King of Cups Tarot Card Meaning
Upright keywords
Reversed keywords
King of Cups upright
On a throne floating on a choppy sea, the King of Cups stays calm, with a cup in one hand and a sceptre in the other. He symbolises a mature, diplomatic and compassionate person who has learned to manage his emotions without suppressing them. He knows how to give advice, mediate conflicts and keep calm when everything around him is moving. As an attitude, he encourages you to bring heart and mind together, to respond rather than react and to offer support from a place of inner stability.
King of Cups reversed
Reversed, the King may hide his feelings behind a cold front or use empathy to manipulate. It also reflects held-back emotions that end up spilling over. Acknowledging what you feel, without judging it, is the first step towards finding your balance again. Your emotions aren't a weakness; they're a compass.
The suit of Cups
The suit of water: the world of emotions. The Cups speak of love in all its forms, of friendship, of intuition and of what you feel, even if you don't say it.