Knight of Cups
Following the heart, with a romantic eye.
A dreamer who follows the heart. Offers or invitations may come.
- romance
- charm
- idealism
Element: Water
What the card shows
A knight in armour with winged helmet and boots rides a calm white horse at a gentle pace, holding a cup in front of him. A river and distant hills lie ahead.
Knights pursue, and in Cups the pursuit is of feeling. The slow horse shows that this is courtship rather than conquest. Wings on the helmet suggest ideals and imagination.
▲Upright
Pursuing something because it moves you; an offer, an invitation, an ideal.
Am I following a person or a picture of them?
▼Reversed
Charm without substance, or a retreat from feeling.
What would change if I acted from what is real, not what I hope?
Knight of Cups in a reading
In love
A romantic gesture or the wish for one; the gap between the ideal and the person.
Reversed: Charm without substance, or a retreat from feeling.
At work
Following inspiration; pitching an idea with feeling.
Its shadow side: daydreaming, promises that outrun reality.
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 knights: the same kind of person or approach, in another area of life.
Knight of Wands
Knight of Swords
Knight of PentaclesRead it with other cards
Questions about Knight of Cups
What does Knight of Cups mean in tarot?
Pursuing something because it moves you; an offer, an invitation, an ideal. Keywords: romance, charm, idealism.
What does Knight of Cups mean reversed?
Charm without substance, or a retreat from feeling. Excess: chasing an ideal that is not real. Blocked: unable to say what you feel. Fading: enthusiasm cooling.
What does Knight of Cups mean in love?
A romantic gesture or the wish for one; the gap between the ideal and the person.
What does Knight of Cups mean for work?
Following inspiration; pitching an idea with feeling.
What question does Knight of Cups ask?
Upright: Am I following a person or a picture of them? Reversed: What would change if I acted from what is real, not what I hope?
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