Intuition as Fluid Origin
When I work with the imagery of the tarot Cups, I always feel the presence of water as a living force. It is never still, never passive. Water becomes intuition in motion, shaping the emotional landscape beneath conscious awareness. In my artwork, that fluid realm does not remain invisible. It rises, transforms, and takes form through botanical growth. The cup becomes a threshold where intuitive waters turn into life, revealing what usually stays hidden within the subconscious.
Water Becoming Organic Form
Traditional tarot symbolism anchors the Cups to the element of water—emotion, intuition, dreams. For me, that symbolism demands physical expression. Instead of depicting liquid, I allow the energy of water to manifest as movement: tendrils stretching upward, petals unfolding, stems twisting as if carried by unseen currents. The moment a botanical shape emerges from the cup, it feels like intuition materializing. Emotional flow becomes organic structure, embodying the way inner knowledge grows and takes shape through lived experience.
The Subconscious as Ecosystem
The subconscious is rarely linear. It shifts, curls, doubles back, and expands in unpredictable directions. My botanical imagery mirrors that complexity. When stems weave together or flowers bloom in unexpected patterns, they reflect the intuitive mind. In many tarot interpretations, the suit of Cups invites the reader to navigate inner waters. My botanicals become the visual counterpart to that journey, transforming emotional depth into a living ecosystem rooted in instinct and feeling.
Eye-Like Forms and Inner Sight
Some of my botanical forms develop eye-like shapes, appearing to watch or perceive their surroundings. This motif feels essential when working with the tarot Cups, which often emphasize inner vision. The eyes represent emotional awareness that grows from within, perception that does not rely on logic. When these forms emerge from the cup, they embody the idea that intuition observes, responds, and learns. The emotional world becomes sentient, capable of seeing and guiding.
Movement as Intuitive Language
Movement is central to my interpretation of the tarot Cups. Water flows, swirls, evaporates, condenses. It refuses to remain fixed, and my botanicals follow that logic. Curved stems and shifting petals express instinctive motion, as if responding to internal tides. Their direction feels guided by intuitive force rather than deliberate structure. This movement becomes the visual language of feeling—fluid, responsive, and emotionally charged.
Cultural Echoes of Living Water
Across Slavic and Baltic traditions, water was believed to hold memory and spirit. Springs and rivers were seen as places of transformation, where unseen forces influenced the living world. In Mediterranean cultures, sacred vessels carried water associated with blessing and intuition. When I depict water transforming into botanical forms, I draw from that cultural lineage. The living plants emerging from the cup become symbols of water’s power to create, heal, and reveal.
The Cup as Emotional Portal
The cup in tarot often acts as a portal between inner and outer realms. It holds feeling, but it also releases it. In my artwork, the cup becomes a point of transition. The intuitive waters it contains break their boundaries, turning into botanical motion. This transformation suggests that intuition cannot remain enclosed. It seeks expression through growth, movement, and sensory presence. The cup becomes a doorway through which emotion enters the visible world.
Roots and Depth of Feeling
Even when the focus is on flowing movement, roots play a significant role. They anchor the intuitive waters, drawing nourishment from unseen depths. In this way, roots represent emotional grounding. They remind me that intuition does not float aimlessly; it is connected to memory, experience, and subconscious understanding. When roots appear beneath the cup, they show how emotional insight grows from what lies beneath conscious thought.
Sensory Texture of Intuition
Texture intensifies the presence of intuitive waters. Grain, haze, and soft glow create atmosphere, making the artwork feel humid, fluid, almost breathable. Smooth gradients suggest gentle currents, while speckled highlights evoke shimmering reflections. These textures turn intuition into a sensory experience, allowing viewers to feel emotional flow rather than merely perceive it. Texture becomes the tactile language of subconscious movement.
Why Intuitive Waters Become Botanical
The transformation from water to botanical form persists in my art because it captures the way intuition shapes emotional life. Feelings rarely remain abstract; they influence growth, movement, and perception. By allowing intuitive waters to become living botanicals, I show how internal experience becomes external expression. The plants represent intuition made visible, evolving and responsive. Each time I depict this transformation, it reveals new layers of emotional understanding, reminding me that intuition is alive—constantly growing, sensing, and unfolding through the symbolic world of the tarot Cups.
