Five of Cups

Five of Cups

Five of Cups suggests that disappointment is the result of emotional attachment to an expectation that has gone unfulfilled.  The “negative” mind views this as a loss and the outcome is sadness and heartache, which takes a while to heal.  You find it hard to explain the turmoil you feel inside, the lack of harmony.  You never sufficiently appreciate something until you have lost it.  Letting go of a person or a lifestyle takes time – you are experiencing grief and learning to transcend deep loss.  When something you have put your heart and soul into has not worked out, you experience disappointment, loss of harmony and doubt in the very beliefs that have sustained you.  Turning your grief inward is appropriate for a short time.  Actual healing takes place when you throw off the sorrow, pick up the pieces and renew your interactions with loving friends.

Focus all your energy on a new project – set your goals, but live in the moment.  Release your attachment to “expected” outcomes and “cross the bridges as you come to them.” Release yourself from heartache – accept your loss and release the sorrow.  Make a conscious, determined choice to pick up the pieces and move forward towards your future – seek a new beginning.

Freedom and uncertainty – a multiplicity of choice at the emotional/creative level.  The dilemma – how to preserve the order and discipline from your foundation while moving forward.  Movement, but the activity is within a limited range while there is pause for reparation by the heart.  Lack of movement, a pause – testing the waters of your emotional world, determining where and how to enhance it.  The beginning of the need for priorities to grow into the extensions of self, family and close friends.  On the positive side of this coin you see an easy going, light – hearted nature, agreeability, adaptability, openness, multifaceted personality, refreshing presence, emotional independence, unfettered creative originality.  Sadness, disappointment, frustration, guild/shame/conscience, hesitation when appropriate.  The positive effect of a brainstorming mind on the emotions.

Questions to Answer:

  1. What does it seem you have lost?
  2. What do you despair over?
  3. What are you disillusioned or disappointed with?
  4. What do you feel sorry about?
  5. What are some possible alternatives to what you have lost?
  6. What awaits your attention?
  7. What have you learned from your mistakes?

Special Messages:

  • Next to Devil: You need to reconsider everything – its time to get back on track and stop wasting your energies.
  • Judgment or Star in spread: The Karmic condition has passed – the debt has been paid and there will be blessings for any new endeavors.
  • Three Wands plus Wheel of Fortune in spread: It is time for action – negotiations are now possible.  It is vital that you act immediately and leave your sorrows behind you.

Special Messages based on card position:

In the first position: Emotional freedom and choice lead the charge in this brigade.  Uncertainty is accepted in the bargain.  You will champion people’s, even animal’s rights across the board.  You may choose the creative arts as your choice of weapon, to get your point across.

In the second position: Your physical/material base of operations is varied and decentralized, giving you a great deal of flexibility.  Problems in one area are easily compensated for by strengths in other areas.

In the third position: Your soul is in a holding pattern as energies and entities catch up to one another.  You now feel this most in your relationships, with people or to aspects of your own talents.  With the uncertainty comes great freedom and time – use them well.

In the fourth position: You love your freedom and being able to choose.  You thrive on the uncertainty of life.  Your relationships, be they friend or lover, will have to give you a wide berth.  This is not to say that you cannot be both an excellent friend and a good lover, but your ground rules will have to be accepted.

In the fifth position: You are approaching this emotional interim well, going over your relationships and/or your creative interests doing some spring – cleaning before moving on.  You are enjoying your sense of freedom and are looking backward now only so you can go forward.

In the sixth position: In the near future you will be given the opportunity to take five in your emotional/creative affairs.  Here is the breathing room you have needed.  Others may not be as thrilled as you are with these new circumstances, with your use of your time.

In the seventh position: In this next three months to a year, your emotional/creative obligations will be in balance and you will be completely free to establish a whole new range of relationships and/or create fresh from your talent pool.

In the eighth position: Physical or material projects for which you care a great deal are stagnant, maybe even ending or already finished.  Personal creative projects or businesses, athletic endeavors, a competition – these are what can suffer in such times.  You are dealing with these issues well.  In one sense, there is even relief to be free of these “loves”.

In the ninth position: The heart is waiting.  It knows it must move on but the time is not right.  The urge is to enjoy the freedom, the range of choices.  Time here is best spent on self – improvement, personal projects or in light friendships.

In the tenth position: The emotional and creative corner that you will be turning by this time next year, is a broad and gradual one.  Just keep your hands on the wheel and your foot on the gas and you will make it to the straight – away again.  Remind yourself that a straight road without a curve is boring.

8 thoughts on “
Five of Cups

  1. G

    This card was beyond spot on to the circumstances going on in my heart. Thank you for this website. I look forward to my pulls to come here to read. So helpful <3

  2. diana Post author

    Ruby, I am afraid I can not answer that question – as I have shared in the ABOUT section of this site, the “Special Messages” sections were derived from the Karmic Tarot, by William C. Lammey. I am sure he has a reason for repeating something, but I do not know what he heard when writing them any more than I can explain what I heard when I wrote the rest. I hope this helps. Diana

  3. Ruby

    I noticed that the Five of Cups and Five of Pentacles in the fourth position ( past) both use the same verbiage for needing a wide berth and need to have ground rules accepted in relationships….is this purposeful that they are the same?

  4. Cheo

    Indeed. I know everyone that uses the site doesn’t leave a message so I believe you have helped soo many people, myself included. Thank you Diana!

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