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Meaning of the King of Cups Tarot Card
Belonging to the Suit of Cups of the Minor Arcana, the King of Cups tarot card represents emotional stability, compassion, calm confidence, creativity, diplomacy, kindness, trust, and wisdom.
The King of Cups is representative of the fiery part of Water or the active principle of our emotions that guide our decisions and have an impact on the external world around us (Kings are Fire; the Suit of Cups is Water). Because of this influence on things outside of us, the King of Cups often symbolizes active compassion, understanding, and care toward others.
This card also represents acts of service and aid, which can manifest in several ways: from simply lending a listening ear to a friend, to psychotherapy, charity or volunteer work, group counseling, art therapy, or any other kind of healing activity that involves engaging with the inner self. Deeply in tune with both the head and the heart, the King of Cups is all about emotional stability.
Because the Suit of Cups is the Water suit of the Tarot, the King of Cups expresses his emotions and sentiments effortlessly – he is naturally caring, considerate, compassionate, and patient. This King is intuitive (although maybe not as psychically gifted as the Queen of Cups). He is usually kind to everyone he meets and is quick to show his support when needed. As a nurturer, the King of Cups is the one others go to for advice, but he has also learned to maintain healthy boundaries between himself and others.
Spiritually, the King of Cups is associated with rain and springs of the earth, denoting the cleansing and healing effect of this Minor Arcana card. This connection also warns us that pouring too much of our healing energy into others can start to erode away the stability or solidity of our own emotions if we aren’t careful, so must take care to uphold healthy boundaries between ourselves and others.
Some questions the King of Cups invites you to ponder…
- How do you care for others? For yourself? What makes you (or others in your life) feel seen, nurtured, and protected?
- Do you consider yourself to be guided more by your head or your heart? What does it mean to you to be led by your heart?
- In what ways do you channel your emotions? How comfortable are you with expressing your feelings?
Sometimes awareness of a card’s place in the Tarot and your intuition can be all that’s needed to interpret its message, however, understanding the traditional meanings of the Upright and Reversed King of Cups card, as well as its emotional and personal elements, will help equip you with deeper insight and more comprehensive, perceptive readings.
In this post, we’ll be going over the King of Cups card’s Upright and Reversed meanings, as well as the King of Cups as a person (or significator) and the King of Cups as feelings.
King of Cups Keywords
| Upright: | compassion, diplomacy, emotional balance, confidence, creativity, kindness, trust, wisdom |
| Reversed: | detachment, emotional imbalance, selfishness, overwrought, inconsistency, immaturity |
| Element: | Fire of Water |
| Zodiac Sign: | Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) |
Don’t have time to read? Check out this helpful video for key meanings of the King of Cups Tarot card!
King of Cups Upright Meaning & Advice
King of Cups Upright Meaning: The King of Cups tarot card is a master of emotions, relationships, and/or artistic ability. He is emotionally kind and handles difficult situations with grace. This card is about a keen intuition for what other people really need. It can signify a person trying to control more erratic emotions in order to maintain harmony, primarily for the greater benefit. Someone who has their hands full caring for the people in their world on both the inside and the outside. Incredible perception; offering insightful advice.
King of Cups Advice: In the upright position, the King of Cups advises you to create emotional balance and stability in your life. Trust your emotions and intuitive nudges – take them seriously. You may need to keep your emotions concealed or under control now for the greater good. Don’t rush things, give your feelings and thoughts about a situation time to develop. Act from a place of love, kindness, and responsibility. Offer your aid or support to someone in need. Be there and care for others, but don’t forget to do the same for yourself – as the old saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup! Establish healthy boundaries. The King of Cups is also a signal to stay true to yourself and your vision. Get creative, and embrace the natural artist within you.
King of Cups Reversed Meaning & Advice
King of Cups Reversed Meaning: The King of Cups can indicate unpleasant feelings coming to the surface. It may be a sign of unfairness or emotional dishonesty, jealousy, or an emotional manipulator. Someone who tries to manipulate another person or a situation by leveraging sensitive information. Can show that something is still being worked on and isn’t quite finished.
