5 of Water – The Release - WATER Path

Earth Compass Tarot – Water Path (West)

5 of Water – The Release
Keywords: Grief • Letting Go • Sacred Healing • Emotional Alchemy

The Meaning

The Release is the moment the heart finally allows itself to feel what it has been holding.

This card does not represent weakness or failure —
it represents the bravery of emotional honesty.

Sometimes we carry sorrow, disappointment, or unspoken pain.
We try to stay strong.
But healing cannot happen through resistance.

This card marks a sacred turning point:
the soul choosing to feel in order to be free.

Just as tears cleanse the body,
emotional release cleanses the spirit.

In traditional imagery, spilled cups represent what is gone —
but two cups remain standing, often unseen.
This card reminds you that while something has been lost,
not everything is lost.

There is still love ahead.
There is still hope.
There is still life.

To move forward, we must first honor what was.
Grief is not the end —
it is the doorway to renewal.

In Practice

• Allowing yourself to cry or feel deeply

• Letting go of the past with compassion

• Healing heartbreak, disappointment, or regret

• Emotional breakthrough leading to clarity

Shadow / Challenge

• Holding onto pain or identity through suffering

• Believing the future cannot be better

• Refusing to feel (numbness, distraction)

• Isolating instead of gently seeking support

Wisdom / Integration

Grief is love with nowhere to go.

Letting go does not mean forgetting.
It means making space for new blessings to enter.

The heart that breaks…
is the heart that can open wider than ever before.

The Message (from The Release)

“I hold you in your sorrow.
Through your tears, you are set free.”

Symbolism (inspired by the image)

Hand on Heart – Emotional honesty, self-care, gentleness.
Closed Eyes – Inner processing, reflection, acceptance.
Blanket / Shawl – Comfort, protection, nurturing the self.
Water Nearby – Emotional cleansing, flow, purification.
Seated on the Earth – Grounded healing, safe release.

Reflection Questions

• What emotion is asking to be felt and released?

• What part of me is ready to be free from the past?

• How can I hold myself with compassion as I heal?

Ritual Anchor

Place one hand on your heart, one hand on your belly.
Breathe slowly.
Say aloud or within:
“I honor what I feel.
I release with love.
My heart is safe to heal.”

Let your body soften.
If tears come, let them.
They are holy.

In light and love,
Lyra Sage & Solara