Your feelings and emotions.
The Cups suit represents the realm of feelings and emotions. Feelings and emotions color how you experience reality. Feelings are fuel for whatever it is you are focusing on. In a reading, Cup cards can highlight strong feelings you are harboring and what is coloring your perception from within. Cups will always show how you are feeling, not necessarily what is really happening. Each of the Court cards in the Cups suit reveals a sensitive figure.
Cup cards in a reading will also represent your most important relationships. When these cards appear, they can describe the different people in your life who illicit strong emotions in you. Sometimes Cup cards show how you are interacting with others or how others are perceiving you. Their position in a spread can often bring clarity to the emotional sphere of your life. When Cups appear, they ask you to look deeper beneath the surface to discover what feelings might be affecting your current concern.
Cup cards always ask you to examine what emotions are influencing your perspective from within. Cups represent the basic human need to relate, to connect, and to feel loved. Although Cups can signify relationships, friendships, and significant others, they can also highlight the emotions of individuals around you. Cups also describe the vibe you are giving off or that is permeating your environment. Cup cards bring information regarding your feelings to the surface so that you can understand them and channel them accordingly.
Renewal.
The Ace of Cups represents love, renewal, and rebirth. This card reminds you that love surrounds you from all directions. North, south, east, west, ahead of you, behind you, within, without, in what you can perceive, and in mysteries too vast to comprehend. If you are looking for inner peace, then love is what you need to reconnect with. All religions talk about this love. Love is everywhere, and yet sometimes it’s so tricky to perceive. All the poets, artists, and singers try to capture it. Love permeates everything, and yet sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees.
When is the last time you gave yourself over to feeling overwhelming love? Has your cup felt like it’s dry or empty? Were you taught that true love only exists after you find the right person, blinding you to love’s true immensity?
A heavenly dove flies down from above, bringing a message of peace and hope. The dove has been associated with love and the realm of Spirit in countless traditions. To the ancient Greeks, the dove was a symbol of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty. For the Christians, it embodies God’s messenger, the Holy Spirit. The dove represents the realm of the spiritual and the supernatural. An angelic hand offers the large cup overflowing with divine love. The water streams into a pond of lotus flowers, which are symbols for enlightenment. Love “en-lightens.” This means it lightens our burdens from within. The W on the cup could symbolize the cardinal direction west. The west is the realm of the element of Water. It is also the direction the sun sets in. This reminds you that every sorrowful ending is always followed by a joyful new beginning.
The dove carries the equal-armed cross, a symbol of the four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. This reminds us that love is everywhere. It’s in every culture, every country, and every place that you can imagine. The equal-armed cross links the dove to the High Priestess. The cross also creates an X. Every child knows that X marks the spot for hidden treasure. The treasure in this case is your center, your Spirit, and your unique essence. A divine cup of unconditional love is always being offered to you, even if you feel so overcome with troubles that it’s hard to perceive.
All aces in the tarot symbolize new beginnings. In this case, the Ace of Cups is appearing to encourage you to renew your love for yourself and your experiences. If you find yourself unhappy with the current conditions you are experiencing, it could be because you forgot to let love be the answer. It’s time to open yourself to love. You absolutely deserve it. Love, peace, and joy are your natural states. They’re in your core and at your center. You can return to this center, especially during sorrows and difficulties. Love is the voice within that gives you the reassurance that everything will be fine, because you are forever, not this particular situation. Try addressing your current problems by releasing them to love. Transcend your tightness and resistance. Watch how easily tension resolves when you smile at your challenges and love yourself enough to know that you will prevail through transcendence. This release of tension occurs because you are no longer fighting against your true nature.
Turn to love as the solution, and watch miracles begin to happen.
Ace of Cups Reversed
If the Ace of Cups appears reversed, it reminds you that the energy you pour into what brings you joy is never wasted energy. You would think that a cup turned upside down would lead to emptiness, but this image turned on its head is still refilling the pond. The cup pours its waters toward the dove, a universal symbol for Spirit. Your energy (symbolized by the water) that is spent on the pursuits of your Spirit (the dove) replenishes you (the pond) and is never wasted.
When reversed, the W on the card becomes an M. Many languages across the globe start their word for “mother” with the letter M. The Mother is the ultimate archetype of nurturing. Perhaps you are being reminded to lovingly nurture yourself to replenish the source of your energy.
If you feel depleted and need to feel a burst of renewed energy, then it is time to nurture your Spirit. Pour your energy into what you love and what truly brings you joy. Stop depriving yourself of enjoying the moment by allowing how busy you are to be your excuse. Do something you enjoy today … more still, do something that feeds your Spirit. Do you need to reread that special book that reminds you of magic? Maybe it’s time to immerse yourself in that favorite subject that you love to get lost in. Perhaps it’s time to reconnect with nature. Allow yourself to dive into activities for no other reason than that you enjoy them. If the Ace of Cups reversed symbolizes a relationship, it indicates that you must replenish and love yourself first before you can give to another.
Relationships and communication.
The Two of Cups symbolizes harmonious partnerships that are meant to be. These relationships can be based on love (as is the case with the couple pictured here); however, they can also be platonic partnerships based on mutual interests or goals. The message of this card is to create harmony in your most important relationships through positive and honest communication.
Who is the “other” in your most important current relationship? Do you let this person know how much they matter to you? Do you need to get out of your own head and see another’s perspective to restore harmony?
The Two of Cups pictures a loving couple. The woman is crowned with a wreath, reminding us of the World card and the completion of her old life. The man is crowned with flowers, reminding us of the Strength card. He now has the self-discipline and inner strength to open his heart to another. The couple is separated by the staff of Hermes, the Greek messenger God of communication. Topping the staff of Hermes is a giant lion’s head with wings. This represents that each person in the relationship will have their own sense of pride. They are very different, and yet it is important that each feels their differences are honored, not disparaged. The lion head can quickly override the relationship if the ego is damaged by either party. A wounded ego can severely damage a once loving partnership. The only way to ensure harmony is for both parties to communicate (the staff of Hermes) in a manner that makes each feel equally important and valuable, leaving their personal dignity intact.
The Two of Cups asks you to see the other person’s point of view and to communicate in a manner that gives everyone the ability to walk away with their dignity affirmed. This goes for personal relationships, business partnerships, friendships, and familial relationships. The message of the card is that no one gets to where they are all by themself. We need cooperation to survive in this world.
When the Two of Cups appears, it is time to reaffirm and reconnect with the people who make up your most important relationships. The card also ensures success through collaboration. Do some relationship maintenance. Let another know how you feel to get an issue resolved. See another’s perspective. Resolve differences with honest, kind, and open communication. The Two of Cups reminds you that you can’t do everything alone. It also advises you to validate the people you care about most.
