Five of Cups -
Tarot Card Meaning
Part of a full-series guide of all 78 Tarot Cards. See the full guide here.
Written by Made Musings
FIVE OF CUPS
At a glance:
The Five of Cups is focused on validating your feelings of grief, sadness, and disappointment, but to also appreciate the positives that remain.
Upright Keywords:
Grief, disappointment, self-pity
Reversed Keywords:
recovery, moving on, forgiveness
Numerology:
5 - adaptability, challenge, change, and a desire for new experiences
Five of Cups: Upright Meaning
The Five of Cups depicts a figure cloaked in black, standing in mourning before three spilled cups. The figure's focus is so consumed by the loss that he fails to notice the two cups still standing behind him. In the background, a river flows between him and a distant building, symbolizing the emotional distance from his goals or desires. Yet, there is a bridge that he could easily cross if only he would lift his gaze. This imagery encapsulates a powerful message about grief, loss, and the importance of perspective. In contrast to the preceding Four of Cups (apathy), the Five of Cups is much more focused on validating your feelings of grief and sadness. When the Five of Cups appears in a reading, it suggests a period of disappointment, urging you to acknowledge your feelings but also to appreciate the positives that remain.
Numerology and Suit Meaning:
The number 5 symbolizes adaptability, challenge, change, and a desire for new experiences. This number reflects the need for growth and learning, even when it involves overcoming obstacles or embracing new perspectives.
The suit of Cups is associated with intuition, emotions, relationships, and love. Oftentimes, it also deals with spirituality and the subconscious.
Elementally, cups are connected to water. An easy way to remember is that cups hold water. Like emotions, water can be calm when it’s flowing in a gentle brook. However, it can also be destructive when it becomes a raging tidal wave.
Love/Relationships
The Five of Cups love meaning often indicates a phase of sorrow or regret with an existing relationship. You might be experiencing a breakup or a challenging period with your partner, which can leave you feeling disillusioned. This card serves as a reminder that while it's important to honor your emotions and process your emotions, it's equally crucial to avoid becoming trapped in self-pity. Every relationship offers valuable lessons about yourself and your needs in a partner. Consider how you can build connections, either by mending the current relationship or approaching new ones with greater awareness.
Money/Career
The Five of Cups in the context of career and finances signifies disappointment or setbacks. Perhaps a project didn't go as planned, or a job opportunity fell through, leading to feelings of frustration and regret. However, this card also highlights the importance of resilience. Not all is lost, and there are still opportunities to salvage your efforts and redirect them towards new endeavors. Assess what went wrong and identify aspects that can still be leveraged or improved. Focus on what remains viable and consider how you can pivot your approach to achieve success in other projects or career paths.
Spiritual/Self
The Five of Cups serves as a reminder that while life is inevitably filled with disappointments and losses, it is also rich with opportunities for growth and renewal. This calls for a period of emotional processing. Take care in recognizing your pain, but also remain open to the possibilities that lie ahead. Spiritual growth often involves overcoming obstacles and finding deeper meaning in our experiences. Whereas the Four of Cups warns you to not become apathetic with life, the Five of Cups encourages you to acknowledge the tough emotions that we’re inclined to ignore. Allow yourself to grieve without becoming consumed by it. Healing will follow once you accept these feelings with self-compassion. Be sure to give yourself the time and space needed to heal and move on.
“The Universe is presenting you with opportunities for growth and improvement, but it’s up to you to recognize and act on them.”
Astrology
The Suit of Cups is associated with the element of Water, which governs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. These Zodiac signs are the masters of emotions, intuition, creativity, and transformation. Known for their empathetic and nurturing behaviors, these water signs promote the free flow of feelings as a means to reaching our highest forms of evolution.
Note: It's important to recognize that not everyone incorporates astrology into their Tarot readings. The extent to which astrological references are used can vary greatly among readers. Each reader has a unique approach; some may draw heavily on astrological archetypes, while others might not use them at all. This information is meant to offer an additional perspective that could be helpful in your interpretations by highlighting parallels between Tarot and Astrology.
Although some argue that astrology wasn't originally part of Tarot, more modern interpretations like the Rider Waite Smith and Thoth decks may have integrated astrological concepts to align with their modern time mystical beliefs. Many contemporary decks made in this current decade also feature astrological references. Ultimately, every individual develops their own unique relationship with both Tarot and Astrology.
Reversed Meaning
When the Five of Cups appears reversed, it brings a more hopeful message of recovery and renewal. It suggests that you are beginning to move past your grief and are starting to see the positives in your situation. This reversal indicates a readiness to face the future and learn from past experiences. Allow yourself to feel optimistic once again and build on the lessons you've learned from past challenges.
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Our compact 188-page guidebook, aptly named the Little Black Book, offers the meanings behind each Tarot allowing both beginners and experts to interpret effectively.
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Note: Illustrations are from the classic 1909 - 1910 deck that was hand-illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.
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CARD SUMMARY
The Five of Cups call for a period of emotional processing. Take care in recognizing your pain, but also remain open to the possibilities that lie ahead.
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