The King of Cups

1. Being subtle, secretive, or crafty
2. Person who has a calm exterior but a fierce, passionate inner nature
3. Person who is ruthless, intimidating, and powerful.

-- David Allen Hulse, The Western Mysteries

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"A Steady Protective Influence, However Lighthearted..."

Each day during his lunch break, this dad turns tomorrow's plain brown lunch-bag into a work of art his kids can be proud to carry to school. I can't think of a more awesome way to stay ever-present in the lives of one's kids, inspire them creatively, and remain in touch with one's own childlike sense of wonder and whimsy.

A great many of them seem almost talismanic -- they seem to radiate a steady protective influence, however lighthearted. While Dad's empathetic sense of humor has caused friction with the ruling entities at school at least once, the Calvin and Hobbes imagery that occasionally pops up in his work is particularly apt for the King of Cups -- Hobbes was certainly always the most rational and compassionate protective entity in Calvin's world, reaching across biological boundaries to offer a sane, thoughtful counterpoint (though he sure didn't hold back from demonstrating that his more combustible tendencies were just below the surface). [Via]

Previously on Arcanalogue...

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King of Cups

After a lifetime of saturation in the saccharine Disneyfied version of the Hundred Acre Wood, the alternate universe of Vinni Puh seems both alien and crazily familiar; the characters are practically unrecognizable, and the dialogue is unintelligible unless you speak Russian, so it's an interesting way to absorb the story minus your prejudices as a world-weary adult. Want to watch? Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4.

There are lots of ways to analyze the evolution of A. A. Milne's best-known creation over the decades, but for our purposes it's mainly just important to appreciate the Pooh character as a free-thinker and innovator, a character of surprising emotional depth who is ruled by his imagination. He's in touch with as his baser instincts (which manifest as cravings for pleasure and comfort) but he's also something of a philosopher, constantly experimenting with his own boundaries and those of the community. Obviously the leader of his tribe, he's a harmonizer, not a ruler.

It's hard to see all that through eyes that are shackled to well-worn iconography, but a fresh look at this world in a spanking-new (well, to us) context makes it all apparent again. How do we import that creative spirit into our own lives? How do we train ourselves to lay down our swords and walk into battle holding balloons, valuing experimentation and exploration over conquest? How do we rally others around our cause via inspiration instead of coercion? Perhaps we learned all this when we were very young, and have simply forgotten it. [Via]

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