People you love need to know that they matter. Don’t assume that they already know. Give a thoughtful gift or send a loving message. See the divine light in their eyes and recognize how much richer they make your life. Communicate in a way that restores harmony.
Two of Cups Reversed
If the Two of Cups appears reversed, it highlights miscommunications in relationships. It also asks you to take responsibility for your part in intensifying or deescalating conflict. The large lion head on the card represents ego. Many of the miseries we experience in our relationships are rooted in pride. Sometimes this card can indicate you are experiencing the ego of another. When encountering wounded egos, it is important not to activate your own ego in response. This has the same result as throwing gasoline on an already raging fire. The Two of Cups reversed asks you to talk less and listen more. Be open and curious about what others have to say.
This card is also the harbinger of resolution to misunderstandings and miscommunications with others. The most important thing to convey is openness, love, and understanding.
Let go of your pride, your need to be right, and your need for the last word. Stop wasting energy on pettiness or conflicts. Do your part to bring light and healing to the world. There is no need to exacerbate already raging conflicts. Send love to those who’ve hurt you and be okay with peacefully walking away from those who are not receptive to resolution at this time. Send them love from a distance. The Two of Cups represents the old saying that you can lead the horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Raise your personal standards of what a healthy relationship constitutes for you. Accept only the best for yourself and be selective about whom you trust. Air out old issues and finally let them go. This will free you from a wounded ego. Rise above all the traps set by your ego or the ego of another. Reestablish harmony by surrendering pride.
Personal charisma.
The Three of Cups portrays the famous Three Graces from Greek mythology. The Graces are Goddesses of charisma. It was said that wherever they walked, flowers sprang up and joy and laughter abounded. The Graces (also called Charities) each stood for attributes you can embrace to elevate your personal energy, transforming it from depressive to jubilant. We get our word “charisma” from the three Charities. Charisma is that magical energy that makes others like you. Charisma is a gift all of us can develop. Anyone can increase their personal charisma by embracing their authenticity, lightening up, and bringing positive energy to others.
Does the energy in your environment feel bogged down? Do you feel too distracted by stress to even think about lightening up? Did you know that you can lighten up your environment by embracing your own charismatic energy?
The Three of Cups depicts the three Graces in their unique colors: red, white, and gold. The names of the Graces are Euphrosyne, Aglaea, and Thalia.
The central figure is Euphrosyne, who is wearing a red robe. Her name means “to delight, cheer, and gladden.” Essentially, the Three of Cups represents joy, happiness, and celebrations. Euphrosyne shows that our environment becomes more vibrant when we embrace our humor. Anytime we make someone’s day better with a smile or lift the energy with laughter, we are channeling her gift. Euphrosyne’s message is to “lighten up!” Use humor to diffuse what you are afraid of. Laughing at what brings you anxiety is a useful tool for overcoming it. Red is the color of courage, vitality, and passion.
On the left is Aglaea wearing her white robe. Her name means “radiance, bright splendor, and light.” Every time you share your inner radiance, you are embracing her gift. When you are embracing your inner light, you create a palpable positive force of energy around you that others will immediately perceive. Being relaxed in who you really are causes others to feel safe enough to be open with you. When you look into another’s eyes and see that their inner light is also sacred and radiant, you are touching Aglaea’s gift. White is the color of purity, truth, and Spirit.
Thalia is on the right wearing her golden robe. Her name means “to warm, to foster, and to bloom.” Her gifts of an abundant, fruitful harvest surround the three sisters. Each time you patiently nurture something (yourself, a talent, a dream, a child), you are embodying Thalia’s energy. Tending to your hopes and wishes makes life meaningful. Thalia brings success through the gentle tending of your goals. She also teaches that helping others with the things you struggle with is the quickest way to boost your own feelings of self-esteem. Gold is the color of success, wealth, and the warmth of the sun.
Everyone can elevate their personal charisma. Like any skill, the more you use it, the more natural it will become. Charisma raises energy. It also makes it much easier for you to get ahead in life. Sometimes we are taught that if we don’t fight, we won’t get what we want. This sets you up for a combative existence. It is so much easier to get through life if you tap into the gifts of the Graces. People love to help likable people! Charisma elevates the energy of any room as if by magic. That is why talented people exuding tons of personal charisma get top dollar. We want them to raise our energy and bring us the same joy through music, words, and entertainment.
Today, tap into your personal charisma through humor, radiating your authentic light, and offering warmth and kindness to others. Watch your environment immediately improve with the gifts of the Graces. You’ll be amazed at how much easier life will feel if you bring positivity to this situation. The Three of Cups always symbolizes joy.
Three of Cups Reversed
If the Three of Cups appears reversed, it indicates that you may be too distracted by other matters to remember the joy that is all around you. When we get preoccupied with duties, worries, preparations, and stresses, we forget that our sense of joy can be accessed at any time. It’s as easy as listening to your favorite song, eating your favorite treat, delving into a great book, or accessing your creativity. Don’t put off your joy for another day. Today is the day for your Spirit to sing.
The Three of Cups (upright or reversed) reminds you that you can elevate your energy no matter where you are or what is happening. Forgetting your joy is often easier than remembering it. There are many excuses to not allow yourself to feel good. There are still a million things to do, negativity in the world, and many wounds from the past. However, this card reminds you that joy is something that must be consciously chosen. Today, it’s time to switch mental gears and allow joy to prevail.
Joseph Campbell used to say, “Find a place where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” 20 Don’t let another minute go by today in which you aren’t tapping into the gifts of the Graces. Neutralize negativity by turning it into laughter. Tend to your brightest hopes, goals, and dreams. See the luminous radiance in your own reflection and twinkling in the eyes of those around you. Use your personal charisma to elevate your interactions with others. You can truly be happier whenever you make the decision to be. Don’t forget your joy!
Seeing and accepting blessings.
The Four of Cups reminds you to see all the good things being offered to you in the present. Thinking too far ahead or dwelling on things long past can rob you of now. The present is where life is happening! This current moment is also loaded with abundance, blessings, and positive energy. Are you open to receiving them? The Four of Cups asks you to start seeing the current gifts being offered to you.
Are you worrying about the future? Are you shutting down with a numb heart because of something that happened in the past? Is something distracting you from seeing the multitudes of miracles and blessings present in your life?
The Four of Cups shows a sulking man sitting under a tree. He is fixated on three earthbound cups. These could represent his worldly acquisitions (money, reputation, and image). He is not acknowledging a miracle right behind him! An angelic hand is reaching out of a cloud and is offering him a divine gift. The only other cards we see this angelic hand appear on are the Aces. A new beginning is being offered, and the man cannot receive it. Not only is he not open to accepting (his arms are in a crossed, closed position), he is unable to see it.
