Tarot · Cups
King of Cups
- composure
- balance
- diplomacy
The picture
A king sits on a throne set in the middle of a restless sea, holding a cup and a sceptre, while behind him a fish leaps and a ship sails.
The meaning
The sea moves all around the king; he himself sits calmly. The tradition reads the King of Cups as composure, emotional maturity and diplomacy. He stands for someone who knows feelings and does not let them rule him. Others come to him for advice.
Reversed
Reversed, he is read as suppressed feelings, or calm that is only put on.
In love
In love he is read as a warm-hearted, dependable partner and mature affection.
At work
At work he stands for balancing leadership, mediation and thoughtful decisions.
As your card of the day
Composure helps today. What surges around you need not carry you away.
The King of Cups stands for calm advice. Perhaps someone needs a sympathetic ear from you today.
Cups belong to water. By tradition they stand for feelings, relationships and whatever moves us inside.
Picture: Pamela Colman Smith, Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, 1909, public domain (Wikimedia Commons).