Cups
Ace of Cups
Key concepts:
Self-Love, Emotional Awareness, Feeling Good, Ready for Love, Prayer
Upright:
A Universal hand offers opportunities of love and acceptance. Not just of others, but of ourselves. Possibilities of new relationships/partnerships or new creative projects are abundant. Pay attention to your subconscious as well. Is your intuition kicking in about something/someone? Are you experiencing enough joy? Do you feel abundance? Today is the day to change if the answers are no.
Reversed:
You may be feeling blocked intuitively today, possibly even drained emotionally. Abundance may seem just beyond your fingertips as your creative processes fly around but don’t light on any one thing. Know this is a temporary feeling. It may be an indication that you need to take a step back to a completed project, to a time when you felt all things you’re not feeling today. Revel in that feeling, let it fill you. Then start over from a better place.
2 of Cups
Key concepts:
Relationship, Attraction, Agreement, Common Interests, Romance
Upright:
A union that is set on a solid foundation and has the ability to bring plans to fruition. Emotional balance. Could be a love interest, a good friendship or partnership with someone else, or it could be the beginning of a good relationship with the self, balancing of the self.
We tend to forget that we are opposites in many ways from the people around us. But, it takes those opposites, be it people, personalities or opinions to help us see ourselves more clearly. Whether we are working to solve problems in a team, or coming together with a mate, seeing our differences helps us see our whole.
In relationships, especially love relationships, partners tend to focus on each other, rather than the relationship and the health of it. The 2 of Cups asks us to consider if our unions are healthy and balanced, is there good give and take, good compliment, enough passion, and an agreed upon joint path. Think about these things in all relationships today.
Reversed:
You may see partnerships or relationships, including our relationships with ourselves, coming into hard times when this card is reversed. What once drew you to someone or a pairing may now be the very thing that is creating issues. It may be time to step away for a little while. Take a breath. Re-evaluate.
3 of Cups
Key concepts:
Community, Friends, Gratitude, Ritual, Sisterhood
Upright:
There is much joy to be had and abundance to be felt. Join with friends and raise glasses high. Celebrate the conclusion of a project, cycle, fruitful meeting. This card is to remind us that there is much to be said for celebrations and friends. Be jovial, enjoy the splendor that is life, there is much to be happy about!
Reversed:
Sometimes, even when things are there for us to celebrate, we have difficulty joining the fray. It’s those times when a certain level of self-pity steals the joy from us. Today, even if you’re in that frame of sad mind, when someone offers you the opportunity to express joy – do it. Not only will it be uplifting for you, but, it will add to the level of joy for all those around. And you’ll find that you don’t feel so sad anymore after all.
4 of Cups
Key concepts:
Contemplation, Distraction, Apathy, Patience, Oblivious
Upright:
There’s a fine line between getting stuck, and waiting for brilliance to strike. Sometimes we need to be still, contemplative and open in order for new ideas to strike. But when we get comfortable with the stillness, that lack of action, we can get very stuck. Consider today if you’re stuck, or if there is a flicker of something new hanging out in your mind that truly still needs some incubating.
Reversed
Enough time has been spent in deliberation. It’s time to declare and get things moving. The energy and spark of the Ace of Cups is right there for the taking. Seize it!
Heads up! An opportunity is right in front of you! Look around, what or who is trying to get your attention?
5 of Cups
Key concepts:
Mourning, Reviewing, Disappointment, Regret, Focusing on the Negative
Upright:
If you need to mourn something, do. Take the time to feel those emotions. Just don’t go overboard with it and forget about everything there is still available. And don’t beat yourself up. Even the best laid plans can fail because of circumstances beyond your control.
Reversed:
Basically, it’s time to stop thinking about the past and move forward into the opportunities of the future. The road and destination are clear. Forgiveness is the way to the goal. Forgiveness of self, and others. The mourning period is over.
