.
A small cup is resting near him,and the water below is calm,
dotted with some ripples.
The imagery feels both playfuland deeply symbolic.
(01:25):
So let's unpack it.
The frog is a creature oftransformation.
They live in both water and onland.
And that symbolizes emotionaladaptability, our ability to
move between feeling and action,and intuition and reason.
And like the frog, the King ofCups can navigate multiple
(01:46):
emotional worlds without losinghimself.
The lotus flowers rising fromthe water are symbols of purity
and growth through struggle.
Lotus flowers, they bloom frommud, but they are untouched by
it.
And this reflects emotionalresilience, the ability to rise
beautifully, even from life'smurky depths.
(02:10):
The cup is the heart of thissuit.
And that's love, intuition,empathy, creativity.
Cuffs represent not justemotion, but the willingness to
receive emotion, to sit with it,to listen to it, and to let it
inform action rather thancontrol it.
(02:31):
And the water, ever-present,flowing, reflective, symbolizes
the unconscious, our emotionallandscape.
Calm water doesn't mean there'sno depth, it means there's peace
within the depth.
So altogether, the King of Cupssits like a meditation on
(02:52):
emotional leadership, bothwithin ourselves and with
others.
And it's the kind that listensbefore reacting and feels before
deciding and loves withoutlosing boundaries.
The King of Cups representsemotional maturity.
So that's the integration ofempathy, self-awareness, and
restraint.
(03:12):
And he has felt every storm andknows how to no longer become
the storm.
In developmental psychology,this stage really aligns with
what's called emotionaldifferentiation.
And that's our ability tomaintain our sense of self, even
in the presence of strongemotions, whether they're your
own or someone else's.
(03:34):
It's what allows you to staycentered when the world around
you begins to ripple.
Think of it as emotionalgravity, that invisible pull
that keeps you steady whileeverything else feels
unanchored.
Without it, we're like smallboats just being tossed in every
direction by the waves of otherpeople's moods and opinions and
(03:55):
reactions.
But when we develop it, webecome like the king of cups
himself, rooted and still evenwhen the water rises.
Emotional differentiation is notcoldness.
Rather, it's clarity.
It doesn't mean detaching fromfeeling, but anchoring within
(04:15):
it.
It's the maturity that lets yousay, I can care deeply about you
without losing sight of me.
And in everyday life, it showsup in these really quiet but
powerful moments, like when yourpartner is upset and instead of
absorbing their pain as yourfault, you listen with empathy
and stay grounded in your truth.
(04:38):
Or when a colleague lashes out,and instead of spiraling into
self-doubt, you take a breathand respond with calm authority.
When a friend's sadness stirsyour own, but you can sit beside
them without needing to fix it.
Or even within ourselves, whenyour own emotions rise, whether
(05:01):
that's anger or fear or grief,you can give those things room
to exist without letting themdictate your next move.
It's in these moments that webecome emotionally sovereign.
We stop outsourcing our peace tothe moods of others or the chaos
of circumstance.
So this whole like thisemotional differentiation, it's
(05:24):
not the absence of empathy.
It's essentially empathy withboundaries, love with edges, the
compassion that knows where itends and another begins.
And it's not something thatappears overnight.
I think we all know that.
We have to go through a lot ofstorms.
It's, you know, we build itslowly through these heartbreaks
(05:45):
and disappointments and longseasons of learning that calm
isn't something you find, butsomething you practice.
So the King of Cups representsthis mastery, the balance
between heart and self.
He reminds us that emotionalsteadiness doesn't come from
(06:05):
silence or suppression, but fromawareness.
You can hold space for the stormwithout becoming that storm.
And I think a lot of times weequate strength with certainty,
or with having all the answers,or taking decisive action, or
standing unshakable in ouropinions.
(06:27):
We picture leaders as those whonever flinch, and parents is the
ones who hold it all together,and creators is the ones who
push through no matter what.