Western culture tells us to be constantly worried. Even when we aren’t running around at our jobs, our minds are still running. Constantly planning. Avoiding pitfalls. Constantly pushing to be better. Endlessly striving. This is just fear in disguise. Fear of being hurt by something. Fear of being caught unaware. Fear of the past repeating itself. Fear of rejection. Fear of loss. Fear, fear, and more fear! Have you ever heard the saying that fear robs you of the joy of the present? Well, it does! And the more you engage in it, the more blind you get to the good things in life.
The man on the card isn’t happy. If the golden cups represent gifts, then he already has three, and there is another on the way. He is not open to receiving because he has emotionally closed down. Look at his posture. His arms are crossed, as are his legs. Much like with the figure on the Four of Pentacles, he is blocking his heart. Some major pain from the past must have happened to him. His whole present is focused on how to prevent that hurt from happening again. As a result, he has closed access to his heart and his ability to receive. He is lost in projections that aren’t there. All he needs to do is look around him. Think how ecstatic he would be if he only noticed the gift being delivered especially for him from above!
The Four of Cups urges you to accept, receive, and open yourself to the good things being offered at this moment. If someone tries to do something nice for you, say, “Thank you so much,” not “No, no, you don’t have to do that.” Look around you right now. Do you see the colors surrounding you? Do you hear the sounds? Do you see light everywhere? Take a deep breath and let it all in. What is wonderful about your life right now?
Open yourself to all the good that is occurring. If you shift your focus to blessings, more will come.
Four of Cups Reversed
If the Four of Cups appears reversed, it requires you to snap out of the illusion that you are alone. If you’ve been doing everything by yourself or habitually refusing help when it’s offered (or not asking for it), you may find yourself shutting down emotionally. The feeling of being completely isolated and not understood by anyone is an illusion. The truth is that you can feel connected anytime you choose. However, you must allow yourself to be more vulnerable.
When you emotionally shut down to the good things being offered, it’s usually because of fear. This fear can quickly rob you of energy, joy, and new blessings trying to find their way to you. When the Four of Cups appears reversed, it asks you if you’ve made a habit of going it alone. It may be time to take down the walls you’ve built around your heart and allow others in again. Maybe it’s time to invite a friend to dinner, throw a party, or accept a kindness when it’s offered. The meaning of this card might be as simple as saying thank you when someone does or says something nice instead of keeping others at arm’s length. Nature is based on laws of giving and receiving. If you only participate in one, imbalance will most assuredly occur. Today, don’t let your fears keep you from connecting and accepting.
The trance of negative thinking.
The Five of Cups symbolizes the trancelike state of focusing only on the negative, even when all is not lost. The figure on the card gloomily stares at three spilled cups. He fails to notice the two perfectly upright cups still standing behind him. Behind the two standing cups is a bridge. This bridge symbolizes that the way over your obstacle will be made clear when you focus on what is working and what is positive in your life. This card also reveals that just because everything in your life isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean you need to feel bad about it all day, month, year, or decade!
Does your mind ever feel hypnotized with problems? Is it difficult to see all the blessings you currently have because you can’t stop focusing on your losses? Does ruminating rob you of countless hours in your day?
If you’ve ever experienced this sort of hypnotism, you know it seems very difficult to snap out of. It usually occurs when the mind is idle. “An idle mind is the Devil’s workshop,” or so the saying goes. If you are traditionally a problem solver, it can be difficult to be at peace when there is no task to do. The mind immediately shuffles through its memory banks to drudge up something that you should have anxiety about. Then the mind says, “Here’s a doozy! Remember this horrible time? What if it happens again?” Then the trance begins, and soon twenty minutes have gone by, leaving you feeling hopeless about yourself and your prospects.
Look at the image of the spilled cups. It appears they contained wine. However, there is another spill, pictured in the foreground, of pure water. This is a symbol for an emotional disappointment that may have occurred in the past but is having real-world implications or setbacks in the present. If the expectation is that something will fail, the likelihood of its failure exponentially becomes more likely. The Five of Cups encapsulates the effect of our emotional state on our future opportunities and prospects. When this card appears, it’s time to snap out of negative, emotional rumination.
A nice strategy for shifting focus from negative thoughts is to remember the details of your favorite place. This may be a park you visit or a particularly beautiful place you traveled to. What is your happiest memory of a place? Close your eyes and remember the details. The sounds, sights, smells, and sensations of being there. When the anxiety interjects, just keep seeking the details of the place. Details are key.
I think of a river I used to visit. I remember how the sound of her rushing waves took my anxieties with them. I remember the beautiful light that sparkled over her surface like a thousand diamonds. I remember the feel of the large, cool rock I sat on. I recall the majestic blue herons that flew overhead and the deer that came to drink the clear waters at dusk. I remember feeling completely relaxed and at peace. These were my calmest days of youthful summer.
There! I snapped out of the negative trance! Now quickly, give me something constructive to focus on! Perhaps all the goals and dreams that are still possible for me. Snapping out of negative trances gives you the opportunity to do something constructive about your future.
Shift your focus to break trances when they start. The more positive details you can remember, the better you’ll feel. Ruminating doesn’t help anyone solve anything, so knock it off ! It is such a time waster! Place your focus on something that makes you happy or restores your faith in yourself.
You still deserve to enjoy goodness in life, even when everything isn’t perfect.
Five of Cups Reversed
If the Five of Cups appears reversed, it represents making the choice to view setbacks as hidden opportunities. In life, there will be challenges thrown your way that you didn’t ask for or deserve. When we don’t get what we want, we often view the situation as negative. The Five of Cups reversed symbolizes an opportunity to dig deeper than a challenge’s outward appearance. Always with this card, you must shift your perspective to the cups still standing in order to cross the bridge.
Don’t allow yourself to feel defeated. Ask yourself, “What is this challenge teaching me?” Also ask, “How is this difficulty teaching me to become a better version of myself ?”
The situation that life is presenting you with is neither positive nor negative. These perceptions of “good” or “bad” luck are blocking you from the purpose of your current lesson. Choose to see how these challenges are directing you to a stronger, more empowered version of yourself. Open your eyes to the strength of character you forgot you possessed. If you continually look at life in an aggrieved manner, your personal power will continue to elude you. Growth happens in the place where challenges occur. Being surprised that life is not going according to your best-laid plans is like being shocked that the weather is not behaving as forecasted. Setbacks appear when there is a better way forward that you are not aware of yet. Don’t get mad, scared, or depressed. Get powerful. Focus on what gifts remain on the pathway to success. Negativity halts momentum. The Universe is not depriving you. It is redirecting you to a better version of yourself.
