I keep hearing a song in my head. You know that feeling. You wander around wondering why on earth this particular song has decided to make an appearance in your brain while you are trying to concentrate on other issues. You ask it to stop, it will not. You try to change the channel by humming something else, no luck. So, eventually you give in and start singing the song. Sometimes it goes away once it has had its moment “on stage”. Sometimes you want to scream because it will not leave you alone no matter what you do.

I like to play with the idea that there is a reason for such moments. If the song is playing over and over in your head, maybe there is something about that song of which you should pay attention. Do the lyrics say something to you? Was this song popular during a particular time in your life and those memories are in need of visiting? There can be any number of reasons and one might be that you just heard it and now it is stuck. Still, I think we will visit the “reason” idea for this particular article.

Oh, yeah, and the song that keeps flowing through my brain is an old Beatles song whose lyrics are, “I get by with a little help from my friends”. It seems quite appropriate given that the card for this month is the Two of Cups. In the Ethyrial Tarot © version of this card, we see a treasure chest opening with two cups rising from it. The caduceus hovers above, giving off its healing light. Traditionally, there are two people on the card, each with a cup in their hands. They seem to be sharing a toast or some other intimate moment. The Two of Cups can talk about a partnership of some kind, often emotional given the cups. In our Ethyrial Two of Cups, we have a slightly different scene. What we do not see is what has taken place before we come upon the open chest.

In the creation of this card, I was hit with the idea that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we cannot do everything by ourselves. This was a difficult revelation for me as I grew up extremely independent, learning to take care of myself from a very early age. I did not know what it was like to have someone to help me with anything. You “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” and make do. This is not a bad mindset in general for you learn how to do many things. You do not blame others for your failures, as no one else was there to mess it up on you. You take responsibility for your actions, as you are the only one involved. Yes, it has its upside. However, and you knew there had to be an “however”, there is a very low downside to this independent streak. If you are alone to do everything, there are only so many things that you can actually do.

Before we come upon our chest in the forest, a scene has played out. If you look closely, there are two keys near the locks of this chest. We are used to seeing a single lock on our treasure chests. Pirates know enough to put only one lock on it. Yet, here we have two. One might think that two locks would portend the possibility that the treasure contained therein is something even more valuable than a one-lock treasure. Therein lies the clue.

As life has taken me down many strange roads, I have learned many strange things. Most are useful and some I was able to sift out and cast away. It was a difficult lesson to learn that I, Ms. Independence, could actually need someone else to help me. What I have discovered is that sometimes there are treasures that can only be found by two people working together. I often get the Two of Cups when a relationship is involved. If you think about the perfect love affair that you can think of, there are moments that come only when the two are joined. While this is the epitome of our Two of Cups, we can also take it down a notch to realize that this idea may be applied to any kind of situation where more than one person is needed. A repair job around the house may occasionally need extra hands. A brainstorming session at work requires more than one person. There are many situations that require us to have some assistance from another.

Reading tarot is not an exact science. Each card can have multiple meanings and these can be different for each person that reads them. Now take into account the person for whom the cards are being read and we add another dimension to the whole process. Symbolism is an interesting thing. What one person feels in reaction to one symbol is likely to be totally different from another person viewing the same thing. So it is with our Two of Cups.

We have a caduceus hovering above our treasure chest. The general idea behind this symbol is that of healing. Cups in the tarot will often refer to emotions or intuition. Reading tarot is like cooking a fine meal. There are nuances that only come from the right mixture of ingredients. Add one herb and the flavor is altered. By adding this particular symbol, we have taken a card that speaks simply of getting “a little help from our friends” to healing. Let us face it; in this world there are so many things that can wreak havoc with our lives. So often, we feel lost in a crowd. We move through humanity and still feel alone and unloved. All too often, we decide that it is better to be independent and learn how to get along on our own, rather than depend on anyone who might let us down.

Look at our card again. Two keys are needed to open this chest. Within are two goblets to quench the thirst. When I read, cups can also refer to healing. Healing is only released when the chest is opened and it can only be opened by two. In this life, there are moments that can only be fulfilled when we join with another person. Many times this can be romantic love. Still, there are enough times when that is not the case and you simply need the love of friendship. This life is difficult enough. We cannot do everything alone, no matter how well equipped we may be. Every once in a while, we need to swallow our pride and ask for help. Every once in a while, it takes two keys to unlock the secrets of your life.

Here we are in February. Valentine’s day is all around you. Some of you are enjoying the warm fuzzies of the holiday. Some of you are wishing that you could throw a large rock through any window displaying the next red heart. Instead of viewing this as only a time for lovers, how about we look at it as the time for our Two of Cups to come alive. If you need help, ask for it. Keep your heart and mind open to the possibility that you need a friend. When we are open to something, it has a way of coming into our lives. There is nothing weak about needing help. That is a hard lesson to learn. I am still learning it. The fact is that it takes someone strong to admit that they cannot do something and to ask for help doing it.

Remember our Two of Cups. There are some rewards that you cannot obtain by yourself. Some locks will only open with two keys. If you find someone with whom you can discover such treasures, you are blessed beyond description. If you have yet to find that, do not give up. If the chest sits before you, someone will come along with the second key. And once you have opened that chest, just think of the amazing things that you will learn, all because you got “a little help from your friends”.