Tarot · Minor Arcana · Cups

Queen of Cups

  • empathy
  • intuition
  • tenderness
  • listening from the heart

Key facts

Arcana
Minor Arcana
Suit
Cups
Number
13
Element
Water of Water.
Keywords
empathy, intuition, tenderness, listening from the heart

Queen of Cups upright

The Queen of Cups is that presence holding her precious cup and reading the world with her heart. She feels deeply, welcomes others’ emotions without losing herself in them. It’s the wisdom of intuition, the tenderness that soothes and understands without judging. Honor that sensitive part of you; it’s a strength, never a weakness.

Queen of Cups reversed

Reversed, the Queen of Cups speaks of a sensitivity that overflows and swamps you, to the point of soaking up everyone’s sorrows. Sometimes we drown in emotion, sometimes we cut ourselves off from it to stop the pain. You can set gentle boundaries and keep your cup for yourself too. Caring for your own heart isn’t selfishness, it’s balance.

A question to sit with

Do you care for your own emotions as much as you do for others’?

Frequently asked questions about Queen of Cups

What does Queen of Cups mean upright?
The Queen of Cups is that presence holding her precious cup and reading the world with her heart. She feels deeply, welcomes others’ emotions without losing herself in them. It’s the wisdom of intuition, the tenderness that soothes and understands without judging. Honor that sensitive part of you; it’s a strength, never a weakness.
What does Queen of Cups mean reversed?
Reversed, the Queen of Cups speaks of a sensitivity that overflows and swamps you, to the point of soaking up everyone’s sorrows. Sometimes we drown in emotion, sometimes we cut ourselves off from it to stop the pain. You can set gentle boundaries and keep your cup for yourself too. Caring for your own heart isn’t selfishness, it’s balance.

Sources

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