The past.
The Six of Cups represents looking back at what made you happy in the past. Many people look at their past and fixate on the difficult moments worthy of therapy sessions. However, if you look at your past in its totality, you will realize that along with difficulties, there were times when you were joyful and optimistic about the future. The past holds important clues as to what will bring you fulfillment in the future. If you’ve felt happy before, you can feel happy again.
Who were you at your happiest? Has the pursuit of security taken over your life, causing you to forget your joy? Is it easier to remember the bad things that happened in the past rather than the good?
The imagery of this card depicts a little girl’s happy memory. The girl is receiving a gift of flowers. Flowers and gardens are her bliss! There are so many joyful feelings that flowers conjure up for her. In the future, she wants to have a house, garden, and courtyard, just like this! The flowers are shaped like stars. This ties the imagery of this card to the Star card and represents the renewal of hope. In this case, hope is renewed by finding the eternal elements of your bliss within your memory. The little girl feels completely safe in her secure courtyard. A guard is posted in the background to ensure that she can play in the gardens without a care in the world. To emphasize her protection, a large shield is emblazoned on the walkway rail. The X on the shield marks the spot for where her joy can be found. Your joy can be found where you last left it, too. The little girl has more than her basic needs met. She is free to be creative, laugh, and grow in safety and security. The flowers emerging from the cups symbolize that all is thriving happily. She looks at life with the complete confidence and optimism that her future could contain moments just as happy as this one.
When your basic needs are met (food, shelter, safety, security), you can thrive. You can begin to develop self-esteem and place your attention on the goals and dreams that you wished for as a younger person. As an adult, your chief responsibility is to see that you have your basic needs in place. This ensures you can focus on what brings you fulfillment and happiness.
The problem for many adults is that they forget to return to their bliss once their basic needs have been established. Adults can never seem to make enough money to feel safe. They can never tear away from work long enough to enjoy the afternoon. People get so caught in the routine of securing basic needs that it overtakes every waking moment. Even if the needs are met, people are programmed to keep securing more. They end up identifying more with the guard illustrated on the card and forget the child within. Pretty soon they can’t even remember their hopes and wishes, which leads to their abandonment.
The Six of Cups asks you to remember what brought you bliss. What brought you happiness way back when? This will remind you of who you really are and what life pursuits will bring you fulfillment in the future.
If you’ve gotten your basic needs for safety and security established, it is important to return to the forgotten parts of yourself. Your dreams and wishes can still come true, but first you must remember them. Look back at the happier times in your life for clues as to what you want in your future. If you can remember the feeling of being happy, you can most assuredly have it again.
Six of Cups Reversed
If the Six of Cups appears reversed, it calls your attention to difficult memories that are causing you to forget the hope found in the present. The past is powerful. Looking back on it can conjure feelings, some good and some bad. The important thing to remember is that each day is new. Old hurts are not guaranteed to transpire just as they did before—unless you are replaying them in your head and not letting go.
Today, do a symbolic ritual to let go of past burdens that are disrupting your focus in the present. Take out a piece of paper and write out three things from your past that you fear may happen again. Find a large firesafe container and set the list aflame. As the paper burns, watch how quickly the past can be released. Take the extinguished ashes outside and scatter them to the winds. Those ashes are just like your thoughts. You can release them. You don’t want to keep those messy ashes in your house, so why tolerate them in your head? The past only repeats itself in our minds. Every day you can choose a totally new approach. New opportunities surround you, but you must be grounded in the present to take full advantage of them. Today is where life’s magic is happening. Let go of hurt or fear from the past. Redirect your awareness to the powerful person you are now.
Dreams and illusions.
The Seven of Cups represents dreams, illusions, and wishes. It is imaginative and fantastical. However, it is not a card of realities. Some people waste years stuck on the lessons of this card. “If I win the lottery, think of everything I am going to buy!” “One day I’ll get lucky when my ship comes in, and my problems will be solved.” “I hope someone famous will notice my talents and I’ll be successful!” Many times, this sort of thinking is an avoidance mechanism for taking responsibility for your life and its trajectory. The Seven of Cups is also a card of forgetfulness. It dazzles us with its “castles in the air,” causing us to ignore the present reality.
What crutches do you use to evade reality? Does fear of failure, disappointing others, or looking like a loser keep you from making necessary life changes? Do you lack enough confidence in yourself to get the ball rolling?
The figure emerging from the central cup is shrouded. Her arms are open to all possibilities. The shroud over her head cuts her off from the external world and its distractions so that she opens herself to the creative genius within. However, this figure is not controlling things. She is open to whichever wind blows. This is not always a good recipe for getting something accomplished. There is another cup with a wreath of victory emerging from it. If you look closely, it appears that there is a skull pictured on this cup (a symbol for irreversible change). This could represent a fear of success, since achieving your goal would change all your existing structures. All the cups have different symbols emerging from them. Some are fantastical, while others are frightening. They are the bright and shiny objects that can distract you on the path toward your goal. The Seven of Cups requires you to focus, to bring your inner visions into the outer world.
It’s okay to wish and hope for a better future, if you are doing the work. Wishing to lose weight but still consuming four thousand calories a day without moving isn’t going to get you to your goal. By setting daily attainable goals for yourself, you can build and reinforce your self-esteem.
Theodore Roosevelt had a famous code he lived by: “Get action!” By initiating action (putting out the resumes, meeting with experts, taking risks, reaching out, asking questions, learning a new skill), a magical thing starts to happen: Momentum begins. Things start to fall in place. Hope is rekindled about the future. Your dreams begin to manifest. Soon the reality you are living is better than an empty fantasy. This is because you are no longer passively waiting for life to hopefully hand you your dreams. You are going out and making them a reality.
When the Seven of Cups appears, dream big! Then get to the work of manifesting it. Think about one major life goal you have. What practical steps can you take right now to achieve that goal? Be courageous and don’t let old avoidance mechanisms prevail. Instead of hoping, wishing, and waiting for what you want, go out and get it!
Seven of Cups Reversed
If the Seven of Cups appears reversed, it indicates that you are awakening from a period of sleepwalking through life. Your consciousness is shifting from being on autopilot to becoming alert, empowered, and clear about what you want. What goals do you still have? What dreams have yet to become reality? If each day feels like you are mindlessly drifting to the next without a trace of vitality, then something is wrong. You may be sleepwalking through life. Get out of your head and into your body. Wake up! Exercise. Spend time outdoors. Stop avoiding what needs to be done. You still have the power to make your dream happen! However, you can’t attain your goals if you are sleepwalking through life. Today, shift the energy. Write checklists. Be brave and reach out to those who are in the know.
