This week, as floods have devastated parts of Texas, I have felt a deep ache settle in my chest. So many lives lost—families shattered, futures rewritten in a single rising tide. There is no mending of such losses, only the sacred act of holding space for them.
It was with this sorrow that I turned to The Cracked Cup, one of the first cards I created in the Enso Oracle deck. The cup, once whole, now bears a fracture that cannot be hidden. Yet it still holds meaning, still carries essence. A cracked vessel is a reminder that something precious was once contained, and though altered, its story is not erased.
Loss connects us. Not because we can understand it fully—but because we recognize its shape. We have all carried our own cracked cups, fragile with memory and longing. And when we witness loss in others—especially such heartbreaking, public loss—we may feel helpless. But if we acknowledge it, if we name it, if we allow it to soften us rather than harden us, then something sacred can begin to form.
Grief shared is grief witnessed. In honoring the cracks, we honor the love that came before them.
The Cracked Cup
Keywords: Imperfection, Vulnerability, Beauty in the Broken, Holding What You Can
Guidebook Entry:
The Cracked Cup appears when life has etched its story into your form. In the upright position, it honors the quiet resilience of holding, even with a fracture. You are still a vessel, capable of offering and receiving, though shaped now by experience. The crack is not your failure—it is your history, your refinement. Like kintsugi, where gold fills the fault line, your beauty is revealed in the break. This card invites you to celebrate what remains and flows, rather than what was lost.
Reversed Meaning:
Reversed, the Cracked Cup may signal that you’re trying to pour from what no longer holds. You might be ignoring signs of depletion, overextending despite inner fractures. There may be grief you’ve hidden in plain sight, or a perfectionism that keeps you from offering anything at all. This card urges rest, repair, and self-compassion. It’s okay to set yourself down for a while.
Reflection Questions:
- What am I still trying to hold that might be leaking away?
- Where can I find grace in my imperfections?
- Am I trying to serve others without tending to my own mending?
Affirmation:
Even with a crack, I remain a vessel. I hold beauty, truth, and healing within my imperfect form.
_____________________
In the wake of deep loss, there are no easy words. The grief sits heavy, as it should.
And yet, as artists, we often turn to our work to hold what cannot be spoken. We make marks, tear paper, mend fragments—because our hands need to do something with the sorrow.
Artists can bring gold to the broken.
The old practice in Japan called Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, doesn’t hide the cracks, but honors them. It does not undo the break. Like The Cracked Cup, it simply says: this mattered, this was loved, this was lost—and it still holds beauty.
When our artwork feels broken, we can follow this same impulse—to mend with grace, to let the light in through the cracks.
Here are five little ways artists can add a touch of gold to their broken places – almost as a metaphor.
1. Gold Leaf or Metallic Wax on Cracks or Seams
Highlight repaired tears, joins, or fractures with gold leaf or metallic wax. Instead of concealing damage, this elevates it—visibly celebrating the healing process and transformation. Even in collages or fiber works, adding a subtle gilded line over a seam can evoke this reverent beauty. Book Foil makes wonderful lines over a wax surface – I use this often.
2. Thread or Wire Mending
Use gold or brass wire or gold embroidery thread to literally bind pieces together. Whether it’s torn paper, fabric, or broken sculptural elements, the physical act of mending with golden thread becomes a ritual of restoration and reverence. My friend Flo Bartell just emailed me this morning about using a gold wire for knitting, to communicate a delicate permanence. Perhaps we are all needing a bit of gold as shining metaphor.
3. Symbolic Gold Marks
Paint or draw golden lines, halos, or marks over areas that feel unresolved or damaged. These can represent scars or epiphanies—places where the work “broke open” and something new emerged. Think of them as visual blessings for the broken spaces. Use a gold Sharpie or paint pen for some asemic writing on unresolved work.
4. Incorporating Found Golden Objects
Embed small gold-tone found objects—buttons, charms, keys, or jewelry fragments—into your artwork where pieces feel lost or incomplete. These additions can be talismans of memory, resilience, and beauty born from imperfection.
5. Transforming Damage into Focal Points
If part of a piece is damaged, emphasize that area with a glowing, gold-infused feature—like a golden portal, sunburst, or frame. This approach not only restores but transforms what was broken into the heart of the piece’s meaning.
Oh, Lyn! Yet another perfectly timed & written reflection. For me, “… because our hands need to do something with the sorrow.” says it all. Thank you!
Thank you, Joy, for always being here with encouragement and Joy 🙂
Lyn, thank you for the words that help bring a sense of understanding about what we can do with the grief and helplessness felt by so many of us. The disasters keep coming…moving from location to location leaving many of us wondering where will it strike next? The cards from your Enso Oracle have provided clarity for my emotions and current art practice. Question: Is there a physical deck for purchase?
I’ve just purchased your latest course and look forward to seeing how vessels fit into my art practice.
Hi, Cindy, and thanks for joining the vessels class – and thanks for a great question about the Enso Oracle cards.There is no physical deck yet, but I’m hoping there will be by the end of this year. I’m actually counting on you and others to give me feedback about how useful these might be to your art practice, and so far, it’s been really positive. I love what you wrote. Grateful for you!!
What an exciting anticipation I will enjoy then waiting for the possibility of a deck at some point!
Thank you Lyn. At these times of deep personal loss, you can forget this even when it is part of your practice. Thank you for the reminder. Much gratitude.
Sending love to you guys, David –
So well stated – thanks!
Susan, thanks so much – I am looking forward to working and talking and making art together in Ireland.
Thank you for so heartfully telling all of our stories.
Sending a hug, dear friend, and a big thanks for the blessings!
What an exceptional and thought-provoking post!
Oh, thank you!!! We really are all in this together – I truly appreciate your comment.
Thank you for this wonderful post, with ideas to incorporate gold. Blessings to you
Thank you. Julie – I love your avatar!
“Loss connects us. Not because we can understand it fully—but because we recognize its shape.” Such profound words. And a great reminder that making art is healing. Thank you, Lynn.
Many thanks, Melanie – we share so many ideas – ♥
What a lovely message as we all deal with the victims of the Texas flooding. I have used gold to emphasize certain areas of whatever form of art I am currently working on. Somehow gold makes the piece finished in a wonderful way. Thanks for your insight!!!
Lyn, this is one of my favorites of your musings you share with us. So wise, real, practical and also deeply felt and moving. Thank you so much
Is your oracle deck available for purchase? It is so lovely, I would love to add it to my collection. I can imagine using it in readings.
Much love and see you soon,
Laurie
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