But this is the kind of strengththat doesn't roar.
It doesn't need to because itregulates.
It's staying present when theroom grows tense, remaining kind
(06:50):
when tempers rise, and breathingwhen everything in you wants to
react.
Emotional steadiness means thatyou've learned how to move with
emotions instead of againstthem.
You know that waves will come,we all know that.
And rather than bracing orretreating, you're gonna let
(07:10):
them pass through.
You trust that you'll bestanding when they do.
And sometimes we think of calmleaders and we don't necessarily
think of the most boisterouspeople, and we don't need to
because some types of power arequiet but magnetic.
(07:32):
And people are really drawn tothose who can remain calm in
chaos, not because they'reunfeeling, but because that
transmits safety.
When you can hold your center,you invite others to find
theirs.
So with this, it's not a passivestrength, but an active
presence.
It's the deliberate choice tostay rooted in your values when
(07:56):
the emotional landscape aroundyou begins to shift.
So the King of Cups teaches thatpower isn't about control, but
about capacity.
The greater your capacity tofeel without fracturing, to
empathize without absorbing, tostay open without losing
yourself, the more powerful youbecome.
(08:18):
And this kind of mastery takestime.
Like I said, it's forged throughall those failures and
heartbreaks and seasons ofuncertainty.
But when you can cultivate thisemotional steadiness, you stop
needing the world to be calm inorder for you to feel peaceful.
And when we operate from thisenergy, we become emotionally
(08:40):
safe people.
Not because we never feel, likewe've said, but because we don't
make others responsible for whatwe feel.
And this is the highest form ofemotional intelligence: this
empathy that doesn't collapse,this compassion that has
boundaries, and this sensitivitythat is balanced by discernment.
(09:01):
On a more magical level, theKing of Cups rules the realm of
water, intuition, emotion,healing.
But his magic is not flashy,it's alchemical.
He teaches that water holdsmemory, that emotion, when
acknowledged, can cleanse andtransform.
And the spell that he casts isone of balance, head and heart,
(09:24):
intuition and reason.
So working with this card reallyinvites you to treat your
emotions as sacred messengersrather than inconveniences.
It's about learning the languageof your inner tithes, when to
dive deep, when to let go, andwhen to simply float.
(09:44):
So the King of Cups here isreminding us that emotional
wisdom is not inherited.
It is cultivated through yearsof sitting with discomfort and
forgiving instead of freezing.
So this week, I would say theKing of Cups, I know for me and
I hope for you, is inviting usto practice this emotional
(10:05):
leadership, both with ourselvesand with others.
So you can, a couple ofreflection questions that you
can ask yourself are whenemotions rise, do I react or
respond?
Where am I still trying tocontrol what I feel instead of
(10:26):
learning from it?
How can I be a steady presencefor myself, for my
relationships, and for my work?
The King of Cups teaches thattrue mastery is soft power, the
ability to stay centered whilethe world moves around you.
It's what allows you to lovedeeply without losing your
(10:48):
footing.
So it's not that absence ofemotion, it is emotion refined
through wisdom.
The King of Cups walks throughthe heartbreak, the chaos, the
confusion, and so have you.
And you've learned, we've alllearned, that peace is not found
in the calm seas, but in theability to navigate any tide.
(11:08):
And the King of Cups comes to usat times to remind us that we
have learned these lessons, andwe just needed a reminder.
So this week, let this cardremind you that balance is not
found in avoidance, but inpresence.
Feel what you feel and feel itfully and honestly and tenderly
(11:28):
and trust that you can hold it.
Because when your heart and yourmind work together, you become
the calm in the storm.
Not because life stops moving,but because you've learned how
to move with it.
Thank you for spending this timewith me today.
For more reflections and acloser look at the cards
(11:50):
themselves, you can find me onInstagram at the underscore
cardcast or novel and substack.
I'll see you in the nextepisode.
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