King of Cups Reversed Advice: The advice of the King of Cups Reversed is to examine any turbulent emotions you may be experiencing and bring them under control. Depending on the circumstance, you may need to conceal your emotional truth or responses to protect yourself or another.
If you’ve been repressing your emotions or handling them in a destructive manner, the King of Cups Reversed can be a sign to learn to cope and manage your emotions in a healthier way – avoid falling into addictions or escapism to avoid feeling your feelings. Resist trying to control another person’s emotions or responses. Sometimes, the King of Cups Reversed can show a deceitful, domineering, manipulative, and jealous character in a querent’s life – beware! Though discretion may be called for at this time, make sure you are still being honest with yourself and others.
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King of Cups as a Person
The King of Cups tarot card as a person is like a wise elder: compassionate, empathetic, kind, and ever-understanding, they have a gift for listening to and counseling others, dropping gems of wisdom that come from lived-and-learned life experiences.
As a person, the King of Cups represents someone who is naturally and effortlessly in touch with their emotions. This is a person who is mature, virtuous, and a loving partner, friend, or family member. They are always there for those they love- this is someone others can trust and turn to in times of need. Behind their gentle and cheerful disposition lies wisdom beyond their years and an uncanny ability to understand and guide people. The King of Cups is someone who is warm-hearted, reliable, and well-respected.
King of Cups (Reversed) as a Person
The King of Cups Reversed as a person is someone who is emotionally unstable, unreliable, and immature. This reversal often comes up for older figures who have not learned how to cope with or handle their emotions in a constructive way. This person may regularly blow things out of proportion, lash out at loved ones, and refuse to take responsibility or listen to reason.
As a person, the King of Cups Reversed is full of self-doubt and insecurity, and therefore they may stuff their truth or their emotions in front of others. They do not know how to express their emotions (and/or they are extremely uncomfortable with it). This person may be quite unpredictable, erratic, and can be prone to escapism or substance abuse in order to numb out their intense emotions. They can be triggered rather easily and try to over-compensate for their weaknesses by attempting to control everything and everyone around them.
At its worst, the King of Cups Reversed can show an individual who uses their emotional intelligence for harmful intentions. They can be highly manipulative, deceitful, and volatile with their emotions. The shadow side of the Reversed King of Cups person is that they can tell you everything you want to hear to get what they want; they can be exceedingly charming and fly under the radar as everyone may perceive them as a generally nice person. However, underneath the surface lies someone who is emotionally toxic, calculating, and has yet to grow up.
King of Cups as Feelings
When the King of Cups tarot card appears as someone’s feelings for you, it reveals that this person is experiencing a deep emotional connection and a sense of calm when they think about you. This King can be deeply romantic and intuitive – someone may feel like they want to nurture you and care for you, they truly care about your well-being. You can trust that when the King of Cups shows up, the person you’re asking about has a genuine soft spot for you!
As for how someone feels about you, the King of Cups indicates that they see you as someone they can trust and confide in. They may have a genuine admiration for your emotional intelligence and the way you handle your feelings and relationships. They feel like you are mature and compassionate, someone who is in touch with their emotions and is capable of providing emotional support.
King of Cups (Reversed) as Feelings
When the King of Cups reversed shows up as someone’s feelings for you, it may mean that this person’s emotions are somewhat unsettled or not fully aligned. There could be a sense of emotional imbalance, difficulty expressing feelings, or even emotional withdrawal. Opposed to the upright King of Cups, this reversal might indicate that the person’s feelings are not as steady or mature as they appear on the surface.
When this King comes to you in reverse, it’s essential to approach your situation with sensitivity and open communication, as there could be underlying emotional complexities that need to be addressed for a deeper connection to be established.
DISCLAIMER:
Sage & Moon is a participant in affiliate programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through these links. Any product we choose is based on personal recommendations that we love and trust you will too. By using these links you are directly supporting us to keep writing + creating. Thank you!
