The Minor Arcana - Cups

Below are definitions of each of the Minor Arcana cards, including standard or traditional meanings, and my unique slant on the meanings of these cards. Please feel free to use these definitions to aid you in your study of the Tarot. In time, you will develop your own ideas and meanings for each of the cards, which will further enrich your experience with them. I wish you luck on your journey toward spiritual enlightenment.......Blessed Be!!!

Element Water
Astrological Signs Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Season Summer (the season initiated by the cardinal sign Cancer)
Traits Emotional and Artistic. Creative and Sensitive. Nurturing, Tender, and Pleasant. Touchy-feely and Relationship Oriented. Kind and Friendly. Romantic, Impressionable, and Emotional. Imaginative, Caring, Compassionate. Intuitive and Psychic. Weak, Unreliable, Angry, and Resentful. Tearfully Sentimental and Emotionally Intense. Concerned with the Needs of Others.
Occupations Counselors, Artists, Writers, Musicians, Psychics.
Key Words and Phrases Emotions, Moods, Affections, Love, Caring, Romance, Relating, Emotional Problems, Matters of the Heart, Partnership, Relationships, Sensitivity, Feelings, Imagination, Sex, Happiness, Intuition, Art, Creativity, Dreams, Fantasy, Visions, Comfort, Satisfaction, Harmony, Children, Family
People Light brown, blonde, or gray hair. Blue, light, or hazel eyes. Medium or fair complexion.

ACE OF CUPS - The Ace of Cups signifies the beginning of a love affair, marriage, or other union which will be happy and lasting. It can also predict emotional renewal in an established relationship. It is a card of true love, contentment, joy, health, and great happiness. It can also represent a pregnancy or an engagement. In the reversed position, the Ace of Cups shows instability, or disappointment in relationships. It can signal infidelity, deceit, egotism, self-centeredness, boredom, or the need for change. You may be loving too much, or not enough. You may be feeling depressed, unloved, and unwanted. Possible marital problems, broken heart, loss.

TWO OF CUPS - This card symbolizes a happy union, romance, love, friendship, or partnership. You have a beautiful start to a new romance or friendship. Your relationship will be harmonious, and you and your partner will have a great understanding of, and appreciation for, one another. This card often relates to a marriage or engagement. The Two of Cups reversed may signal the end of a relationship or the breakup of a partnership, possibly due to infidelity or distrust. If you are married, the possibility for divorce exists. Oftentimes when this card appears in your spread, it indicates a violation of trust or a conflict. Sometimes the conflict is more of a disagreement, and with care, the relationship can grow stronger through the ordeal.

THREE OF CUPS - Anticipation and joy...something good is on the way!!! This card symbolizes pregnancy, merriment, success in relationships, celebrations, business success, family gatherings, enjoyment, good fortune, happiness, renewed health, and possible marriage. In the reversed position, the Three of Cups represents overindulgence, excess, gratification of sensual pleasures, too much of a good thing, addiction, infidelity, promiscuity, divorce, exploitation, illness, infertility, or miscarriage.

FOUR OF CUPS - This card represents dissatisfaction, boredom, withdrawal, an empty feeling, resentment, and depression. You are having difficulty or choosing not to look at the good that surrounds you. You may be entertaining unwarranted suspicions or a negative outlook. You are most likely feeling unmotivated. In the reversed position, the Four of Cups signals the end of discontent, coming out of your shell, socializing, renewing relationships, positive change, or an exciting turn of events.

FIVE OF CUPS - This is the proverbial "crying over spilled milk" card. You are seeing only the negative, and not the positive aspects of a situation. It represents loss and disappointment, lack of trust, frustration, poor choices, unrealistic expectations, and inappreciation. In the reversed position, the Five of Cups affirms that things are looking up for you. Your emotional pain is coming to an end, and you have renewed hope. You may soon hear some happy news!!!

