Five of Cups definitions and meanings
The Five of Cups shows that Four of Cups in the cold light of day; the emotional excitement or expectations of the Two and Three of Cups, may not have been as good as you thought. The Five of Cups shows that your own emotional fulfilment has to come from within - your partner can not provide you with all that happiness and emotional support that you expected. You may feel some emptiness or loneliness even during those times of happiness, but you suppressed or ignored them.
Rider-Waite: Five of Cups
A dark, cloaked figure, looking sideways at three prone cups two others stand upright behind him; a bridge is in the background, leading to a small keep or holding.
It is a card of loss, but something remains over; three have been taken, but two are left; it is a card of inheritance, patrimony, transmission, but not corresponding to expectations; with some interpreters it is a card of marriage, but not without bitterness or frustration.
Additional Meanings: Generally favourable; a happy marriage; also patrimony, legacies, gifts, success in enterprise.
Reversed Five of Cups
News, alliances, affinity, consanguinity, ancestry, return, false projects.
Book of Thoth - Five of Cups - Disappointment
The Five of Cups is called Disappointment, as is only natural, because Fire delights in superabundant energy, whereas the water of Pleasure is naturally placid, and any disturbance of ease can only be regarded as misfortune.
Golden Dawn - Five of Cups
Lord of Loss in Pleasure
Trouble, worry, loss, possible onset of disease. (Recourse to or ability to act as a Healer).
Additional Meanings: Return of some relative who has not been seen for long.
Mathers - Five of Cups
Union, Junction, Marriage, Inheritance.
Reversed Five of Cups
Arrival, Return, News, Surprise, False projects.
Etteilla - Five of Cups
Legacy, Succession, Bequest, Gift, Donation, Dowry, Patrimony, Handing Down, Will. Tradition, Decision, Conspiracy.
Reversed Five of Cups
Consanguinity, Blood, Family, Forbears, Ancestors, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin. Filiation, Extraction, Race, Lineage, Alliance. Affinity, Contact, Relationship, Connections.
Thierens - Five of Cups
- TRADITION
- Inheritance, legacy, succession, gift, testament, transmission, tradition; all of them "not corresponding to expectations; with some it is a card of marriage, but not without bitterness or frustration." (W.) Reversed: Family, forefathers, ancestry. Liaison, alliance, affinity, acquaintance, consanguinity. Race. "It is a card of loss." (W.)
- THEORY
- The Water coming on the First house, the ascendant, and water having to do with the family, we may conclude, that family matters will come naturally to the querent in this case, just as they were swept from him or evaded by him in the preceeding one. Still we cannot see, that the card should denote the members of the family in particular, as mentioned by P. and others. Now 'family-matters' may include inheritance as well as marriage, but so many other things may also be included that it is difficult to enumerate them, and none of them is indicated particularly. So we do not think it wise to say anything more definitely about this. The water of the feelings coming on the ascendant indicates sensitiveness and emotion, which may bring sorrow A or pleasure, but generally mixed experiences and not without care. There may be material losses in consequence.
- CONCLUSION
- Family-matters, care to be taken of them, sorrow or pleasure, emotion, material difficulties; there may be some advantage and some loss at the same time. News is certain to arrive. Subject to influences from the surroundings and apt to react too quickly thereon.
