Understanding the Tarot Suit of Cups

Going with the flow - the Ace of Cups in the Osho deck shows a person swimming from above.

The Suit of Cups is associated with the element of water, which represent the fluid nature of our emotions and the depths of our subconscious. Just as water takes different forms — calm, turbulent, refreshing, or stagnant — so too do our emotional states fluctuate.

Cups are about the capacity for love, empathy, and connection with others. They urge us to explore our emotions and consider how our feelings influence our actions and decisions. They are also about the imagination, creative expression, intuition, romance and fantasy.

Love and Relationships

Whether it’s the nurturing bonds of friendship or the romantic connections we cherish, the Cups offer insights into how we relate to others.

We are sociable animals, and much of our time is spent relating to others, thinking about others and being with others. Even a hermit will think about the people they have related to in their lives. Relating with others is important for human growth, and difficulties with partners, colleagues, family, and friends are a common reason people ask for a Tarot reading.

Cups show us the power of love and friendship, the love we receive and the love we give, and

Ten of Cups from the Modern Witch Tarot shows a family picnic.

the lack of love. They show us how we relate to each other and the external world. They include the whole range of emotions, from the depths to the heights of human experience.

The Suit of Cups encourages us to embrace our emotional depth. Emotions are natural and essential to the human experience, and this suit reminds us of the importance of feeling deeply. It invites us to confront our joys and sorrows, teaching us that vulnerability can lead to profound healing and growth.

However, most of us learn two dysfunctional ways of dealing with difficult, emotions, situations and compulsions. We avoid them or suppress them, instead of accepting them, and this can cause a host of physical and mental health issues.

Intuition and Creativity

Cups are also linked with intuition and creativity. As feelings often drive our creative expressions, from art to writing to problem-solving, this suit invites us to tap into our instinctual knowledge. By encouraging emotional honesty, the Cups help unearth our creativity, guiding us to express ourselves authentically.

The Queen of Cups from the Osho deck, highlighting the intuitive side of this suit.

Cups are how we communicate without language – through touch, the arts, a glance, telepathy. If you are with someone on the same wavelength and they don’t speak the same language it is often possible to communicate. The opposite is where two people are divided by the same language due to their lack of connection.

Cups and the element of water

The element of water is symbolic of fluidity, feelings and emotions, intuition, relationships, healing, and cleansing. Traditionally it is a ‘feminine’ element and is receptive, adaptable, purifying and flowing.

In a deck of playing cards, Cups corresponds to Hearts.

Interpreting Cups in Tarot Readings

Cup cards may show that you are thinking with your heart rather than your head, reflecting your spontaneous responses and your habitual reactions. They invite us to explore our feelings, reminding us that emotional awareness is essential for personal growth. They encourage a person to follow their heart and feelings, rather than overthinking it. They encourage empathy rather than judgement.

Should a Tarot reading be predominantly Cups cards, you may be seeking solutions to emotional conflicts, personal interactions, love matters, feelings and creativity. Cups can show intuitive and psychic abilities and sudden insight.

If there is an absence of them, it can show the need for connection, or insensitivity.

However, when it’s time for action Cups represent the problem of passivity. Other suits can help. Wands energise Cups, Swords help Cups figure things out as logic can cut through emotional swamps, and Pentacles bring the fantasies back to the bedrock of practical projects.

The astrological water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, and are associated with the Cups court cards.

Suit of Cups Strengths

At its best, this suit is naturally empathetic and compassionate, adaptable and flowing. It also

Five of Cups from Morgan Greer Tarot deck.

shows intuitive, even psychic abilities. There can be great creative potential. People connected to this suit are generally artistic, compassionate, and there may be healing ability. They can be nurturing, sensitive and caring.

Suit of Cups Weaknesses

At its worst the suit of cups is lost in the realm of emotion, and has little to do with logic, facts, or concrete observation. They can be so absorbed in their own fantasies, that the real world fades away. Reversed, the suit of cups often expresses emotional blocks and repression, being overly emotional or completely disengaged and dispassionate. Sometimes this can lead to feeling creatively blocked and unable to express the self.

Cups people can be needy, abusive, manipulative and have addiction problems.

There can be poor boundaries, people pleasing, apathy, laziness, shyness, and secrecy.

Cup card meanings

The Suit of Cups includes fourteen cards, each with its unique story. Below is a brief introduction to these cards.

• Ace of Cups: The Ace often signifies fresh emotional experiences and the possibility of love, or new spiritual growth. It encourages us to open our hearts to new opportunities for connection.

• Two of Cups: This card represents partnerships, mutual attraction, and harmonious relationships. It shows a bond that fosters emotional growth and unity. It can also show inner integration from harmonising the opposites within you.

• Three of Cups: Celebrating friendship, joy, and community, the Three of Cups often appears when we gather with loved ones. It signifies fun and shared experiences.