SIX OF CUPS - This card symbolizes the past...happy memories, childhood, children, looking back, thoughts of old friends or lovers, nostalgia, rekindling old ties, inheritance, or a gift. In its reversed position, the Six of Cups can signify new friendships or changes in attitudes and relationships. It can also be a warning to stop dwelling on and clinging to the past and live in the here and now. Something from the past may be holding you down in the present, or you may be seeking old and familiar forms of security. You need to let go of the past and give up your incessant dwelling on negative nostalgia.

SEVEN OF CUPS - This is a card of fantasy, wishful thinking, and romanticism. You have your "head in the clouds" and are having difficulty making a decision. You may feel that you are going nowhere fast, due to scattered energies. You may feel stuck or overly confused about an important decision that you need to make. There is also the possibility of alcohol or drug abuse with this card (especially if another card of "escapism" such as the Moon appears in the same spread). The Seven of Cups reversed shows decisiveness, realism, and clarity of thought. You may feel that the "fog is lifting" and you will be more able to make good choices.

EIGHT OF CUPS - This card signifies moving on, leaving the past behind, leaving home, breaking up, disappointment, searching for a new relationship, or a need to search for the deeper meaning in life. In its reversed position, the Eight of Cups may indicate a refusal to move on, clinging to the past, trouble making a commitment, boredom with your present lifestyle and circumstances, feeling stuck, or avoiding personal growth.

NINE OF CUPS - This is a card of great success, especially material success. It represents triumph, victory, and financial well-being. Your desires will be fulfilled, and this fulfillment will bring with it much satisfaction and contentment. In the reversed position, the Nine of Cups can point to disappointments due to imperfections and mistakes, smugness, overindulgence, greed, superficial or materialistic values, shallowness, gluttony, and excessive preoccupation with gratifying your own desires, oftentimes at the expense of the needs of others.

TEN OF CUPS - The Ten of Cups is a card of true love, contentment, satisfaction, harmony, trust, fulfillment, marriage, joyful family life, and lasting happiness in relationships. In the reversed position, this card can represent sorrow, strife, disputes, marital conflict, incompatibility, family problems, loss, and sadness.

PAGE OF CUPS - The Page of Cups may represent the beginning of friendship, a social invitation, love, creativity, intuition, imagination, psychic ability, a good idea, or news about a birth or marriage. The Page of Cups reversed symbolizes insecurity, emotional immaturity, escapism, irresponsibility, or laziness. A relationship may be ending or fading, or you may be receiving few social invitations. There is also a warning with this card to beware of escaping your problems through the use of drugs or alcohol.

KNIGHT OF CUPS - The Knight of Cups represents romance, new love, or new experiences. You may receive a proposal or an offer. You may meet someone with whom you will fall in love. The Knight of Cups also represents intuition, seduction, kindness, imagination, sensitivity, and bliss. In its reversed position, the Knight of Cups can indicate lies, illusions, deception, and untrustworthiness. It can also indicate passive-aggressiveness, instability, and fear of commitment. Someone is probably lying to you. Try to avoid being passive and too easily influenced by others.

QUEEN OF CUPS - The Queen of Cups represents a mother figure who is intellectual and cultured. She is honest and devoted, a nurturing mother, perfect spouse, loving, intelligent, wise, and virtuous. She possesses deep emotions, and is a seer of visions. She possesses accurate intuition, and can use her hunches as reliable guides. She enjoys success, happiness, and pleasure. The Queen of Cups may also signify an environment in which you can or should feel secure and nourished. This card in its reversed position can represent an untrustworthy, meddling, depraved woman. She is fickle, vane, possesses poor judgement, and is highly gullible. Oftentimes she is lazy, indecisive, dependent, irresponsible, and unloyal. She may be unfaithful, and most likely is unable to control her emotions.

KING OF CUPS - The King of Cups represents a father figure who is mature, emotionally stable, respectable and trustworthy. He is a man of culture and intelligence who is wise, compassionate, generous, kind, and reserved. He is well deserving of your respect, and makes a good advisor or friend. In the reversed position, the King of Cups depicts a "sleazy" man who may offer bad advice. He is insecure and immature, a schemer who may lead you astray. He may be dishonest, fraudulant, manipulative, weak, and selfish.

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