The 5 of cups tarot card is one of mourning a great loss. Of taking time to grieve, but also remembering that there is still life ahead of us when we look up and around us. There may have been pain in our past, but we must continue into the future.
I suggest, while looking at this card description, you have your tarot deck in front of you and decide for yourself if you agree with the feelings on this page or if the card represents something entirely different to you.
*The image at the top of the page does not depict all of the feelings represented by a specific tarot deck! You can find other tarot card meanings here!
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A few words to describe the card:
Grieve, mourn, not all hope is lost
5 of Cups Tarot
The 5 of cups tarot card is one of sadness. Of grieving a loss. This loss is represented by the 3 fallen cups. But this card has a total of 5 cups. 2 remain upright. This card is representing that we are mourning a loss without taking the time to look at what is left standing.
The feeling can almost be of having one’s head buried in the sand, of not looking around at what they have left. If this person only looked around, they would see that they are nearing a civilization and haven’t lost all.
Most tarot decks, (including the Triple Goddess tarot deck) have a person in mourning depicted on the card. They might have a veil on, and are looking down. There might be an image of a town nearby, or something to look forward towards, but have their back turned. They are grieving. 3 of their cups have spilled (which could also represent tears – the water spilling out), but two remain standing. There is still something left in life to live for. Some hope remains.
If you see this card in a reading, take a moment to grieve. Mourn your losses, but try to remember that there still is something left. Not everything is gone, and eventually you will need to move forwards once again. Must continue on our path despite the obstacles that may lay ahead and what has happened in the past.
Still Confused?
Still confused about the meanings of the cards? A few tools that have been really helpful for me have been: practice, taking the time to look at each card, read books like Tarot: Learn How to Read and Interpret the Cards by Kim Arnold. Or try out tarot spreads! Try doing a simple reading every day. The Labyrinthos app is really helpful too. Or try some that I’ve created by looking here: Tarot Spreads.