ELEMENT
Water
CUPS POWERWORDS
Emotions, Love, Relationship
FIVE OF CUPS POWERWORDS
Moody, Yearning, Pessimistic, Regret
QUICK MEANING
The Five of Cups is a card that indicates moods are fluctuating in your life and you feel emotionally challenged and possibly even depressed.
TRADITIONAL MEANING
Traditionally this card means disappointment, regret, loss, grief and failure. It could mean the loss of a job, relationship or something that was emotionally important.
CARD DESCRIPTION
A figure stands forlorn, wrapped in a dark cloak. Near his feet are five cups. Three have split and two remain standing. Behind him flows a river with a bridge over it and in the distance we see a castle on a hill.
SYMBOLS
Cloaked Figure
The cloaked figure hides himself and looks heavy and emotional. This figure represents our inner emotions during difficult times. We feel self pity, regret and pessimism. In this energy it is hard to be optimistic and energetic. The black color can represent grief and loss. Black is also that color of before the beginning, so can represent fertile ground for something new.
Three Fallen Cups
The three fallen cups can represent tears and emotional devastation. It can indicate dreams that failed and the regret that comes with it. It could show that you are unable to hold your cup and it keeps spilling – in other words you cannot keep your emotions balanced. The liquid from the cups is a strange color and indicates emotions which are toxic.
Two Standing Cups
The two standing cups remind you that not all is lost. There is hope. You just need to ‘ride this wave’ and it will pass. Notice the figure has his back to the standing cups as if he does not want to acknowledge their existence. He is choosing to stay in his self pity. He focuses on what he has lost.
The River
The River indicates something that can be crossed over. The mood that currently captures this figure could be transformed by crossing over the river of flowing emotion. Right now he is stagnant and standing near the spilled contents of the three cups. This card has sometimes traditionally been associated with Death. In this case the river is like the River Styx in Greek mythology which was crossed over to get to the land of the dead. Surrounding cards and your intuition will tell you what the river will indicate.
The Bridge
The bridge allows us to ‘cross over’ and move from one emotional state to another. It bridges two different areas. It allows the figure to access a better place.
The Castle
The castle can represent home, emotional security and positive goals. Right now the figure is far from there but with choice he can make his way back.
Sky
The sky is grey which indicates depression and heaviness.
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU EXPLORE THIS CARD MORE
Hormones
Hormones and hormonal imbalance is not a traditional meaning for this card but I have seen it come up again and again for women in emotional turmoil. They blame the job, the relationship, the family, the neighbors but when we investigate more we have found hormonal imbalance.
Many of you will have experienced it at some stage in life – the week before the period. The weeks after giving birth. The change of menopause. Our hormones swing wildly and our emotions follow suit. So when a woman tells me half the month she is OK and the other half she feels like the Five of Cups then I want to explore this more. I am a trained Natural Therapist and its hard to resist giving some simple advice about diet and supplements. Many Tarot readers are fearful to talk about health but a woman’s hormones is such a powerful part of her life and can affect everything. Simple advice that a woman can find in a magazine or book is advice you can also give. For example you could mention getting more exercise to move the stagnant energy, going to the doctor to do blood tests, reducing sugar in the diet, going to see a natural therapist. The woman will feel heard and respected and seen.
I also recommend drinking more pure water, learning how to balance blood sugar and getting more calcium, magnesium and Omega oils into the diet. Two books I have found very useful to recommend to clients are – Balance your Hormones by Patrick Holford and New Menopausal Years by Susan Weed. I have had many woman over the years thank me for a Tarot reading that was the first step to re-balancing their hormones and life.
So if you get this card, perhaps ask some questions around your hormones…
Do I feel worse in the 7 – 10 days before my period?
Do I feel controlled by my emotions?
Do I feel emotionally unpredictable?
Do I feel fragile and depressed?
Other questions to ask about this card…
What is causing my moodiness?
Why right now are you focused on the three empty cups in your life?
Can you see and understand how your thoughts create your emotions?
Do you have regrets that are weighing you down?
Can you see what is in front of your eyes right now?
Is there a way to re-balance your life and hormones? What would you need to do to achieve that?
GOLDEN DAWN / QABALA
The Hermetic title for this card is ‘Lord of Loss of Pleasure’.
On the Tree of Life, the Number Five cards sit on the Sphiroth Gevurah which represents severity. After the energy from the Divine enters Kether at the top of the Tree of Life, it next flows to Chokhmah. Chokhmah is the place of wisdom. The energy then flows onto Binah which is the energy of understanding. Then the energy leaves this upper triangle of energy (called the Supernal) and flows down to Chesed, the energy of Mercy. Then the energy flows to Gevurah which is a difficult Sphiroth representing severity and possibly suffering.
ASTROLOGICAL
Ruled by Mars in Scorpio.
FIVE OF CUPS REVERSED
When this card is reversed the energy is starting to shift. Perhaps the depression and grief is lifting. Perhaps the menses arrive. There is hope.
Two important questions to consider with a reversed Five of Cups:
Do you feel you learned from your suffering?
What insights have you gained from this experience?