Suit of Cups
The Suit of Cups is the water of the tarot. It holds the emotional life: love, friendship, intuition, imagination, grief and healing. Starting with the overflowing Ace, the numbered cards trace how feelings move between people, from the first meeting of the Two to the loss of the Five and the contentment of the Ten.
Cups appear when a question is really about how someone feels, who they feel it with, or what they are longing for. They invite honesty about emotion without judging it. The court cards describe the caring, dreamy or emotionally mature people around you, or the sides of yourself that respond to those qualities.
Keywords: emotion, love, intuition, relationships, creativity, healing. Element: Water.
All 14 Cups cards
Common questions about Cups
What do Cups mean in tarot?
Cups represent the element of Water: feelings, relationships, intuition, creativity and emotional well-being. They show up when a question is about love, connection or inner life.
Are Cups only about love?
No. Love is a big part of the suit, but Cups also cover friendship, family, creativity, imagination, grief and self-care. Any area where emotion drives the story can bring Cups into a spread.
Which zodiac signs go with Cups?
In the Golden Dawn tradition the water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are linked with Cups, and each numbered card belongs to a decan of one of them.
Explore the other suits
Suit of Wands, Suit of Swords, Suit of Pentacles. For the big life themes, see the 22 Major Arcana, or start with tarot for beginners.
Want these cards read for your question?
Richa reads all 78 cards one-to-one, by live video or recorded voice note.