Five of Cups: Tarot Card Meaning
The Five of Cups is about grief, regret and focusing on what has been lost. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck a figure in a dark cloak stands with his head bowed in front of three spilled cups, while two upright cups stand behind him and a bridge crosses a river toward a house in the distance.
Upright meaning
Upright, the Five of Cups acknowledges sorrow and disappointment. You are mourning a loss, a mistake or a plan that did not work out, and it is right to feel it. But the card also points to what remains. Two cups are still standing behind you. When you are ready, turn around and look at what is left, and begin to move on.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, you are starting to heal. Grief is easing, and you are beginning to accept the past and see what you still have. It can also mean holding on to regret or refusing to let go. Forgive yourself and others where you can, and take one small step toward the future.
In love
In love, the Five of Cups suggests heartbreak, regret or mourning a relationship. Allow the sadness. Reversed, it points to recovering from hurt, forgiving and being open to love again.
In career
At work, it points to disappointment, a setback or regret about a lost opportunity. Learn from it and look at what you still have. Reversed, it suggests recovery, acceptance and moving forward.
As a yes or no answer
As a yes or no answer, the Five of Cups leans no, because disappointment or loss colours the situation. Reversed, it is also a no for now, though healing is under way.
Advice from this card
Allow yourself a set time to grieve, then write down what still remains. Healing comes when you can hold sadness and gratitude together.
At a glance
- Arcana: Minor Arcana, suit card in the suit of Cups
- Element: water, linked with emotion, relationships and intuition
- Number theme: conflict, challenge and change
- Yes or no reading: No when upright, No when reversed
Explore more cards
Continue with Four of Cups or Six of Cups. You can also compare it with the Five of Wands, Five of Swords and Five of Pentacles. Or draw your own cards for a reading.