The Seven of Cups reversed always gives you a wake-up call. You can have your cake and eat it, too! However, you must first get out of bed, find the recipe for your cake, get the ingredients, combine them with loving precision, and be patient while the cake bakes. The Seven of Cups reversed indicates that you need to be more awake for success to manifest.
Seeking your Authentic Self.
The Eight of Cups represents taking the journey within to the realm of your authentic feelings. Periodically, you must go deep within yourself to hear your Spirit and reclaim strengths and abilities you forgot you possessed. Although the journey inward is of great value, it rarely feels easy to initiate. It is often accompanied by a period of depression, feeling crazy, or the sense that you’ve hit a patch of bad luck. The Eight of Cups reminds you that you’ve probably made a similar journey before, just prior to a deeper revelation about yourself. Your instincts will, once again, be your best guide.
When you are quiet, do you hear the call of your Authentic Self ? Do you periodically go through periods of confusion, depression, or unexplained bad luck? How has your life improved in the past as a result of listening to your heart?
The man depicted on the Eight of Cups is reminiscent of the Hermit. He is taking a journey alone, staff in hand, returning to the realm of water, caves, and grottos. He is walking toward the sea, representing the pull of his deep unconscious feelings. These feelings were not acknowledged in his daily life and were acting up in strange ways. At first he thought he was crazy, then just unlucky. Finally, he realized his authentic feelings were not being respected or acknowledged. He wasn’t being true to himself. This was the cause of his unease.
The moon is eclipsing the sun and is observing the man’s journey. Our Inner Self observes our choices in the same way. Thoughts about what the man should do, or be, to gain the acceptance of others in his daily life (the sun), are now being eclipsed by his instinctual self (the moon). At long last, he has the courage to go within and reconnect with his real feelings. His authentic feelings are now his best friends, giving him the depth and wisdom to persevere.
The moon has been associated with instincts since the dawn of humanity. It elusively pulls at our awareness, and yet it is easy to dismiss and ignore (just like our instincts). The Latin word for moon is luna, which we get our word “lunatic” from. If your instincts are chronically ignored, they can make you feel crazy. Like a neglected child, unheard emotions will act up if they are habitually ignored. This often manifests as periods of bad luck, sadness, imagined illnesses, or times when you feel utterly lost and powerless. Returning within will help you reclaim your Authentic Self and arm you with the ability to set everything right again. This journey can only happen alone and in the dark places. The darkness is where the potential for healing happens.
The Eight of Cups appears to remind you to let your instincts guide your path. The very fact that you are reading a tarot book demonstrates that you have the courage to listen to these unconscious feelings. The unconscious speaks in the language of pictures, myths, and symbols. Instincts do not adhere to the laws of a logical or rationalized world. Your deeper instincts can feel messy at times and very confusing if you aren’t used to acknowledging them. And yet, they must be acknowledged if you are to find your way through the barriers that thwart your progress (symbolized by the craggy rocks on the card).
The Eight of Cups depicts an image of deep healing. If you listen to your instincts, they will give you the power to overcome previous blockages. You can then return to the land of the sun with profound insight, less burdened and free.
Eight of Cups Reversed
If the Eight of Cups appears reversed, it calls you back to nature … your nature. You may have forgotten how to decipher the message being whispered to you through the rustle of leaves. The Eight of Cups highlights the inevitable feeling of hollowness that accompanies immersion in the artificial. All that glitters may not be gold. Sometimes the lessons of this card are revealed in a person or position you may be placing on a pedestal at the expense of yourself. Admiration is one thing, but believing you are “less than” because you haven’t impressed this person or that is just another way to hurt yourself.
The Eight of Cups reversed puts you into contact with the mental barriers you erect to tune out your deeper feelings. Sometimes this card can even highlight being in a state of denial. Have you been distracting yourself from the deeper call within? Plasticity will no longer cut it.
Your Authentic Self is calling you back. It cannot be found in the external world of ego, position, image, or validation from others. This card often appears when things seem to be off and may be accompanied by melancholy or even depression. When these feelings set in, it’s usually a sign that some deeper part of you is not feeling heard. When your depth is neglected, it acts up, just like a child.
Take some personal time to seek quiet. Bravely turn your attention inward to any place within your heart that feels empty, insecure, or unfulfilled. Self-
investment will fill this empty place, not the attainment of something “out there.”
Take a deep breath into your center and breathe out all the shallows that don’t really matter to your heart. Gently turn your awareness inward and ask your Spirit what it really needs right now. It is the core part of you that has been on your side, rooting for you through your whole journey. The depth within you is repelled by anything inauthentic. Be real. Take the time to acknowledge what you really need to feel whole. It won’t be a person, position, or thing.
It can always be found in the deep waters of your soul.
Life is a banquet.
The Nine of Cups represents the fulfillment of wishes and the enjoyment of life’s luxuries. It calls you back to your body and into the realm of your senses. The Nine of Cups represents satisfaction and pleasure. Life is offering you abundant opportunities to accept good things. Every day you have a choice: to feel passion for life, or to be numb to its wonders. The table is set for you to savor your blessings. It’s time for you to take your place at it.
Do you allow yourself to partake in the pleasures of life? Do you feel like there are too many things to worry about, so you couldn’t possibly enjoy yourself now? Do you feel good about what your life is currently offering you? If not, it’s time to start.
The jovial merchant pictured on this card has a passion for living, feasting, and tasting. Sure, he’s chubby … however, when this card was drawn in 1909, being plump meant that you were eating well! The satisfied merchant knows he’s lucky. He dreams big and always seems to get his wish. His red hat and stockings represent his vitality and boldness. His arms are crossed in a satisfied manner. He’s been satiated by life’s abundance. The successes he’s acquired are symbolized by his nine golden cups. His cups are featured as trophies, symbols for past victories. These successes weren’t just given to him—he went out in the world to achieve them. However, before he acquired them, each success began as a wish. For his wishes to come true, the merchant had to know that he deserved them. The merchant can sit back and truly enjoy what he has manifested. He felt good about his prospects before they ever fully materialized, and materialize they did.
You can have your wishes, too, but you must first feel good about your life and its prospects now.
To turn the tide of worrying, you must allow yourself present happiness. The golden cups are laid out for you, ripe for the taking. When the Nine of Cups appears, open yourself to feeling good about this moment. Feel it, taste it, smell it, luxuriate in it, and smile! Become aware of where you are and savor all that is already laid before you. If you can find enjoyment in your life now, even more will come.
