[I have been drawing a lot of other people’s kings lately. I need to get back to work drawing my own kings. Perhaps this one shall have a fish’s tale. A fish’s head? A fish, sitting in a throne…]

Artist: Kitty Kahane
Booklet: Lilo Schwartz

Shuffling the deck, thinking about some new-found health issue of mine, I thought— “Tell me something about health.” Out tumbled the King of Cups— on his head— reversed.

Interpretation: “You rule as king over the world of your feelings. You are accountable for your feelings towards yourself and towards others and you discharge this responsibility with care. Your realm is the sea and you give yourself up to the waves. Dance with them, dive into them, let them flow through you.”

Emotions play a large part in all aspects of health. Although this is largely ignored by modern western medicine and its drug-dealing sponsors, it has been explored in depth in eastern medicine. Many renowned western scientists with a more holistic view on health (Candice B. Pert, PhD; Dean Ornish, MD; David Eisenberg, MD; Karen Olness, MD & dozens of or hundreds of others) have explored this topic in-depth.

A human being is not a mind and a body, but rather a mind/body. The physical body responds to the way we think, feel and act, a commonly accepted phenomenon called the “mind/body connection.” This also works in the other direction: chemical interactions in the body control our thoughts, feelings and actions.

When we are stressed, anxious or upset, the body tells us “something is not right.” The following are common physical signs that emotional health is out of balance:

• Back & neck pain • Change in appetite • Chest pain • Constipation or diarrhea • Dry mouth • Extreme tiredness • General aches and pains • Headaches • High blood pressure • Insomnia  • Lightheadedness • Racing heart • Sexual problems • Shortness of breath • Sweating • Ulcers • Upset stomach • Weight gain or loss •

Poor emotional health can weaken the immune system. During extended periods of stress, chronic illness becomes prevalent. When we are stressed, anxious or upset, we often do not take care of our health as well as we should. Exercising and eating nutritious foods become arduous tasks. Drug addiction (include such mundane drugs as sugar, coffee and chocolate here), sexual promiscuity, and inappropriate social behaviors are signs of poor emotional health that eventually lead to worsened physical health. Years after emotional health has regained stability, physical health may remain compromised. King of Cups, MD, re-minds us: mind and body are one.