ELEMENT
Water
CUPS POWERWORDS
Emotions, Love, Relationship
SEVEN OF CUPS POWERWORDS
Indecision, Emotional attachment
QUICK MEANING
The Seven of Cups is a card that comes into your life when you cannot make a choice. Each choice seems equally irresistible and you cannot hear your intuition to tell you what is right.
TRADITIONAL MEANING
Traditionally this card means that there are lots of dreams, desires and options in your life right now. What you will choose is up to you. What you will decide is more important is up to you.
CARD DESCRIPTION
A figure stands with their back to us. In front of them, suspended in the air are seven cups. Each cup holds something.
We can imagine that perhaps the figure is overwhelmed by so much choice. It could also be that the figure is dreaming of what will be and perhaps living in fantasy land a bit. So busy ‘there’ that they are not really ‘here’. They might be ‘building castles in the air’.
SYMBOLS
Figure
The figure represents us. We are sometimes presented with choices and it can seem hard to make a choice. We can also have many dreams that it seems hard to focus on one or two. This figure is presented with many possibilities.
Seven Cups
There are seven cups – each one offering something enticing! A dream that could come true. A possibility. Each cup is also associated with a Major Arcana card.
Cup with a Dragon
Associated with The Sun. It is also a card of change and transformation. In what way do you want to change?
Cup with a Snake
Associated with the Magician and the planet Mercury. It can also represent sexuality. In what way do you want to express your sexuality?
Cup of a White Cloaked Figure
Associated with The High Priestess and the Moon. This card reminds us of the desires we feel stirring and our spiritual connection to ourselves and something greater. What spiritual aims do you want to reach for?
Cup holding a Castle
Associated with The Tower and the planet Mars. It also represents material security, home and savings. What do you need right now?
Cup with a Laurel Wreath
Associated with The World card and Saturn. Also represents intelligence and striving for authority and achievement in something. What information do you want to integrate now?
Cup with a Woman’s Head
Associated with the Empress and the planet/Goddess Venus. Also can represent beauty, vanity and health. What do you need to do to feel more beautiful and loved?
Cup of Jewels
Associated with The Wheel of Fortune and Jupiter. It can also represent money and fortune. What is the best financial decision?
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU EXPLORE THIS CARD MORE
Indecision
Indecision comes to us at many times in our life. Sometimes the indecision is simple – what type of sauce to buy to go with the pasta and standing in front of the supermarket shelf with over thirty options. Sometimes the decisions are very important – to have children or not. To go to one university over another. To marry one man or stay open and single. When we get obsessed about our decisions then we have become stagnated in the energy of this card.
My advice to you when you need to make a decision is to try to listen to your body wisdom. There are a series of questions below that can help you understand your body responses.
Questions to help you in the decision process…
What choices do I currently have and what does my heart desire?
I cannot decide with my heart desires so what choices give me a tight uncomfortable feeling in my belly?
I cannot tell what the wisdom of my body wants so what would happen if I do not choose one of the options?
Can I take time out from life and stress and spend time in the quiet find the answer?
I cannot control the outcome once I have made a decision. Can I live with the not knowing?
TAROT READING SUGGESTION FOR MAKING A CHOICE
I think this is one of the most common themes that make people come for a Tarot reading – having to make a choice and needing some advice. If you have choices to make and more then one option and you are totally confused, please try the following…
Go through your Tarot deck and take out the Seven of Cups. Lay it out in front of you. Shuffle your deck. Think of your indecision. Come up with three choices you can make. Name them aloud as you shuffle. Spilt the deck into three piles. Name your first choice and pick from one of the three piles of cards. Lift the top card off the pile you have chosen. This is the outcome if you make this choice.
Do the same with your other two options.
Now compare the three cards. What looks like the best choice? Which one looks energetically right?
Make your choice!
GOLDEN DAWN / QABALA
The Hermetic title for this card is ‘Lord of Illusory Success’
On the Tree of Life, the Number Seven cards sit on the Sphiroth Netzach which represents Victory and is often seen as Illusion also. 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. Then the energy flows to Tiferet which is at the center of the Tree of Life. It represents balance and harmony. Next the energy moves to Netzach which represents illusion.
ASTROLOGICAL
Ruled by Venus in Scorpio.
SEVEN OF CUPS REVERSED
When the Seven of Cups is reversed the indecision could feel so confusing that you feel you are going mad! You simply cannot make a decision. You know those times where you or your friends are whining….‘but I don’t know what to choose’.
It could also mean the opposite where the time of indecision is coming to an end. Usually the question asked and the surrounding cards can guide you to the right option.
Two important questions to consider with a reversed Seven of Cups:
If you decide not to make a decision will it be the end of the world? Can you decide ‘not to decide’ for a week to allow yourself to breath?
Do you know that indecision is often a form of control? By not deciding you are still in control of having a choice. The control factor is something you may want to look at. Do you find it hard to let go of things in life?