Tarot · Minor Arcana · Cups

Knight of Cups

  • the heart’s impulse
  • ideal
  • romance
  • sensitivity

Key facts

Arcana
Minor Arcana
Suit
Cups
Number
12
Element
Air of Water.
Keywords
the heart’s impulse, ideal, romance, sensitivity

Knight of Cups upright

The Knight of Cups is the one who rides forward with his cup held out, carried by an ideal and a sincere passion. He follows his heart and his intuitions, offers his feelings like an invitation. It’s the romantic impulse, the beauty of believing and letting yourself be moved. Let this fervor guide you, as long as you keep your feet on the ground.

Knight of Cups reversed

Reversed, the Knight of Cups tells of a mood that sways, a passion that flares up then drops without warning. The ideal can turn into a mirage, or the promises can outrun what the heart truly holds. You can welcome your sensitivity without being tossed about by it. When the emotion settles, your impulse finds its direction again.

A question to sit with

Does your current impulse come from a true desire, or from an ideal slipping out of reach?

Frequently asked questions about Knight of Cups

What does Knight of Cups mean upright?
The Knight of Cups is the one who rides forward with his cup held out, carried by an ideal and a sincere passion. He follows his heart and his intuitions, offers his feelings like an invitation. It’s the romantic impulse, the beauty of believing and letting yourself be moved. Let this fervor guide you, as long as you keep your feet on the ground.
What does Knight of Cups mean reversed?
Reversed, the Knight of Cups tells of a mood that sways, a passion that flares up then drops without warning. The ideal can turn into a mirage, or the promises can outrun what the heart truly holds. You can welcome your sensitivity without being tossed about by it. When the emotion settles, your impulse finds its direction again.

Sources

  • Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, William Rider & Son, 1911.
  • Rachel Pollack, Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Weiser Books, 1980.