• Four of Cups: A card of contemplation and revaluation, the Four of Cups invites us to assess our emotional state. It highlights a potential sense of boredom or discontent, nudging us to seek deeper fulfilment.

• Five of Cups: Reflecting loss and grief, the Five of Cups teaches us about acceptance and the importance of focusing on what remains, and making the most of life, rather than lamenting what is lost.

• Six of Cups: Nostalgia and revisiting memories come into play with the Six of Cups. This card encourages us to reflect on childhood experiences or relationships that have influenced who we are today. People from the past may reappear.

• Seven of Cups: A card representing choices and illusions, the Seven of Cups warns against being overwhelmed by options in emotional matters. It encourages careful consideration of desires. What do you really want?

• Eight of Cups: The Eight of Cups signifies moving on and seeking deeper meaning. It represents walking away from situations that no longer serve us and pursuing personal growth.

• Nine of Cups: Often referred to as the “wish card,” the Nine of Cups celebrates emotional satisfaction and contentment. It signifies the importance of recognising and appreciating the good in our lives.

• Ten of Cups: The Ten of Cups embodies the ideals of harmony, family, and lasting happiness. It represents emotional fulfilment and the culmination of joyous relationships.

• Page of Cups: The Page of Cups brings a sense of imagination and emotional openness. It encourages us to explore our creative side and embrace our intuition.

• Knight of Cups: Romantic and idealistic, the Knight of Cups symbolises the pursuit of love, emotional experiences and creativity. He embodies the quest for meaningful connections.

• Queen of Cups: Compassionate and empathetic, the Queen of Cups is the embodiment of emotional intelligence. She encourages us to listen to our intuition and nurture both ourselves and others.

• King of Cups: The King of Cups signifies emotional maturity and balance. He represents the ability to navigate emotions with wisdom and understanding, guiding others with compassion.

Water meditations for purification

Water has been used to purify our physical, mental and emotional bodies for centuries. Most of us love a shower, and you can intend it to wash away not just dirt but stagnant energy.

Water running down the top of your head along your back or front can help to open your chakras, energising you and raising your vibration. It can also stimulate your creativity, which is why the shower is a great place to get new ideas and inspiration.

In the shower, engage your senses and notice everything. Hear the sound the water makes, feel the air inside the shower and notice your feet on the floor. Be present, aware of your surroundings, and be as calm as you can.

Take in a couple of deep breaths and let go of everything, especially anything that is making you stressed, anxious, tense or worried. Focus on your breathing, feeling your abdomen rising and falling slowly.

Imagine every drop of water washing away your anxiety, stress, sadness, or any other feeling you want to let go of. Imagine these negative feelings and emotions as dirt that the water washes away from you and down the drain.

When you wash your hair imagine you are washing your thoughts, rinsing out all the negative thoughts from your mind. Feel the water cleanse your thoughts and wash them down the drain, leaving you with a lighter and clearer mind.

As you wash your body, keep breathing deeply and relax. Imagine you are washing away any stress and tension in your body. Let the water rinse the soap and the stress away.

If you wish to you can repeat affirmations such as: “As I cleanse myself, I feel light, peaceful and at ease.”  Imagine all of the negative energy is going down the drain.

If you prefer a bath add from half to one cup of sea salt to your bath and enjoy a soak. This can clear negative energy from your aura, much as we use salt water to remove negative energy from crystals. Afterwards your intuition should be sharper and more focussed.

The Suit of Cups in Love

When Cups appear in a love reading, they may show emotional fulfilment, deep bonds, and intuitive understanding between partners. A time of harmony and openness.

If challenging there may be emotional overwhelm, miscommunication, or an overreliance on fantasy rather than reality.

The Suit of Cups in Career and Creativity

In career and creativity readings, the Suit of Cups ask if you are following your heart in your career. This suit often signals opportunities to align your career with your emotional well-being or to approach creative projects with empathy and imagination. There may be creative breakthroughs, supportive teamwork, and emotionally rewarding endeavours.

If challenging there can be a lack of focus, discord, being overly idealistic, or struggling to balance emotions with practical needs.

The Suit of Cups in Finances

The Suit of Cups connects to emotional attitudes toward money rather than financial systems themselves. It highlights how feelings like generosity or fear, influence financial decisions.

When positive there may be emotional fulfilment from giving or spending wisely, aligning finances with personal values, or cultivating gratitude for what you have.

When challenging there may be emotional spending, fear around money, avoidance of financial responsibility, or unrealistic expectations about resources.

The Suit of Cups in Health

In health readings, the Suit of Cups focuses on emotional well-being and its connection to physical health. It highlights the importance of addressing stress, emotional blockages, and the role of intuition in healing.

When positive there can be emotional healing, stress relief, and increased self-awareness.

If challenging there can be emotional suppression, stress-related ailments, or avoidance of addressing underlying issues.

Why not share your thoughts or experiences with the Suit of Cups in the comments below.