This Nine of Cups always reminds me of Rosalind Russell’s 1958 performance in Auntie Mame. Anyone in a depressed or discouraged mood about life should watch it. Auntie Mame gets it when she exclaims, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!”
Nine of Cups Reversed
If the Nine of Cups appears reversed, it still indicates you should enjoy the good things in life, but it warns of excess. Even beneficial things when done excessively can lead to imbalance. This card also calls your attention to other excesses in your life. Perhaps you need to monitor if you worry excessively or change a behavior that you engage in too much. The Delphic Oracle had two famous sayings above the temple: “Know thyself” and “Nothing in excess.” 21 It was believed that if people followed these two tenants, they would be blessed with balanced and fulfilling lives.
Sometimes the excess in question isn’t looked upon by others as a vice. For example, someone who works excessively is often admired by others, even if it isn’t good for their personal health or balance. Look upon your life from high above and with the perspective of an eagle. What behavior is taking up most of your time? What other aspects of your life are you neglecting? Are you using an excess to avoid something that scares you? Take back control and choose balance. Other cards in the reading may reveal what is being done too much at this time.
Gratitude.
The Ten of Cups represents gratitude for the magic that’s weaving through your life right at this very moment. You can’t see this magic if you are on autopilot, mad, stressed, or anxious. You can only perceive it if you choose to stop feeding tension, step out of your routines, and open your eyes to the miracles at play. When you open yourself to this magic, great things begin to happen in your life. This shimmering magic is darting about everywhere, but you may have to adjust your perspective to see it.
Do problems seem to suck all the oxygen out of your day? Do you know you have it good but just can’t seem to see, feel, or sense it? Is there stress, anger, or tension living in your heart?
The family depicted on the Ten of Cups is like any other. They have problems to solve, work to do, kids to raise, and routines that govern their day. And yet, they are doing something that many of us don’t do enough. They are soaking in the magic at play in their lives, in the present. The home that the family shares is in the distance, nestled in a thicket of trees on the hilltop. It is where they spend most of their time. In the house, love prevails, but there is also bickering, disagreements, and squabbles between the children that need to be broken up.
Being in the house, it is difficult for the family to actually see the house. So, the husband took his wife and kids out of their home and up the road. The family stepped out of routines and held each other close. When the husband and wife looked back at their home, a magical thing happened. A colorful rainbow filled the sky, illuminating each of their blessings. Rainbows are messengers of Spirit. The message is that showing gratitude for life, just as it is, attracts even more good luck and miracles. The family truly feels alive. They have such a love for each other. This love makes everything all right.
The couple raises their hands in gratitude for the abundance they have. The children are overcome as well and dance merrily in the moment. The family now has a new awareness of the magic they don’t always see. They were so close to this magic that they were unable to see it.
Choose to see the magic weaving through your life. To see this magic, you might need to step out of the house and away from your routines. If you do get a glimpse of it, it might just fill your heart and make your eyes a little misty.
When the Ten of Cups appears, it’s time to open your heart to those you love most. Give them a hug and tell them how important they are. Acknowledge the love that is all around you and do something to increase it.
There is magic dancing through your life. It weaves into your Spirit and connects you with everyone and everything around you. It’s in the air, the water, the trees, the people you love, and every particle of light.
Whisper a word of gratitude, for magical things are happening!
Ten of Cups Reversed
If the Ten of Cups appears reversed, the rainbow is at the foundation of the card. This symbolizes the importance of color in your life. Colors have a tremendous effect on our moods and influence our unconscious thoughts. If you’ve been wearing one color for too long, it might be time to switch up your wardrobe. The rainbow also represents complexity and diversity, so it may be time to expose yourself to experiences that break up the status quo.
The Ten of Cups reversed suggests that you may need to bring back some magic to this moment. If you have been experiencing tunnel vision, it’s time for you to stop and step out of your routine. Brighten up your environment. Buy some flowers. Rearrange the furniture to bring in a sense of newness. Declutter the piles you’ve been avoiding. Treat your environment to light and color. Ask yourself what in your space wants to feel more harmonious and beautiful.
If you’ve been indoors for too long, it might be time to step outside. Approach the world with wonder and openness to the magic at play. Look at how beautiful the sunlight is and how it causes each surface in nature to glitter with its own vibrancy. Bring in beauty and color to elevate your mood and enhance your life.
Creativity.
The Page of Cups symbolizes the creative inner child. This is the part of you that can still be amazed with wonder and curiosity at the world around you. Everybody has creative energy and expresses it differently. The Page of Cups invites you to play, be inspired, and create something beautiful. The Page of Cups follows his heart. He is the sensitive poet of the tarot. He also adores impish pranks.
Do you avoid your creativity because you feel you aren’t an artist? Do you remember the joy of being creative as a child? Do you ever just let loose and allow yourself to play?
If the Page of Cups were one hundred years old, he would still find time to play. He is the archetype of creativity. He is dressed in pink and blue. Pink is the color of love, harmony, kindness, and the heart. Blue is the color of communication, healing, creativity, and depth. He is a master at communicating his feelings through creativity. He lightens the hearts of others through words and deeds. His creative expression gives voice to feelings others have trouble articulating.
Like many children, he’s taken his pet along with him where he isn’t supposed to. In this case, it’s his fish, representing depth, creative wisdom, and luck. The fish is in dialogue with him. This means the Page of Cups is a conduit for what swims deep within his creative unconscious. The water lilies on his tunic symbolize that he blossoms in the realm of feelings and emotions. He is very sensitive but is often having too much of a good time to sit about moping.
When the Page of Cups appears, your creative inner child wants some attention! If you give in, you’re sure to have a lot of fun. Children trust in the magic of making stuff to express themselves. They love to draw pictures and paint Easter eggs and are so proud of turkeys made from hand tracings. They never say, “Well I’m sorry I can’t paint today, because I’m not an artist.” They dive right in because it’s fun! It also keeps them too busy to think of scary things like sharks, bogeymen, or monsters lurking in the closet. Keeping your creative mind occupied keeps it from imagining frightening things.
When the Page of Cups appears, tune out the inner critic that all too often whispers in your ear. Do something expressive just for the joy of it. Make your house more vibrant and colorful. Do something crafty, make something, play, and spend some time teasing a big baby (especially a grown-up one).
Let your creativity be a channel for feelings that need to find expression.
If representing another individual, the Page of Cups can symbolize a younger person who is imaginative and artistic. He is sensitive, creative, kind, and idealistic. However, he may have some more maturing to do. Pages can represent the young-at-heart of any gender.