6 of Cups
Key concepts:
Nostalgia, Forgiveness, Help from past associates/friends, Childhood Memories
Upright:
Being nostalgic isn’t always a bad thing. It helps us remember where we’ve been in relationship to where we are now. It allows us to be thankful for what has come before. Draw on the happiness of times past, and friends past today. There maybe someone from those times that it would be most beneficial to reach out and touch today.
Reversed:
The past has a way of changing color the further away it moves. We tend to view it through rose colored glasses, making things that were just good so incredibly wonderful. Sometimes that helps us. Sometimes it has us living there instead of where we should be living today. Consider how your past colors you today. What are you holding onto from the past that is holding you back today? How can you pull the good into the present, and let it help you color your future in a positive and forward moving way?
7 of Cups
Key concepts:
Pie in the Sky, Choices, Illusions, Compartmentalizing, Procrastination
Upright:
Change and having to make decisions are inevitable. Time to discern what’s really possible and what’s not, without forgetting that, sometimes, the option you don’t know everything about is often the best one. Also, keep in mind some of the things you think about when making decisions are illusions rather than reality. Don’t let visions of grandeur, or destruction rule you.
Reversed:
You’re up to the task of making the desired wish come true. Don’t give up on your idea! Start making steps toward it, the universe is prepared to deliver. Take a deep breath though, because there will be an emotional rush associated with it!
Remember all those ideas you’ve had? Well, take a deep breath, because there will be some revelations coming that will help you see which ones are viable and which ones are not. Don’t expect it to be exactly what you hoped, be flexible. Source offers us all kinds of wondrous opportunities, and when we allow ourselves to accept the ones that feel right – great things are in store!
8 of Cups
Key concepts:
Journey/Pilgrimage, Turning back on accomplishments for a spiritual path, Time to leave
Upright:
There are things missing that can’t be found in the current situation. The time has come to search elsewhere.
The time has come to turn away and move toward a new path. It might not seem like a well-lit path at the moment that you start out, but it is the path that leads to growth and renewal. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we leave everything behind, what we seek may be in our back yards. The idea is to open up to the possibilities so that we can actually “see” the new path.
Reversed:
Sometimes we get so feed up with situations it seems the only option is to leave them. Often we do it without really weighing the consequences of such a move. The 8 of Cups reversed asks us to reconsider. Look at it from the perspective of what serves and what doesn’t before you opt out. You may be missing a crucial element because of the chaos.
9 of Cups
Key concepts:
Self-satisfaction, Pride, Sensual pleasures (food or physical), Over-indulgence, Smugness, comfort.
Upright:
Being comfortable where we are, or in our skin, or with the life we’ve chosen is something we all generally aspire to. Consider today that comfort is already yours. It comes from having what you need, wanting what you have, and knowing you are held in love and light spiritually.
Reversed:
Being confident is one thing, being prideful and conceited is quite another. It’s a way of hiding. Eventually, it will come around to bite us where it hurts most – where we feel most vulnerable. Our insecurities or overindulgences get revealed at the worst possible time. Consider today what you hide behind when you’re not feeling confident.
10 of Cups
Key concepts:
Family, Happiness (adult and childlike), Abundance, Hope, Happy endings, Completion
Upright:
This is the “happily ever after” card. The past has been worth what now lies ahead. There is childlike exuberance about life, joy, and hope for the future and much love. This is a place we can go no matter our circumstances in life, because it is the place where our heart and soul abide. Find these things within yourself, and there is little that will deter you.
Happiness is meant to be expressed, shared and enjoyed with childlike exuberance. Happiness is also contagious. When we exude happiness, we smile, we’re more patient, we’re easier going, and those who come in contact with us generally pass those same behaviors on to those they come in contact with. How can you show others the happiness within you?
Reversed:
Are your inner values aligned with what you do outwardly? It may be time to get really clear about what a happy life looks like to you. If you don’t know what it looks like, how will you know you have it? Are you overlooking the things you have now that make you happy?
When things are going well, especially with the people in our lives, we tend to start to undervalue what makes everything so good. We also have a tendency to stop focusing on what makes us happy. Look around and become aware of what or who you’re taking for granted. There is much hidden joy to be had!
