Tarot Basics - The Cups

Tarot Cups Defined
The Tarot archetypes are simply pictures representing life and the stages and experiences we all go Energy Light from birth until death.  They are symbols of all life cycles. The Cups archetypes are those of Water and Feeling.  The nature of the Cups is to experience the emotions .  Keywords for Cups include:  feelings, emotions, spiritual well-being, mystic, psychic, home, friendship, family, love, happiness. 

As we travel Energy Light the cycles of life, we use different parts of our being, the personality or spirit.  Those personality functions are pictured by archetype in the 56 cards in the four suits of the Tarot, (Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles).  We also encounter events and people who fit the symbolic archetypes.  Carl Jung described the archetypes as:

• Wands - Fire - Intuition

• Swords - Air - Thinking

• Cups - Water - Feeling

• Pentacles - Earth - Sensing

• Major Arcana = One's Life Journey

• Minor Arcana = People and Events along the way (Wands, Pentacles, Swords, Cups in the card decks)

The cards are laid in a spread to answer a question (a reading) usually on the topics of love, relationships, family, wealth and money, stress, problems, life decisions, health, careers and work, meditation, daily guidance, prayer, and personal growth.  Order Your Personal Tarot Reading Today

Archetype Meanings & Keywords of the Cups in Tarot Cards

Cups represent the value of life in the feelings, emotions, mystical, and spiritual realms. The value reflects whether you are finding happiness or sadness in your day to day life.  If you are happy then the small problems you encounter are easily overcome. If you are sad or discouraged, then those small obstacles become mountains.

Represents the emotions. Best known for representing the love life, but it also stands for emotional extremes, such as elation, depression or bliss, and the negatives that come with such emotions, like over-indulgence in food, drink, drugs. Likewise the positives like poetry or music. Also, psychic powers, visions, illusions. These are feelings that you surrender to, that you flow or sink into

The cup symbology portrays how you are feeling in relation to this value you cannot see, touch or smell. The ten of cups represents if you are happy in your life. The Ace of Cups shows Energy Light a new attitude you can find contentment. The five of cups appear overturned demonstrating the sorrow in life, but within the symbol you learn you must look ahead not back.  You cannot learn anything or have value within your life by sitting still or looking back.    It is In the future that happiness lies. Therefore always work towards having a life in which you are happy and contented.

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Ace of Cups

Keywords: Birth, new love  emotional new hope
intuitive, creative - intimacy, love
spiritual fulfillment - happiness
A New attitude brings connection. The call is to apply a new attitude to life. It is the birth of a time when new feelings, new emotions, new values and attitudes are needed. The time may have to do with physical well-being, fulfilling  relationships, but most often the time is related to the soul or spirit connection one has.  Call your soul home.  It is the new attitude in tune with  the laws of the universe and will bring him peace and serenity.

Two of Cups

Keywords: Harmony relating - attraction
connecting - agreement, truce
solving differences
opposites attract -Communication
Connection and Reconnection to one's inner self, one's soul, one's spirit.  The call is for peaceful intimacy.  Agreement and resolving disputes is needed.  Opening up to listen and respond to those in relationship. By doing this, friction and despair falls away leaving harmony and peace.  Learn to recognize love in oneself, one's mate, a friend.  This person will know you.

Three of Cups

Keywords: Friendship - Companionship
network - community - group participation
celebration - abundance - ceremony - ritual - emotional growth - exuberance - harmony
Happiness as one's life is full. The creation here, springing from the relationship to self and another in intimacy, is the celebration of happiness and  togetherness. Two cups, two individuals, pour into a third cup, the cup of the relationship itself, and the cup of relationship overflows with love and joy, enough for all.  The call is to reunite in celebration of something new.

Four of Cups

Keywords: Apathy, discontent
boredom, isolated - totally self-absorbed
going within - self centered
disillusioned - offer is unnoticed - daydreaming - Be more aware of what is occurring around you
At times one can view life and feel it has everything one needs or wants.  The problem is that the self is not open to other suggestions. Another cup is being offered, but is not seen. Perhaps this cup holds more than the other three put together. The call is to become more aware of what is around the self, begin to hear the call of intuition, and to be open to accept everything.

Five of Cups

Keywords: Loss, grieving
regret, despair - depression
lack of hope - disappointment - avoiding decision - let go of past
Crying over past events. Yes, bad things do happen. Grieving over what has been lost is natural. The call is to see past the grief and crying to realize other aspects that are being offered, to turn around and look ahead, not back.  In looking ahead is hope and happiness again. Grief is a sad partner and will pull you down. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is here; one must turn around and think of the future ahead.

