Five of Cups
The Five of Cups depicts a solitary figure mourning over three overturned cups, symbolizing loss and grief. The two remaining cups remind the figure that not everything is lost, suggesting paths to recovery and healing. The turbulent sky and lapping waves illustrate the changes in emotions that accompany such experiences. This card invites reflection on attachment and the choices one makes in the face of sorrow, emphasizing the importance of turning towards what remains rather than fixating on losses.
Keywords
Visual Description
A cloaked figure stands alone on a grassy riverbank with his head bowed, gazing at five cups placed on the ground; three are overturned and appear to have spilled, while two stand upright behind them. A turbulent, swirling sky of greens and yellows fills the horizon above a distant castle across the water. Waves lap at the shore and reeds grow at the edge where the figure stands. The card shows the Roman numeral V at the top and the Russian title 'ПЯТЕРКА КУБКОВ' at the bottom.
Meaning
A solitary figure on the bank stares at the upended cups and feels the weight of what has been lost; the swirling sky and the distant castle press the senses, making sorrow vivid and immediate. The spilled vessels glisten near the water, their dark contents a call to acknowledge grief, while the two cups left standing behind him whisper that not everything is gone. The wind and lapping waves lend a tactile sense of change, and the scene suggests that fixation on the spilled cups can blind one to the paths still open across the river. As a story, this card invites a slow turning from mourning to noticing: the same vista that deepens sorrow can also reveal what remains to be reclaimed. When the image shifts toward healing, one lifts the gaze from the losses and learns lessons about attachment, shifting priorities and tender recovery; when it hangs in defeat it warns of lingering regret, missed opportunities and self‑absorption. Whether this moment becomes a catalyst for repair or a prolonged grief depends on the small decisions—turning toward the two cups, crossing the water, or simply allowing time to settle the tides.
Visual Description
A lone figure in a dark cloak stands on a riverbank, head bowed and shoulders turned toward three overturned cups that spill their contents onto the ground. Behind the mourner, two cups remain upright, partly hidden from view, and a narrow bridge or path leads toward a distant castle on the far shore. The sky swirls with vivid, starry patterns and a bright, circular sun or moon, casting dramatic light across the water. Grasses and reeds frame the foreground as the waves lap the shore.
Swirls of Light Tarot
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