Page of Cups Reversed
If the Page of Cups appears reversed, he often accompanies a period when your creativity feels blocked. Even the greatest artists experience lulls in their creative brilliance. If you’ve been feeling a lack of motivation to express yourself, it’s time to shift the energy. When creativity is blocked, it is often because you are thinking too much about perfection. Creativity is messy, especially if it’s any good. Express the imperfect more and analyze less. This will get your creative juices flowing again. Once your creativity becomes unleashed, it will gain momentum.
Creativity flows when you are in tune with your depth. Neglected feelings have the potential to hijack an entire project until they are finally felt and transmuted into your work.
The Page of Cups reversed asks you to release any pressure you feel about being productive. Creativity needs to flow naturally, much like the water depicted on the card. Accept where you are and go with the flow.
The Page of Cups (upright or reversed) asks you to lighten up and remember what you enjoy about the task at hand. Open your heart and stop overthinking.
Literalism and nitpicking are creative buzzkills. Inject fun into what you are doing and watch your brilliance flow.
If the Page of Cups represents another individual, then he usually comes off as immature. Although not a negative person, he can be extremely impractical. When dealing with him, be clear, be direct, and maintain structure.
The brave messenger of love.
The Knight of Cups is the tarot’s brave messenger of love.22 This Knight can communicate his deepest feelings without fear or embarrassment. Everywhere he rides, love begins to flow. He represents all forms of love: romantic, passionate, platonic, and familial. He can reintroduce a lonely person into a world of friends and can bring renewed passion to an intimacy-barren relationship. This is because he does not let fear, embarrassment, or shame keep him from opening his heart. He reminds those who believe they are alone that they are connected, valuable, loved, and accepted. The Knight of Cups appears when it’s time to be emotionally courageous.
Do you have a hard time expressing your feelings, even to the people you are closest to? Are you too shy or too scared to open yourself up to connecting with others? When did you last feel passionate or romantic?
The Knight of Cups is so hot! He is completely confident with his feelings, and what is more attractive than confidence? He gazes electrically with deep blue eyes and effortlessly expresses what he desires openly. He wears the wings of Hermes, the messenger God, on his helm and his feet. Fish decorate his tunic. This symbolizes his ability to communicate clearly about deep unconscious feelings that can be difficult for others to put into words. He teaches that communication about feelings heals isolation and confusion. The more difficult the subject, the more healing to be gained from talking about it. However, you must be brave enough to open your heart to others.
You might wonder why you would need to be brave to express love. The answer is that vulnerability can be very scary! Even people who have been together for years can find it difficult to express affection and intimacy. This is especially true if the heart has been wounded by a deep betrayal or loss in the past. The Knight of Cups appears to tell us that retreating further from others will never heal the heart. The heart mends when it is brave and open, allowing new experiences to take the place of past hurts.
The Knight of Cups is eternally optimistic that the future will be brighter than times before. He bravely directs his horse over the river, crossing into the realm of the heart. The horse treads mindfully and carefully into this sensitive realm. The Knight knows that the heart is not as fragile as it pretends to be. It can heal amazingly. However, it must be open to do so.
The Knight of Cups urges you to bring some passion and excitement back into your life. Share, flirt, take a risk, make new friends, but, most importantly, be vulnerable! The Knight presents his cup as a gift to you, much like the divine hand on the Ace of Cups. There is no greater gift than love. The more you give this gift, the more you receive.
The Knight of Cups inspires you to be courageous enough to express love, romance, affection, and passion. Have confidence in your worth and stop being self-conscious. You don’t need to be in an intimate relationship to begin healing your heart. The first step is to be brave enough to open it.
When representing another person, the Knight of Cups can symbolize a lover or an exciting love interest. He is attractive and charismatic and says the most charming things. Knights appear on horses in the tarot, so there is also an implication of coming and going. The Knight of Cups can represent a person who passionately arrives and departs from your life cyclically. He is not necessarily unsuitable, but a relationship with him may need more time to deepen into a secure partnership. Knights can represent youngish adults of any gender. Knights are usually people who are phasing out of one way of life and into another.
Knight of Cups Reversed
If the Knight of Cups appears reversed, he indicates that difficult feelings swimming around in your heart can be released once they have been put into words. It is an ideal time to communicate about whatever you’ve been avoiding. Instead of retreating more, the Knight dares you to be more open and share what you are experiencing with the people you trust.
Emotions like fear, shame, anxiety, and anger can begin to feel resolved the moment they are spoken. However, they must be articulated from a position of honesty and love. Once difficult feelings are articulated, they can be surrendered. Releasing emotional baggage causes the heart to immediately lighten up, making room for feelings like joy, excitement, and love. Don’t fear honesty and openness. The Knight of Cups advises you to stop carrying heavy feelings around. Release any burdensome emotions or anxieties that are weighing you down by talking about them honestly and openly. This will lead to a huge breakthrough regarding your connection with others.
If the Knight of Cups reversed represents another person, he is often someone who means well but promises more than he can deliver. This can lead to hard feelings when his limitations are discovered. He is a dreamer with ample creativity; however, he may lack ambition and structure. In relationships, he represents someone who has a difficult time communicating. He may also keep his deepest desires hidden, since he may have a hard time being open about them.
Valuing feelings and emotions.
The Queen of Cups views feelings as sacred, because they reveal life to us in vibrant colors. She is nurturing, caring, and encourages her people to see the value of their own feelings and emotions. The Queen of Cups sees sensitivity as something that makes one strong, not weak. Feelings allow us to experience joy, excitement, love, bliss, and rapture. The Queen of Cups reminds us to be grateful for our feelings, even when they cause us pain. After all, feelings give life complexity, color, and dimension.
Are you uncomfortable with your feelings? Are you afraid to be open because someone or something might potentially hurt you? Do you bottle up your feelings and deny they are even there?
Cups and water in the tarot symbolize feelings and emotions. The Queen of Cups places her feelings in the most precious chalice of the entire tarot. Her cup is gilded in gold and adorned with angels. Just looking at her cup’s beauty brings the Queen joy. This symbolizes that she honors feelings as something sacred. The Queen of Cups sees the worth and value of feelings because they give life color and complexity. To prove this point, she is surrounded by colorful beach stones.
If you’ve ever collected stones on the beach as a child, you’ll remember that when they are dry, they are rather dull. However, if you place these stones in water, suddenly the stones become alive with vibrant colors and textures. The vibrancy of the stones is revealed through water. Likewise, a dull or boring life can reveal its complexity if you open yourself to feeling it instead of being detached from it.