Page of Cups
Key concepts:
Sensitivity, psychic, imaginative, trusting the inner voice, new relationships, news of an engagement, marriage, or starting a career in an artistic vein.
Upright:
Inspiration will come from and through surprising means. There is a lot of activity just beneath the surface of the waters, things are brewing there. Let them bubble up; take a look at them rather than immediately dismissing them. Trust your intuition as you view their possibilities.
This page asks us not to be afraid to see our creative side, or hear our intuitive voice. These are parts of our lives where we play and don’t take ourselves so seriously. Today, find a way to tap into those aspects of you. We are all creative, and we are all intuitive.
Reversed
Creativity can be a cruel mistress, she can overwhelm you to the point that you’re blocked just because you don’t know where to start. Or she can withhold to the point that you’re not sure if you’ll ever BE creative again. When she opens the flood gates, you must learn to swim. When she holds back the flow, you must find the well within yourself.
There might be an unwillingness to see the creative gifts you have, or that are being offered today. Feeling blocked creatively might also be a theme. Consider what might be causing the inability to see beyond the mundane. Look for the unexpected. It’s there waiting.
Knight of Cups
Key concepts:
Enthusiastic Lover/ Overemotional, Believer in Dreams, Seducer/Heartbreaker, emotional, romantic, imaginative, thinker.
Upright:
There’s a lot of thought going on beneath the surface that may have your heart all aflutter with love and excitement, though you may be hesitant to lay it all out on the line. Slow and steady is the course this card says will work best. Making your offerings in a sure, well planned and humble way will win the day.
Reversed:
What was creeping along may now grind to a halt. This can bring about disappointment, and some scattered thoughts and emotions around the reasons things have been delayed. Hold onto your focus, put forth a calm exterior. The revelations will be enlightening and helpful when the time comes to move forward again.
Queen of Cups
Key concepts:
Affectionate, Psychic, Spontaneous, Creative, Compassion/Empathy
Upright:
This queen is tapped in and turned on. She understands how to use the subconscious to manifest into the conscious. She is creative and nurturing and empathetic. The time has come to bring those creative ideas into the light, dust them off and act on them
If you need help with a problem, you should seek out the aid of a woman. Make certain she is creative, intuitive, fair and emotionally nurturing. She will offer you insight, and creative problem solving. Or perhaps you should consider drawing on those traits within yourself? Trust your own intuition. Be compassionate and nurturing of yourself.
The layers of this card are amazing to me. I’m noting that the tide is rising, and she is so focused on her cup she doesn’t notice that the sand is about to be washed out from under her. The cherubs on her throne seem to notice and look a little apprehensive, but not the queen. Does she know something they don’t? Possibly. She is intuitive after all.
Reversed:
As the tide comes in it swallows everything in its path. Things swirl around, and move, and flow. They go a few feet forward, and then are swept right back out twice as far as they ever came forward. So it is when emotions crash in on us. It can be the same way when we’re in the throes of creativity, or psychic development. We feel out of control, and unable to truly focus on what matters. We don’t feel like we were able to catch that last deep breath before the water engulfed us. Our thoughts scatter all over the place and we lose sight of our ability to manifest what we need. Hold on. It’s a temporary feeling. In reality, you can focus. You can breathe. Everything will right itself again. Too help it along, reach out to someone who is grounded and can help you figure out what the really important pieces are.
King of Cups
Key concepts:
Healer, Emotional Intelligence, Enduring Love, mastery over emotions and creativity.
Upright:
Time to find balance between the conscious/unconscious, spirituality/materialism, creativity/groundedness. Situations will require drawing upon the ability to be intuitive, loving, social, intelligent, an excellent communicator. People will look to you to be the great balancer or negotiator. Your passion will influence those around you, so be sure it isn’t too heavy handed.
Reversed:
When this card comes up reversed it’s time to consider how mature you’re behaving. Do you engage in emotional blackmail? Do you know someone who does? It can also be about not going after your most important dreams/desires. Sometimes the two go hand in hand: being mature enough to understand you won’t get what you want if you don’t go after it!
