The Five of Cups

By Cal Garrison

In the Rider-Waite Deck, The Five of Cups portrays a solitary figure in a black cloak standing against a back drop of gray sky. Whether this person is a male or a female is hard to tell — and it really doesn't matter because the experience associated with this card is not confined to any specific gender. For the purposes of this discussion we will refer to the figure as if he were a male.

While we can't see his face, the tone of the card is one of sadness. The gray expanse of sky, coupled with the figures' bowed head and his long, black cloak, make it clear that this is not a happy scene. He is looking down at three chalices that have tipped over, watching their contents seep into the ground around him. From the looks of it, two of the cups were once full of red wine, or perhaps blood. The third chalice has green liquid spilling out of it, indicating that whatever it contained may have gone sour.

Behind the figure we see two cups. They are still standing, but appear to be empty. The figure in the image seems to be less concerned with them and more aware of the overturned goblets in front of him. At the same time, something about his stance and the deliberate placement of the upright cups suggest that, even though they are empty, these two chalices are just as important to him. It's quite obvious that they are all he has left and that he is trying to preserve or protect whatever they represent.

A river flows in the background, on its way to a bridge that can be seen to the far right of the picture. What's interesting is that the bridge has two arches. This tells us that the water could flow underneath either one, or that the situation portrayed by the card is still at the point where it could go either way — at least in the mind of the figure.

On the far left of the image we see a castle. A symbol of safety, security, and protection, we can assume that the figure is connected to it in some way. Perhaps he lives there, or perhaps the sense of safety the structure embodies is something he understands and places some value on. At the moment the man is separated from the castle by the river. His current experience has divorced him from any ability to access the safety represented by the fortress until he can allow whatever he is processing to flow into the water and under the bridge. When and if that happens he will be free to cross the bridge and reclaim some sense of emotional stability — but the image implies that he has not yet reached the point where he is ready to do this.

When Pamela Coleman-Smith designed the Rider-Waite Deck she was very aware of color symbolism and its association with the human Chakra system. The predominance of the color yellow in the Five of Cups is so obvious it doesn't even need to be pointed out. Relating this to the figure we can assume that his Third Chakra is working overtime trying to remain in control of emotional issues that are no longer subject to his Will.

SUITS AND NUMBERS

Out of the four Suits of the Tarot, the Suit of Cups holds space for the water element, or the emotional aspect of human experience. Love and fulfillment are the essence of this Suit. Whenever Cups show up in a reading, you know the querent is concerned with their love life.

As for the number five, it is a difficult one. Midway between the Ace and the Ten the five represents The Great Void, the state of nothingness that lies between one level of consciousness and the next. No matter which Suit you're dealing with, the fifth card in the lineup is always a sign that, a) something needs to change and, b) that the person you are reading for is in conflict about whatever the change involves. Blending this upsetting energy with the Cups symbolism we come up with a very simple recipe for 'emotional disturbance', or 'tumultuous feelings' that have a drastic effect on the Heart.

INTERPRETATION

Examining the Five of Cups more closely, a drama unfolds — and it is one that all of us have played a part in at one time or another. The three overturned chalices are now empty — but because the wine or blood they contained are symbols for 'the good things in life' and the life force it self, we know that they were once full of life. Out of the three, the cup in the foreground appears to have held a different kind of liquid — but in my opinion that liquid is blood or wine that has been poisoned by jealousy and suspicion.

The figure is focused on what he has either wasted or lost. Cups are about love, so it is clear that this loss concerns his relationship. We know that his emotional response to the situation is unresolved because the puddles of red and green liquid are still fresh. In other words he is still trying to make sense of what has happened and will be preoccupied with this until his feelings of regret are fully processed.

Unfortunately, he is not at the point where he can relate to his troubles philosophically. The two arches that support the bridge suggest that he thinks his difficulties might turn out the way he wants them to. Once the life that has spilled out of his affections is absorbed by the earth, it will leech into the river and eventually flow under one arch or another — but it will take time before he knows which of the two it will go through, or what the final outcome will be.

This idea is buttressed by the two cups that are still standing. They tell us that the man is hanging on to the remnants of happier times. The fact that he is nursing some hope that whatever's left of his relationship might be enough to keep it alive shows us that he hasn't accepted his loss. His denial prevents him from seeing the situation for what it is — but out of five cups, three are down and two are empty so from the viewer's perspective, the resurrection of his love life may not even be worth it. Too much blood has been spilt and what remains appears to be devoid of fulfillment. Before he can fully accept this he has to come to terms with the reality of his circumstances.

Whenever the Five of Cups shows up in a reading you know the querent is beating an emotional dead horse. While there is usually some awareness of their loss, their regret, and a sense of disillusionment, there is always such a high level of denial with this card the tiny bit of hope it contains becomes a great replacement for the awful truth. Unable to face the mass of harsher facts without rationalizing them, the person will enlarge what's left of a worn out illusion and use it to inflate the belief that the relationship they need to let go of will improve.

It's difficult to tell someone something is over when they're not ready to hear it. With this card, you have to be very patient with the querent, so be prepared for their 'story' and be prepared to listen to every excuse they use to justify their need to cling to what they are so afraid of losing. Know that everything you say to them will go in one ear and out the other — but say it anyway — with the understanding that it will be some time before they finally get the picture.

There are different takes on what the Five of Cups means in its reversed position. Some interpreters say that the reversed card indicates the return of lost love. I don't discount this, but I have never found it to be true. My experience has shown me that the Five of Cups reversed is an indication that a relationship is gone for good and that the querent is resisting that fact with all their might. This refusal to accept the truth will prevent them from processing their emotions constructively and make it impossible to get on with their life. Whenever you meet up with someone who is still in love with a partner who isn't even there anymore, think of the Five of Cups reversed.

About Cal Garrison

Cal is a writer with four books to her credit. ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Spells’, ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Dreams’, and her latest book, ‘Witch On the Go’ were published by RedWheel/Weiser Press and are available in bookstores or on Amazon.com. In addition to her own work, she also writes for Slim Spurling. Her first book with Slim, ‘Slim Spurling’s Universe’ is being followed up by their second book together which, with any luck, will be out in 2008—2009.

A professional astrologer with 35 years experience Cal has cast over 6000 charts and is one of the best in her field. She is also an expert on the Tarot. When she’s not running the Spirit of Ma'at office, or working on her books, Cal spends her time doing in depth astrology and tarot readings for people all over the country.