Card 42 • cups

Seven of Cups

Brief Description

This card warns against chasing illusory promises of wealth or perfection, symbolized by the knight's futile search for Eldorado. It highlights delusional thinking, abandoned ideas, and dreams that crumble like a precipice. The imagery equates the pursuit with a metaphorical death or an ending, urging recognition of reality over fantasy. Practically, it advises choosing a solid, grounded path rather than following pipe dreams.

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Story

The poem by Edgar Allan Poe portrays a gallant knight entering his twilight while still searching for the elusive Eldorado—a legendary golden city. A specter directs the old, weakening man down towards the Valley of the Shadow: "Ride, boldly ride." The illusion of finding wealth has become a metaphor of death. The hunched figure is an indication that the road has come to an end. The abandoned helmet symbolizes ideas that do not materialize. The precipice is an earthly reality, which begins to crumble and fall into the endless depths below. The descending cups reflect delusional thinking and the spirits carry broken dreams.

Divinatory meaning

You’ve been drifting along in search of some elusive Shangri-la. Instead of following a practical, substantial path, you’re driven by a pipe dream that is built on illusion.

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Ghosts and Spirits tarot

✍️ Deck author(s): Lisa Hunt

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