So many people nowadays are afraid to feel. We are told to “not be so sensitive,” as if feelings make us weak. We are told to toughen up. This is especially true for boys, who, above all others, are not allowed to be sensitive or weak (although many girls are increasingly experiencing this, too). The trouble with this is that we all have feelings. Denying our feelings leads to imbalance internally and with the world around us. The more emotions that are bottled up, numbed, or not experienced, the more living we miss out on. Many people avoid feeling because it might hurt. However, this is just fear chiming in again. Fear robs us of experiences that could potentially bring us joy.
To experience the vibrancy of life, follow the Queen’s example and look for beauty. Beauty activates emotional responses that feel good. Science confirms that beauty releases pleasure from the brain and into the bloodstream. Buy some flowers or beautiful art for your home or work environment. Admire the beauty in the natural world around you. It’s everywhere! Cherublike undines decorate the Queen’s throne. The Queen of Cups is especially loving and protective of children and is a caring mother.
Look for what appears to be just dull beach stones in your everyday life. View these things through the lens of your feelings. Open yourself to the rapture of experiencing love and beauty. Watch life’s vibrancy reveal itself to you.
The Queen of Cups does not avoid her feelings. She takes them all: the good, the bad, the hurt, the sad, the love, the joy, the grief, the hope, and the happiness. She places them in her sacred chalice and honors them. Your feelings give life dimension, complexity, richness, color, and meaning. Honor them.
When the Queen of Cups represents another person, she is a kind, nurturing, and maternal figure. You can trust her advice and her influence. She really cares for others deeply. She is also sensitive and has an eye for beauty and great style. If she is a parent, she is the best sort. Queens can be mature individuals of any gender who wield strong feminine power.
Queen of Cups Reversed
If the Queen of Cups appears reversed, she signifies that you may be passing through life without soaking it in. All your rites of passage, your achievements, and your self-improvements need to be acknowledged and felt at this time. The Queen of Cups encourages you to honor your feelings and reminds you that your feelings give your life meaning, awareness, and colorful vibrancy. Don’t make life a race from one achievement to the next without processing it on an emotive level. Be present with the beauty that surrounds you and the achievements you have manifested. Acknowledge yourself, love yourself, and appreciate yourself for the work you do every day to improve your life and the lives of others.
The Queen of Cups reversed can also signify a need to release emotional burdens. Opening yourself to feelings can sometimes bring about emotional discomfort. These feelings especially need to be felt, acknowledged, honored, and then surrendered. Crying is especially good for releasing blocked emotional energy. This will ensure that difficult emotions don’t become bottled up, creating problems for you unconsciously. To avoid getting stuck on painful feelings, ask yourself what the feelings may be teaching you at this stage in your life. What are you learning from being present with them? To shift your awareness from negative emotions, focus on something beautiful.
Upright or reversed, the Queen of Cups asks you to take care of your feelings. Filter out whatever is painful and release it. Choose to focus on beauty and life’s magic. Stop going through life without feeling it! Feelings are very precious. Let them flow. Be at peace with them and with yourself.
If the Queen of Cups reversed represents a person, she is often overwhelmed by her great sensitivity and may need assistance dealing with her feelings. She may also be smothering or needy in personal relationships. Try to encourage her toward self-reliance and empowerment.
Channeling feelings for positive results.
Everybody likes the King of Cups. He is kind, affable, and forgiving. He has nothing left to prove to the world, which makes him unpretentious. This is because he is completely at peace with his feelings about the past. The King of Cups has experienced both stormy seas and still waters that run deep. Water and cups represent feelings in the tarot, and the King of Cups is perfectly at home in the realm of his emotions. A fish talisman guards his heart, showing that the King truly wears his heart on his sleeve. The lotus staff symbolizes that the King of Cups works to achieve emotional enlightenment. He tells us, “You are always going to have feelings; why not channel their power into something constructive?”
Where are your emotions being channeled now? Were you taught to repress your feelings and emotions? Are negative past emotions leaving you feeling sad, scared, unmotivated, or depressed?
The King of Cups knows that emotions can buoy or sink us. Feelings can be helpful or destructive, just like the ocean. Emotions aren’t good or bad—they are energy. The mind filters where feelings flow. Once unleashed, emotions can create a powerful current that manifests results, either positive or negative. Therefore, you want to keep your feelings flowing amid currents of joy and happiness to serve as fuel for what you are trying to manifest.
Two symbols appear in the background of the King’s card: the whale and the ship. Whales are the recordkeepers of the ocean.23 They are the ancient giants that remember all the way back to a time when they used to live on land. The whale symbolizes the ability to access old memories from the depths. Whales breathe air, giving them the ability to bring old memories and feelings to the surface for understanding and healing. By making peace with the past, you don’t have to work so hard to resist it.
The floating ship represents the power of the mind to invent solutions to harness the water (feelings). The seas and oceans used to be large barriers before humans could build ships. After people started inventing boats, the waters became superhighways. Ideas were exchanged and trade increased. The waters were channeled into a positive result.
The King’s throne remains stable above the waves. He is not ruled by his feelings but governs them. He stays in contact with his deep emotions and memories (the whale), but he is not overcome and submerged by them (the ship). He can focus on a goal and then harness the powers of his emotions to achieve it.
When the King of Cups appears, you can choose whether to sink or swim in the realm of your emotions. Heed the King’s advice and make peace with the past. Forgive yourself for whatever was keeping you stuck. Forgive others who have hurt you, or they will continue to rule the direction of your feelings.
The King of Cups can also signify a kindhearted man you can trust. He is an ideal relationship partner and is protective of those he loves. He can also symbolize a trustworthy friend or ally who can assist you. Kings can be mature people of any gender who are leaders or figures of authority.
King of Cups Reversed
If the King of Cups appears reversed, he advises you to stay calm despite stormy seas. As you can see, the King is surrounded by waters making great waves. Water signifies feelings in the tarot, and reversed Cup cards can indicate a degree of emotional turmoil. The King of Cups is seated on a firm stone platform, unaffected by the swirling waves around him. This indicates that the King can remain centered amid situations that elicit strong emotional reactions.
The King of Cups is also associated with the astrological sign of Cancer, the sign of house and home. If you wish to reclaim stability amid stormy waters, get your own house in order (literally and figuratively). Throw out things you don’t need anymore. Remove clutter. The more you clean out your personal environment, the less heavy and stressed you will feel internally. You may also see external conditions improve. Your environment has the power to unconsciously affect your mood and self-esteem. If you have a stable base of operations from where you feel centered, you can handle any waves headed your way.
If the King of Cups reversed represents a person, he may be someone who has a hard time letting things go, both emotionally and physically. He could also represent someone who needs help with depression or the past. Upright or reversed, the King of Cups is rarely unkind. When reversed, the King of Cups needs to feel secure before he can progress.