The Tarot Diagnosis Collective Effervescence & the Three of Cups: The Emotional Power of Shared Experiences
In this episode of The Tarot Diagnosis, I discuss an epiphany I had after pulling the Three of Cups. It led me to reflect on the feeling I have when I’m in the middle of a crowd at a concert. Or, back in the day, when I’d wait in line for hours to be front and center of the stage at the barricade. It was such a euphoric feeling, everyone sharing in excitement and joy at the same moment in time for the same reason. And then it hit me…the three of cups is collective effervescence.
I explore the psychology behind collective effervescence and why shared experiences feel so much more intense than solitary ones. Research shows that in group settings, our nervous systems synchronize (so our heart rates align, attention focuses intensely, and emotions amplify). The Three of Cups just so happens to capture this perfectly because it marks the point in the Cups suit where emotion becomes a shared social experience, where our feelings spill out into the collective container and move through a group. I also talk about why this experience isn’t necessarily universal because some people feel energized by crowds, while others feel depleted.
I then turn toward the shadow side of collective effervescence: like when shared joy can actually become weaponized, when belonging becomes conditional, and when emotional highs replace healthy discernment. For example, social, religious, or spiritual groups that rely solely on emotional intensity can confuse euphoria with safety, truth, or moral superiority making it hard to question what’s being expressed or leave the group entirely. In tarot terms, this is the Three of Cups reserved.
Finally, I offer a reframe: tarot itself can act as a catalyst for collective effervescence, even when we’re alone. Which, I know, may sound contradictory because I talk about how this experience is specific to shared socialization (hence the term “collective”) But when we shuffle the cards, despite engaging in a solitary act, it’s not entirely isolated because we are often tapping into the collective unconscious. Tarot embodies shared symbolism, collective meaning, and centuries of human emotional investment. So, in that way, every reading becomes a sort of communal experience, even in the privacy of our own space. Which feels like a lovely reminder that even in solitude, we’re participating in something deeply shared by the collective.
Research Mentioned:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2019.1689412
https://sociologicalscience.com/download/vol-6/january/SocSci_v6_27to42.pdf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9473704/
https://journalofsocialontology.org/index.php/jso/article/view/8732/9552
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Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of Deep Resonance Sound
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Music by Timmoor from Pixabay