Cups
The Cups suit is linked to our emotions, relationships, and soulful matters. When a Cups card emerges during your Tarot reading, note your dreams, heart, and intuitions. Whether it’s profound joy or intense sorrow, the Cups cards unveil our genuine emotions and provide insights into how others perceive us.
The Cups cards align with the summer season and the water element, urging you to navigate your emotions and discover joy in your current circumstances. Despite being among the most auspicious Tarot cards, they may appear when you’re grappling with relationship uncertainties, experiencing life disappointments, or struggling with self-confidence.
In a traditional Tarot deck, the Cups suit comprises 14 cards, starting with the Ace of Cups and advancing through the 10 of Cups. The sequence concludes with the four Court cards: the Page, Knight, Queen, and King of Cups.
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Knight of Cups
Upright: Affection, fresh connections, empathy, and innovation.
Reverse: Self-care, instinct, and suppressed feelings.
The Ace of Cups depicts a goblet brimming with five cascading water streams. This cup symbolizes the receptacle of your subconscious thoughts, while the five streams represent your sensory experiences, accompanied by a profusion of emotion and intuition welling up from within. Emerging from the clouds, the hand that holds the cup serves as a representation of your acknowledgment of spiritual energy and its impact. Beneath the hand lies an expansive sea adorned with lotus blossoms, indicating the awakening of the human spirit. A descending dove towards the cup serves as a symbolic representation of Divine love permeating from the subconscious mind into conscious awareness.
Upright: Harmonious love, collaborative partnership, shared attraction.
Reversed: Self-affection, relationship endings, discord, lack of trust.
In the depiction of the Two of Cups, a young man and woman exchange cups, symbolizing their commitment to each other. Hovering above them is the Caduceus of Hermes, an ancient emblem representing commerce and exchange, featuring a winged staff entwined with two snakes. At the apex of the caduceus, a lion’s head signifies passion and fire energy, hinting at the possibility of intense and passionate connections, particularly of a sexual nature, between the two individuals.
Upright: Joyous occasions, companionship, artistic expression, cooperative efforts.
Reversed: Independence, alone time, hardcore partying, ‘three’s a crowd.’
In the Three of Cups, three young women dance in a circle, joyfully raising their cups in a toast. Their expressions convey appreciation, honor, and respect for one another, reflecting a strong emotional bond and friendship. The scene embodies a spirit of mutual upliftment, celebrating each woman’s distinct contribution to the group. The ground is adorned with flowers, fruit, and a pumpkin, symbolizing the celebration of a bountiful harvest and the goodness in life.
Upright: Reflective meditation, thoughtful contemplation, indifference, reassessment.
Reversed: Retreat, stepping back, engaging in a self-check for alignment.
In the depiction of the Four of Cups, a young man sits beneath a tree, arms crossed, immersed in contemplation and meditation. Unaware, he remains oblivious to the outstretched arm presenting a cup to him. Additionally, three more cups stand at his feet, yet he shows no recognition or interest in these potential opportunities.
Upright: Remorse, lack of success, letdown, negativity.
Reversed: Individual challenges, self-acceptance, progressing forward.
In the Five of Cups, a man draped in a lengthy black cloak gazes downward at three toppled cups, symbolizing his letdowns and setbacks. Behind him stand two upright cups, signifying fresh opportunities and untapped potential. However, his fixation on past losses causes him to overlook the available prospects.
In the backdrop, a bridge spans a flowing river, leading to the safety of a castle or home on the opposite bank. He must shift his focus from the overturned cups to reach the security ahead. The bridge serves as a message urging him to discover a path forward.
Upright: Exploring bygone times, recollections of youth, purity, and happiness.
Reversed: Dwelling on the past, embracing forgiveness, absence of lightheartedness.
In the Six of Cups, a young boy bends down to offer a cup brimming with flowers to a younger girl. The girl gazes up at the boy with affection and admiration as he presents the flowers. Love, unity, and collaboration—central themes of the Six of Cups—are beautifully expressed through this tender gesture. The young children also symbolize cherished childhood memories.
In the backdrop, an older man walks away into the distance, seemingly suggesting that there’s no need to be burdened by adult concerns; instead, relish the moment of youth, innocence, and freedom. The setting, appearing to be a courtyard of a large home, signifies comfort, safety, and security. In the foreground, four more cups filled with flowers stand, with a fifth cup positioned on a pedestal behind the boy.
Upright: Possibilities, decisions, hopeful contemplation, and deceptive appearances.
Reversed: Harmony, individual principles, feeling inundated with options.
In the Seven of Cups, a man faces seven cups, each containing different offerings. Some cups present enticing gifts like jewels and a victorious wreath. However, others conceal not gifts, but curses, such as a snake or dragon. The clouds and cups represent the man’s desires and aspirations. The varied gifts within imply the need for caution in one’s wishes, as appearances can be deceiving. Making choices requires going beyond illusions and allure, emphasizing the importance of discerning what genuinely aligns with your needs.
Upright: Letdown, forsakenness, retreat, seeking refuge.
Reversed: Making another attempt, uncertainty, purposeless wandering, departing.
