When you get a tarot reading, the cards that you choose reveal very important messages about your life and your emotional wellbeing. Tarot cards can provide a window to your soul and reflect back the things you like, as well as the things you don’t like, about yourself.
Not all tarot cards have an immediately positive message. And one such card is the Five of Cups.
The Five of Cups tarot card is the fifth card in the Suit of Cups. This is a Minor Arcana card meaning it belongs to the suit-based section of the deck and relates to your emotions and thoughts in everyday situations.
When you look at the Minor Arcana cards, you’ll find that they all relate to temporary and changeable energies. But what energies does the Five of Cups tarot card represent?
The purpose of this article is to help you better understand the Five of Cups tarot card meaning. Understanding this card on a deeper level is vital to your understanding of the Suit of Cups in your tarot deck.
Five of Cups Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
Loss, grief, disappointment, sadness, mourning, discontent, feeling let down
Reversed card (keywords)
Acceptance, moving on, finding peace, contentment, seeing positives
Description of the Five of Cups
When you look at the Five of Cups tarot card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck you will see a figure in a black cloak with his face turned away look down at three spilled cups. These cups are empty to symbolize the figure’s emptiness, his disappointment and his failures.
Behind the cloaked figure are two upright cups. These standing cups represent new opportunities or a fresh start, but the figure is too focused on the emotional loss and past disappointments of the spilled cups to notice these. His body is physically turned away from new opportunity.
Behind the figure is a bridge. This physically bridges the gap between the present and the future. If you can cross this bridge, you can make a positive change and leave negative feelings behind for a fresh start. But this bridge is set in the distance, showing that you will have to put in a lot of work to reach it and to move forward.
The color of the card is gloomy, all set in one muted shade, which represents the negative connotations of the card. But there is opportunity too. Keep an open mind, let go of your grief and negative feelings, and there is the potential to make a fresh start.
Five of Cups Upright meaning
The upright meaning of the Five of Cups tarot card focuses on loss and emotional pain. Perhaps you have experienced the breakdown of a relationship, the death of a loved one, job loss, or financial loss of some kind.
You might find this card in your tarot reading when you’ve experienced loss in your life, or a situation hasn’t worked out how you wanted it to. Your disappointment and sadness can feel overpowering at times, but the card serves to remind you that it’s time to stop focusing on what went wrong and move on. Everyone will make mistakes, but you can’t let your past mistakes define you.
In the upright position this is a negative card associated with loss and grief. The general meaning is that you are focusing too much on emotional negativity. You might be stuck in the past, focusing on previous failures or the negative circumstances of your life. Your focus is on the spilled cups but it’s time to turn towards the upright cups instead so that you can move on from your personal setbacks and make a fresh start.
Five of Cups—Love Meaning
If you’re looking for a love tarot spread then the meaning of the Five of Cups tarot card is also overwhelmingly negative. The message is one of lost love, grief and a period of mourning. Perhaps you’re still grieving a previous relationship that has broken down and you’re carrying emotional baggage that you’re not ready to let go of yet.
But you can’t move forward with new relationships until you’re ready to take a spiritual journey and resolve your own emotional pain and struggle. If you’re in a relationship, then your love life may have hit a stumbling block: perhaps you’ve had an argument with your partner or are struggling to move forward with your relationship. You may be dwelling on past mistakes. It’s time to open the channels of communication, forgiving any transgressions, so you can move forward.
If you’re single and looking for your soulmate then the Five of Cups tarot love meaning is that you need to open yourself up to the possibility of love. Dwelling on past relationships or focusing on your disappointment at your current relationship status will create an emotional blockage that will prevent a new relationship from blossoming.
Five of Cups—Career Meaning
If you’re looking for a career reading of the Five of Cups tarot card then this can indicate a difficult time in the workplace. You could be dealing with a job loss, a disagreement with your business partner, or perhaps you didn’t get a promotion that you were hoping to achieve. It’s perfectly normal to be disappointed when things don’t go your way, and your career isn’t on the path you were hoping for. This might be a period of sadness in your career and this will spill over into your wider emotional state.
But you won’t achieve personal growth or career growth until you let go of that disappointment and try to improve your current situation in the workplace. Let go of your anger and try to salvage the situation. Is this the right time to look for a new job? This could be the turning point in your career that you’ve been waiting for, as long as you open yourself up to the possibilities of new opportunity.
Five of Cups—Finances Meaning
If the Five of Cups tarot card appears in your financial tarot spread, then this means that you have negative emotions surrounding money. Perhaps you have a lack of financial security, or your spending is out of control. It may take a long time to rectify this situation, but any significant financial loss can be restored.
If you’re suffering financial stress, then it’s important to consider the positive aspects of your financial situation too. If you can’t afford to go out, does this give you more time to spend enjoying your home for example?
The Five of Cups keywords focus on loss, sadness, regret and trauma. And from a financial perspective this means money is going away from you rather than coming towards you. The good news is that rather than giving into self-pity, taking control of your financial situation will see you reverse your fortune with time.
