5 of Cups rev

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Dec 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alice23	21 Dec 2004
Hi everyone, the 5 of Cups has been coming up both in my readings and on its own a lot the past couple of months,but in the last few weeks it's been reversed. I think I can relate this to a situation in my life that has improved and maybe now thats why its coming up reversed all of a sudden! But I'm a little bit confused as to what the actual meaning of the card is in this position. One book gave the opposite of the upright i.e a definite end to a bad situation is in sight and fun times should be ahead.......but the others seem to say this is still negative whichever way up. What does everyone else think? Thanks very much, (Apologies if this should have been posted in the reading section!) Alice x

Fulgour	21 Dec 2004
The Colman Smith Tarot shows a melacholy figure, and there's 3 Cups overturned, and 2 upstanding. Viewing the card upright: 3 down ~ 2 up reversed: 2 down ~ 3 up I've heard that this 3/2 sequence can be found in musical progressions. But how then 2/3 ...?

Thirteen	22 Dec 2004
Alice23 wrote: One book gave the opposite of the upright i.e a definite end to a bad situation is in sight and fun times should be ahead.......but the others seem to say this is still negative whichever way up. What does everyone else think? The fallen cups are on their side--not upside down, so whatever is spilled is spilled no matter if the card's upright or upside-down. The upright caps, however, are up and still full. This means that however much has been lost, and that lost regretted, there is still hope. But turn it upside-down and, to me at least, you turn over those upright cups, spilling out what they held. Now all five cups are spilled, emptied. Thus, I would read an upright 5/cups as saying to querent: you really messed this one up, but there's still some reserves of love, you've not lost everything yet. I would read a reversed 5/cups as saying to the querent: you really messed it up, and there's no reserves of love left. It's over. Completely over.

Fulgour	22 Dec 2004
Key themes: a hopeful future, learning from the past Reversed, the Five of Cups points to better times ahead. The regret associated with the upright card remains but is diminishing with the passage of time and the Querant will be able to start building for a new future. New starts often bring new uncertainties but the past experiences will provide valuable lessons. ~ Rowenna Stuart, Tarot

firemaiden	22 Dec 2004
Well, there are many different ways to view reversed cards. You can see them as an opposite, or an intensification, or a even a challenge to right the card. What deck are you using, by the way? Is there something/someone that you are holding onto, that the cards are nagging you to let go of?

L'Etoile	22 Dec 2004
I think it means you've finally realized the good things you've got. In the 5/cups upright you only see the three spilled cups, but when it's reversed, you see that though there is bad, there is also good, hope. The two upright cup come through. (I apologize if this is incoherent or blatanly misspelled. It's 2:30 am) By the by, Thirteen, I never thought of looking at the 5/cups like that. Very insightful.

Sulis	22 Dec 2004
When I get the 5 of Cups reversed I sometimes take it to mean that I've had some loss or dissappointment which I'm getting over; all's not lost sort of thing OR that there is loss or dissappointment which I'm not coping with too well: I'm either denying it or internalizing it but the energies of the upright card ie the loss are still there. James Rycleff in his book 'Tarot Tells the Tale' uses the most comprehensive system I can find for using reversals - well it's the one I use anyway. He says that if a card comes up reversed its' qualities are either present or potential but they might be: 1. Delayed 2. Diminished 3. Underutilized 4. Internalized 5. Blocked Love Sulis xx

Adjustment	22 Dec 2004
I tend to interpret this card depending on the soround cards. in a very positive reading it can mean moving away form the sadness and sorrow,of a past situation, moving on. when i see this card revered in a no very positve reading it coud be telling you that perhaps you are denying sorrow or that something is lost or at the worst it can mean that you are refusing to move beyond grieff.

Alice23	26 Dec 2004
Thankyou all for your interpretations. Used the Rider Waite Deck, think I have a much better insight of what the 5 of Cups rev means, especially in regards to a recent situation which involved a lot of grief and sadness. Thankyou all! Alice x

Fulgour	26 Dec 2004
If a musical series is extended to the sixth power of (3/2) on the right and the sixth power of (2/3) on the left, then a chromatic scale of 12 tones is produced. The chromatic scale uses every half step between each tone. Pythagorean Scale * ps: You're very welcome, Alice. Though I am not sure if I've helped at all, you have been most wonderfully kind. ~Fulgour

The 5 of Cups rev thread was originally posted on 21 Dec 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.