In the Eight of Cups, a man strides away from the eight cups positioned prominently in the foreground. The arrangement of the cups gives the impression that one is absent, indicating a shortfall in emotional fulfillment and completeness. The man, turning his back on the cups, exudes a sense of loss and disappointment as he moves toward the mountains. A nearby river serves as a metaphor for his emotions, while the mountains symbolize the realization that this journey, though challenging, is crucial for genuine, lasting happiness. The moon in the night sky sheds light on the path ahead, suggesting that the man departs discreetly under the cover of darkness, hinting at a possible element of escape or avoidance in this card.
Upright: Fulfillment, contentment, appreciation, realization of a desire.
Reversed: Internal joy, focus on possessions, discontent, excessive indulgence.
In the Nine of Cups, a man occupies a wooden bench, finding a comfortable balance (though not ideal for prolonged sitting). With crossed arms and a content smile, he exudes a sense of satisfaction. Behind him, a curved structure adorned with blue fabric showcases nine golden cups arranged in an arch. These cups symbolize the emotional fulfillment that follows the realization of one’s deepest desires.
Upright: Spiritual love, joyous connections, unity, and synchronization.
Reversed: Separation, conflicting values, relationships under strain.
In the depiction of the Ten of Cups, a loving couple stands with open arms, watching as their two children play nearby. Their gaze is directed towards their hillside home, with a splendid rainbow in the sky adorned with ten cups. This couple embodies enduring love and has achieved all they could desire – a harmonious home, delightful children, and, most importantly, a deeply fulfilling love that they share with those around them.
The family residence represents stability and comfort, while the verdant hills symbolize fertility, and the flowing river signifies the movement of emotions. The rainbow serves as a symbol of the end of challenging times and a reassuring message from the Divine that everything will be alright. This picturesque scene captures the essence of genuine emotional fulfillment and Divine love.
Upright: Opportunities for creativity, intuitive signals, inquisitiveness, and potential.
Reversed: Fresh concepts, questioning intuition, obstacles to creativity, emotional immaturity.
Draped in a blue tunic adorned with floral prints and sporting a beret with a flowing scarf, the Page of Cups stands on the shore, the undulating sea as his backdrop. In his right hand, he holds a cup, and to everyone’s surprise, a fish peeks out from the cup, observing the young man. The fish and the sea symbolize the water element, encapsulating themes of creativity, intuition, and emotions. The unanticipated presence of the fish emphasizes that creative inspiration frequently emerges unexpectedly, manifesting only when one remains receptive to it.
Upright: Ingenuity, love, allure, inventive thinking, and aesthetic appeal.
Reversed: Impractical, envious, overactive imagination, and temperamental.
In the Knight of Cups, a knight gracefully rides a white horse while extending a golden cup, seemingly delivering a heartfelt message. Adorning his armor is a cloak adorned with fish imagery, symbolizing water, consciousness, and creativity. His winged helmet and boots signify an active, imaginative mind and an appreciation for beauty.
Unlike the Knight of Wands or the Knight of Swords, the horse in the Knight of Cups doesn’t charge forward but moves with grace, exuding a sense of calmness and tranquility. The horse represents power, energy, and drive, with the white color symbolizing purity, spirituality, and light.
The mostly barren background, aside from distant trees and a flowing river, suggests the potent ability of emotions and imagination to generate a new life force, even in seemingly barren landscapes.
Upright: Kindhearted, nurturing, emotionally grounded, perceptive, and harmoniously attuned.
Reversed: Internal emotions, self-nurturing, self-affection, and interdependence.
The Queen of Cups, an exquisite and contemplative woman, occupies a throne positioned at the sea’s edge. Grasping a golden cup with angel-shaped handles in her hands, she stands out from other cups in the Suit of Cups by having a closed cup. This signifies that the Queen draws her thoughts and emotions from her subconscious and the profound depths of her soul.
Seated on a stone throne adorned with sea-nymphs, fish, and scallop shells, she is surrounded by symbols of the unconscious mind— the sea and fish. Water, symbolizing emotion, spirit, and perception, encompasses her, set against a cloudless, bright-blue sky. Notably, her feet do not touch the water; instead, they rest on vibrant pebbles along the shore. This portrayal suggests a connection to her emotions (represented by the water) without being overwhelmed by them.
Upright: Harmoniously composed, empathetic, and skilled in diplomacy.
Reversed: Self-kindness, internal emotions, mood swings, emotionally manipulative.
Seated on a substantial stone throne, the King of Cups dons a blue tunic and a gold cape, symbolizing his authority and elevated status. Around his neck hangs a small fish amulet, emblematic of his creativity. With a cup held in his right hand, representing emotions, and a sceptre in his left, denoting power and control, he stands out among the Cups court cards. Notably, he doesn’t gaze at his cup; his focus seems directed elsewhere, suggesting a mastery of his emotional self that doesn’t require intense concentration.
Set amidst a turbulent sea on a granite block, the King of Cups gives the impression of floating. To his right, a fish leaps from the ocean, while to his left, a ship sails steadily through the waves. These images illustrate his ability to maintain composure and equilibrium even in challenging conditions. The King has mastered staying open to his emotions and unconscious impulses without succumbing to overwhelm. In this way, he adeptly wields power and control while harmonizing his emotions.