Six of Cups

Keywords: Innocence and naivety - puppy love
childhood - the past - good will - childlike sharing
beginning anew - look to future
Happy memories of the past and reliving happy memories of perfect balance, a moment of nostalgia, of something or someone from the past coming back into present day. The past events joyful.  The call of this card is to not allow the nostalgic past, or fantasy, prevent one from living in the present.  Happy memories are fine as long as one is careful not to linger too long down memory lane, unable to recognize the reality of now.

Seven of Cups

Keywords: Self-deception - too many options - delusions - fantasizing - dissipation
wasting the present - too self-important - assign priorities - egotistical
Illusions and fantasy is at work and allowing imagination is running away from oneself.  The call is to  become more realistic, accepting life as it is and working with the tools and feelings of the present.  A warning not to escape into an imaginary world.  The line between growing ideas and imagination is sometimes hard to discern.  Examine one's ego to understand whether it is imagination or subconscious desires at work. Feeling and thoughts may have no base in the now.

Eight of Cups

Keywords: Let go and move on- weariness
alter course - accept change - abandon past
need to realign feeling cycles
Leaving what you know, and going into the unknown.  Leaving one's ways of thinking, values, and everything familiar and in one's comfort zone. The call is to stretch into the uncharted territory of new emotions, being strong, knowing one is protected, going to the future fearlessly.  Traveling in one's sleep or by the reflection of the moon is indicated.  A new dream is calling, perhaps to replace a vision or dream that did not work out as one hoped.

Nine of Cups

Keywords: Overcame problem
meeting goals - satisfied - sensual pleasures - assimilating spirit
wish wisely - will get what want - Contentment and satisfaction
Life is good and full.  Relationships are loving and complete. Creativity is at a high, friendships and emotions are good.  The call of the card is to avoid becoming complacent with life, as the cups can empty very quickly.  It is very easy to sit back and say "I've made it." But remember the Tower.  One must always strive for more knowledge, more understanding and constantly work to fill the cups of life.  We must put back into life what we receive,   in order to receive more.

Ten of Cups

Keywords: Success & reward - joy and peace
family ties - foundations - solid roots - completion - achievements - emotions fulfilled
Happiness and contentment for everyone who has received their rewards and are celebrating because of it.  Although they have accomplished their goals by their own endeavors,  they have used the energy of the universe. Even when the life is full and happiness abounds remember  from where the energy comes from and give thanks. Familial and foundational permanence of joy, love, friendship. The call of the card is to either create or celebrate this kind of family; a family we can trust, rely on, one that's there for us in the best and worst times.

Page of Cups

Keywords: message challenge of love, romance, heart-break or family
be emotional - be intuitive - be intimate - be loving
Surprises in life  This  person is   looking  at   life,   represented  by the cup, and from it comes a surprise - a fish. The fish represents an unexpected event in the life. It is Important how you handle the surprises in life.  Are you going to be able to handle the surprises easily, or are they going to throw you for a loop?  The call is to be prepared to be flexible, remove one's head from fantasy illusions, paying attention. Overusing imagination, as a storyteller would, may create emotional roller coasters in cycles in one's life.

Knight of Cups

Keywords: Romantic - sensitive - imaginative - fanciful
intense passion - temperamental - reflective - refined
Proceeding slowly and surely ahead
One the journey one becomes dreamy, sensitive, moody, deep.  Love comes passionately and profoundly pursuing relationship goals in life.  The call is to avoid obsessive controlling love relationships and to avoid sensitivity becoming depression.  However, the way is steady, the foundation elegant and secure, goal-oriented, and reflective of the fierce loyalty held by one who loves self and others deeply.

Queen of Cups

Keywords: Loving and tender - affectionate - psychic and intuitive
spiritual - healer - counselor - relating to home, friends, love
exploring inward - shy and self-effacing
feminine wisdom - mature woman
Dreaminess which may reach to depression, moodiness, addictions and distortions of reality when viewing self and others.  One may spend too much time fixing and supporting others as the "mom" of everyone to avoid a solid foundation, centering, grounding of oneself.  Highly intuitive and mysterious even as she drifts in the world of emotions on the life journey.

King of Cups

Keywords: Caring and tolerant - wise and calm
empathetic - sensitive and loyal - diplomatic and wise
mature man - Projecting ahead.
The call of this card is to look ahead in life, relishing the paternal grandfather archetype.  Loving, king and gentle after riding out the storms of life, one can see further than tomorrow. Attaining a position of authority of life by action and realizes that the storms of life today can be gone tomorrow.  Masculine protection, friendliness, neighborly, one can enable or indulge those who need one to be more firm instead of being sentimental and indulging.
 

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