Reversed Five of Cups Meaning
If the Five of Cups tarot card is drawn in the reverse position, then this has a much more positive message than in the upright position. Whilst you have experienced loss, negative emotions, and perhaps mental health issues you are ready to let go of your negative energy and shift towards healing and forgiveness.
You are no longer dwelling on the past but focusing on the present and the future. Instead of looking at the negatives, you’re looking for the silver lining.
The key meanings of the Five of Cups in the reversed position are forgiveness, new beginnings, and positive attitude. Whether relating to friendships, family members, or romantic relationships you are ready for a fresh start, to focus on the present moment, and to make the most of new opportunities.
Reversed Five of Cups—Love Meaning
If you’re looking for a love reading, then the reversed meaning of the Five of Cups tarot card shows that it’s time for you to forgive yourself and start to move forward in your romantic life. Often this relates to the break up of a previous relationship with past events that badly impacted your overall wellbeing.
This tarot card meaning is that you’re ready for emotional and spiritual growth. It’s time to let go of negative emotions and make a fresh start. When you open yourself up to new opportunities, you’ll have room in your heart for new love, and new lovers will be drawn to you.
If you’re already in a relationship, then you’ve weathered the storm and it’s time to look towards the future. Past events, arguments and difficulties can be left in the past so that you can move forward stronger, and more spiritually connected than before.
Reversed Five of Cups—Career Meaning
When presented in the reversed position the Five of Cups card is a card of recovery. It sends a positive message for your career. If the upright meaning of the card is that your career is stagnant then the reversed meaning of the card is career success and new opportunities.
You may have been sidetracked by negative past experiences in your career. For example, you may have lost your job or been looked over for a promotion. But now you can move forward, ensuring you’re prepared for all new opportunities that present themselves.
The best way to get over career setbacks is to focus on the future rather than the past. This is a great time to choose a new career or apply for that job role that you always wanted.
Reversed Five of Cups—Finances Meaning
The Five of Cups tarot card description focuses on sadness, loss, and despair. In financial terms this means a lack of money, financial loss, spending more than you have. But when presented in the reverse position the Five of Cups tarot card points to a stable financial situation.
After a period of financial instability, you have used your resources to dramatically improve your financial situation. Perhaps you took on a second job or side hustle or made sensible investment decisions. By working hard and focusing carefully on your finances you have created a base of financial stability. Financial stability often leads to emotional stability. Happiness often comes from a life free from financial concerns: don’t take this for granted.
If you’re still experiencing financial instability, then look forward to the future when these problems will be in the past. Invest your resources wisely and focus on what you already have.
Other Cards with the Five of Cups
The Five of Cups is an interesting card with largely negative connotations. When it appears with other cards this often serves to emphasize feelings of loss, pain, and regret. Some of the most interesting combinations are outlined below.
The Five of Cups and the High Priestess
When the Five of Cups is presented alongside the High Priestess card this shows that you have the insight to overcome a period of loss or disappointment. If you’re struggling with the loss of a relationship, then the High Priestess will encourage you to gain a greater understanding of your emotions. This can be beneficial, but don’t be tempted to dwell on the negative for too long.
The Five of Cups and the Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords is a tarot card that represents success and mental clarity. When it pairs in a tarot reader with the Five of Cups this signifies a period of intense and overwhelming emotional pain followed by a period of clarity and understanding. Lean into this clarity, as this will provide your path to success.
The Five of Cups and the Ace of Wands
When the Five of Cups tarot card and the Ace of Wands tarot card are drawn together this points to disappointment followed by inspiration in your day-to-day life. Though you may experience loss you also have the strength and determination to start over.
The Five of Cups and its Astrological Sign
The Suit of Cups is closely associated with the water signs. These are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The water signs rule emotion and connection within relationships. But the specific zodiac sign that is most closely linked with the Five of Cups is Scorpio.
Some common Scorpio traits include being intense, passionate, and mysterious. Scorpios tend to experience intense emotions and this aligns with the energy of the Five of Cups tarot card. Scorpios often struggle to process intense and difficult emotions, but they’re also open to the healing process that the Five of Cups encourages.
The number 5 in tarot cards is linked to change and conflict: these are often cards with negative connotations.
Conclusion
Now you have a much deeper understanding of the Five of Cups tarot card meaning. This is a card that represents grief, despair, and difficult emotions. But it can also represent the potential of new opportunity and opening your heart to a fresh start when you apply its lessons.
This card focuses on negative thought, but it’s important not to dwell on these thoughts. For this reason the Five of Cups is often referred to as the Lord of Disappointment. The message of this card is clear.
Learning the meaning of tarot cards is a great way to better understand yourself. The good news is that you don’t have to be a tarot expert to discover the secrets of tarot and to apply these to your every day life.
We are thrilled to offer free readings to tarot fans. Claim your free tarot reading and embrace the spiritual wisdom the cards can impart.
