Five of Cups
The Five of Cups uses locust imagery to symbolize loss, disappointment, and devastation when expectations collapse. Upright, it indicates grief and preoccupation with what went wrong, urging the user to forgive themselves and widen their perspective to see remaining opportunities. The card warns against rumination that keeps one stuck and encourages stepping toward a brighter future and healing. Reversed, it emphasizes releasing regret, accepting past mistakes, and learning from them to move forward with new perspectives.
Keywords
Card Name
Five of Cups
Animal
Locust
Fun Fact
Related to grasshoppers, locusts have a very storied history. Commonly associated with plagues and famines, locusts have been known to emerge in enormous swarms and feast on fields of crops, causing astronomical damage to the agricultural industry.
Keywords
Loss, Remorse, Disappointment
Reversed Keywords
Forgiveness, Release, Acceptance
Meaning: Imagery
Five locusts congregate around five sunken cups, voraciously eating away at the ivy around them. Locusts have oftentimes symbolized a famine brought down by the wrath of something greater than an individual. These swarms eradicate crops, leaving those affected with a heavy sense of despair and helplessness. The Five of Cups rings true with a similar tragedy, only coming to light when a situation has gone awry. However, it’s how you move on from your unfortunate circumstances that determines the overall outcome.
Meaning: Upright
When upright, the Five of Cups suggests that the user is embroiled in a situation that has gone over their head. Things haven’t gone as you expected them to, and you’re filled with disappointment. The situation may have left you feeling bereft or introduced an unwelcome change, either through your job, your relationship, or some significant domain of your life. You’re more focused on the event and the change that it brought than you are with figuring out a way to move on and heal. It’s easy to fall into the trap of rumination, but those thoughts are holding you back. You’ll need to forgive yourself and look at the bigger picture. Your hurt and pain are valid, but remember that there are opportunities all around you. Life goes on, and it’s time for you to do so as well. Look forward to a brighter future and step forward towards the happiness you deserve.
Reversed meaning
When reversed, the Five of Cups suggests that you’ve recently undergone a situation that set you back in ways you hardly expected. You are disappointed, worried about how others may react, and you may even be locked in a state of denial, refusing to acknowledge the mistakes that brought you to this point. You’ve realized just how impactful these past choices can be, but this position is a reminder that it’s time to forgive yourself for them. The past is fixed in stone. You can’t change things by regretting them for the rest of your life. Learn from your mistakes and allow yourself to move past the guilt with new perspectives to guide you into the future.
Trailing Punctuation
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Visual Description
The image shows five ornate goblets arranged among curling ivy vines against a deep star-speckled background. Several bright orange grasshoppers rest on and around the cups, one cup appears tilted or turned. Tiny golden dots scatter across the dark field like distant stars. The title text "FIVE OF CUPS" is printed in capital letters at the bottom of the card.
Oriens tarot
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