When studying tarot, we often learn about the Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana, in which the cards form a story. The cards of the Minor Arcana form stories too, and seeing how each card builds on the last can help us understand the cyclical nature of the suits. In this four part series (find Swords, Pentacles, and Wands here), I’ll share the journey of each suit as I have told it to myself. These narratives are heavily based on the Rider Waite Smith imagery. Other decks may tell different stories! Today we will begin with the suit of Cups, associated with Water, the unconscious mind, love, relationships, intuition, and dreams.
Ace of Cups: Zing! Go the strings of your heart! New love and new inspiration well up in your life like the first trickle of a clear underground spring, like a brimming cup offered freely. You take a deep sip from the waters of love all around you. There is a direct line from your unconscious mind to your heart. Listen carefully.
Two of Cups: Holding your cup in your hands, you lock eyes with someone else, holding their own cup. Something sparks between you. It feels right. You cross arms and drink together in a moment of pure harmony and trust. This is a beautiful soul connection, and you choose to embark on a true partnership, a deep union.
Three of Cups: You’re sharing your life now with good friends, dancing together in a spirit of celebration. You bask in the glow of mutual support. This strong group bond strengthens you as individuals. These friendships sustain you in every aspect of your life. You feel joy in the certainty that they are there for you, and you are there for them.
Four of Cups: You retreat from the partnerships and friendships you’ve made and go off alone. Things seem to have lost their sparkle. You feel apathetic, stagnant. All these cups, but you don’t want them anymore. Why? You retreat into yourself, taking time to listen to your inner voice to see what the trouble is. But the Ace is offered to you once again — if you’d only look up.
Five of Cups: You didn’t want those three cups, the love given to you, and now they’re all spilled. You give yourself over to grief and regret. Why didn’t you appreciate what you had? Why did you let opportunity pass you by? How could you have been so careless? Was it all your fault? It’s too late! But as you focus on what you’ve lost, you fail to notice what you still have. Two cups, still full of potential. You just have to take them.
Six of Cups: In order to restore emotional balance, you retreat to a state of childlike innocence. You remember a time when joy was simple and pure, and as you remember, you return, you become. You play, and laugh, and give and receive simple acts of kindness. You feel safe again. You’re healing. But you can’t stay in the realm of childhood forever.
Seven of Cups: As you think about what to do next, you begin to daydream. You spin out fantasy after fantasy, building castles in the air. The dreams are so lovely — which to choose? There are so many possibilities that you become overwhelmed, so you stay in your fantasy world. Here, there are no real choices and no real consequences, no real risks and no real rewards.
Eight of Cups: You wake from your dreams with a start. For the first time, you really attend to the cups before you, but you know deep down this isn’t right. With a heavy heart, you turn your back on what you know, what you’ve built, what you’ve loved. It’s painful, but you know it’s what you have to do. The Moon shines down on you. There is one dream now, impossible as it might seem, and you have to follow it. You begin your journey, leaving the past behind, as your intuition lights the way forward.
Nine of Cups: Your dreams have come true! You feel a deep satisfaction, knowing that your wish has manifested because you followed your heart. Eat, drink, and be merry! You celebrate in the warm glow of the tavern. You can afford to indulge, surrounded by bounty. Your friends are there, and you feel the joy of camaraderie again. Lift your glass!
Ten of Cups: This, here, now, is emotional and spiritual fulfillment. You bask in the unconditional love of family — chosen, found, or otherwise. You feel truly content, in perfect harmony with the world around you. You understand, now, that there will be cycles — joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, empathy and apathy. It’s okay. Life is richer that way. And for now, just for right now, there is a hand in your hand and a rainbow above you.