78 Weeks: Five Cups

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Some amongst us may be working through the deck in a different order, and using different decks.

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Enjoy!

the five of cups

this five means traditionally "not up to expectations" its tarots way of sometimes telling you its not what you think. it indicates loss with some left over. reversed, theres no choice. the loss has been incurred, now you must return to what you had before.

5 of Cups

My study again this week has been on the Universal Waite showing a person looking down at 3 spilt cups, with their back to two remaining upright cups. In the distance is a river and landscape with a castle in the background.

This card represents to me a loss of some sort, sorrow and even regret. However it is more about focussing on what is lost and acknowledging that it is gone, but then not losing awareness of what still remains. It is important to realise what has been lost and even perhaps why - learning from past experiences, before putting it to rest and then moving on with life. If and when the figure turns around they will see the two remaining full cups behind them, and then also notice the pathway over the bridge to the castle or safe haven - signifying hope for the future or security. Going through a grieving process is a step on the journey forward, however this card makes me feel that someone is perhaps a little stuck on this part of the journey and may need to realise that this is where they are and then be brought back to continuing the journey.

For my version of this card (attached) I used similiar image elements of the person in a pose of sorrow or regret, focussing on the 3 overturned cups. I have also added a daisy in the sky and 2 daisies next to the two remaining cups, representing hope and growth waiting for acknowledgement.

CreativeFire

I've used 7 different versions of the Tarot of Marseilles for this period of study - having added the on-line Payen found on the Yale website.

My RWS upbringing has led me to associate the 5 of Cups with regrets and my experience has taught me the advice associated with this message is to leave those regrets behind and be thankful for what one has. I've stopped being surprised by how limited this feels when examining the Marseilles.

My one and only numerology book (It's All in Your Numbers - The Secrets of Numerology by Kathleen Roquemore) tells me that the keywords for the number 5 are freedom and variety. I also associate the number 5 with the trump The Pope. I consider cups the suite of emotions and spirituality. Putting these ideas together gives us something much more than regrets.

The imagery on the card backs up these ideas. This is the first card I've encountered during this study in which the leaves and flowers aren't all connected together. There are upper and lower parts to these illustrations. We also see flowers, leaves and fruit - freedom and variety indeed.

Someone in my class said to me last night, "Fives are funny, they can go either way".

"Indeed", I said in response, "it's all in how you perceive the situation".

I attach my version of the 5 of Cups:

I've come to know the 5 of cups as representing a "good-bye for now." There are feelings of loss and disapointment... but I can't help thinking of the phrase "there's no use crying over spilt milk" when I see this card. I see no great trajedy, no burnt bridges. Looks like a temporary setback to me. In fact, it looks like the load is a little lighter now.

I've always been inclined to feel very strongly with the figure in the RWS deck here - three cups have tumbled over, so it takes some effort to re-evaluate and recognize the two cups that are still standing.

More cups down than up definitely indicates a loss that has to be dealt with. This being the suit of Cups, I usually connect this with someone close disappointing you, or with getting disillusioned. Healing is needed before you can turn and see the remaining cups.

My second deck for this exercise will be the Tarot of Reflections again. This time, the image and meaning seems to be totally different from the RWS.

A female figure in a blue dress and purple cloak with flowing, bright green hair and a crown rides along in a triumph cart and throws coins to a mass of bystanders. The people are indiscernible, just a brown blur, but they seem eager, as you can see their raised arms. The head of the figure is reflected at the top and bottom of the card. The refelction at the bottom is distorted, so it looks like she is squashed by her own chariot.

Frankly, that pic told me nothing that would match my concept of the 5 of Cups... but the LWB offered some explanation: "If you sow at the wrong time, you are wasting your resources. If you sow in the field of others, the harvest won't be yours."

I've never seen the fallen cups in the RWS as something you might have wasted actively. It always looked like an accident brought about from the outside. But this new meaning might make sense in some cases, too and it also warns you of not throwing the remaining cups after those already gone by grieving to long and refuse to change your path. So, this really is a new aspect I'll take into account in the future.

I usually see this card as divided in two. The person IN the card can´t see anything but the three cups that are down. However, the person OUTSIDE the card (us) can focus on the two cups remaining. Usually, I read it as a card´s advice telling friends and people around the querent, to help him/her see that not everything is lost. Also, the 5 of cups is a necessary card in the process of learning: it teaches us how to LET GO. When Morwenna mentioned that there are more cups down than up, she touched a very important point here. In life, in games, in relationships,if we have four chances and lose two, we still feel like we have been unlucky and can try again. Three cups down ,however,tells us that we may need to reconsider our vision, tactics and make it work. We momentarily give up trying, feel sorry for ourselves.
Although it may seem so, I don´t read the 5 of cups as an end card.It is the middle card followed by the positive and cheerful 6 of cups!It just shows a painful transition.

PS - Mods, please disconsider my input if this thread is not meant for newbies...

thank you for the good points that you told here. it was highly informative.

ana luisa, your feedback is very much appreciated!

The meta perspective is a very valuable point which I've added to my journal for this exercise - don't want to forget this!

ana luisa said:

Although it may seem so, I don´t read the 5 of cups as an end card.It is the middle card followed by the positive and cheerful 6 of cups!It just shows a painful transition...

Click to expand...

I used to see it as an end card but not anyone. Now, I see it as merely an emotional upset (even the cups are upset)...one that knocks us out of that emotionally numb state we were in while the 4 of Cups was going on.