Suit of Cups: Tarot Card Meanings (Water)
The suit of Cups, also called Chalices or Hearts in playing-card terms, is the water suit of the tarot. Its 14 cards deal with emotions, love, relationships, intuition and creativity. Astrologically it corresponds to the water signs Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
- Many Cups in a reading suggest the question is really about emotions and love.
- The numbered cards (Ace to Ten) tell a story of the element from its first spark to its fullest expression.
- The four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) can describe people, roles or ways of behaving.
Ace of Cupsnew love, emotional renewalTwo of Cupspartnership, mutual attractionThree of Cupsfriendship, celebrationFour of Cupsapathy, contemplationFive of Cupsloss, regretSix of Cupsnostalgia, memoriesSeven of Cupsmany options, daydreamsEight of Cupswalking away, searchingNine of Cupscontentment, satisfactionTen of Cupsharmony, happy homePage of Cupssweet message, creativityKnight of Cupsromance, charmQueen of Cupsempathy, emotional wisdomKing of Cupsemotional balance, calm
How the numbers work in Cups
- 1: beginnings and pure potential. See the Ace of Cups.
- 2: choice, balance and partnership. See the Two of Cups.
- 3: growth, expression and first results. See the Three of Cups.
- 4: stability, structure and foundations. See the Four of Cups.
- 5: disruption, conflict and change. See the Five of Cups.
- 6: harmony, restoration and exchange. See the Six of Cups.
- 7: testing, assessment and inner work. See the Seven of Cups.
- 8: movement, mastery and momentum. See the Eight of Cups.
- 9: culmination and the last step before completion. See the Nine of Cups.
- 10: completion, and the element carried to its fullest (sometimes to excess). See the Ten of Cups.
Correspondences table
| Card | Golden Dawn title | Astrology | Keywords |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace of Cups | Root of the Powers of Water | Root of the element (Water) | new love, emotional renewal |
| Two of Cups | Lord of Love | Venus in Cancer | partnership, mutual attraction |
| Three of Cups | Lord of Abundance | Mercury in Cancer | friendship, celebration |
| Four of Cups | Lord of Blended Pleasure | Moon in Cancer | apathy, contemplation |
| Five of Cups | Lord of Loss in Pleasure | Mars in Scorpio | loss, regret |
| Six of Cups | Lord of Pleasure | Sun in Scorpio | nostalgia, memories |
| Seven of Cups | Lord of Illusionary Success | Venus in Scorpio | many options, daydreams |
| Eight of Cups | Lord of Abandoned Success | Saturn in Pisces | walking away, searching |
| Nine of Cups | Lord of Material Happiness | Jupiter in Pisces | contentment, satisfaction |
| Ten of Cups | Lord of Perfected Success | Mars in Pisces | harmony, happy home |
| Page of Cups | — | Earth of Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | sweet message, creativity |
| Knight of Cups | — | Air of Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | romance, charm |
| Queen of Cups | — | Water of Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | empathy, emotional wisdom |
| King of Cups | — | Fire of Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) | emotional balance, calm |
Back to all 78 tarot card meanings, or practise with a free tarot reading.
Frequently asked questions
What does the suit of Cups represent?
Cups represent emotions, love, relationships, intuition and creativity. It is the suit of water.
What zodiac signs are linked to Cups?
Cups are linked to the water signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.