Five of Cups
Grief that hides what remains.
Focus on what is lost. Remember that some cups still stand.
- loss
- regret
- grief
Element: Water
What the card shows
A cloaked figure in black faces three spilled cups. Two cups still stand upright behind him. A river, a bridge and a house are in the distance.
Five is a number of loss and strain. The spilled cups are what has gone, and the standing cups are what remains. The turned back is the point: he has not yet looked around.
▲Upright
Mourning what was lost, with something still left to turn toward.
What remains that I have not looked at yet?
▼Reversed
Moving on, forgiveness, or being stuck in regret.
What am I ready to stop mourning?
Five of Cups in a reading
In love
Sadness over a relationship that changed.
Reversed: Moving on, forgiveness, or being stuck in regret.
At work
Disappointment with a result.
Its shadow side: dwelling on loss, bitterness.
As one of the Cups
Feelings, love and relationships. The suit's element is Water. It shows where in daily life the reading plays out.
Related cards
The other fives, and The Hierophant, Major Arcana card 5: the same stage of a story in other parts of life.
The Hierophant
Five of Wands
Five of Swords
Five of PentaclesRead it with other cards
Questions about Five of Cups
What does Five of Cups mean in tarot?
Mourning what was lost, with something still left to turn toward. Keywords: loss, regret, grief.
What does Five of Cups mean reversed?
Moving on, forgiveness, or being stuck in regret. Releasing: turning to what is left. Blocked: refusing to let go. Inward: grief unspoken.
What does Five of Cups mean in love?
Sadness over a relationship that changed.
What does Five of Cups mean for work?
Disappointment with a result.
What question does Five of Cups ask?
Upright: What remains that I have not looked at yet? Reversed: What am I ready to stop mourning?
ShenTarot for iPhone and Android
Read your own cards
Scan your Rider-Waite-Smith deck or draw on screen, ask your question and get a reading you can keep asking about.