Ten of Cups (Rider Waite Tarot)
First Impressions
“Once upon a time there was a family. A loving mother and father, a sweet little girl and her big brother and their faithful dog. They all lived in a little cottage by a river in the countryside, and they loved one another very much.
But one day, misfortune befell the family, upsetting their idyllic little world. Now, I don’t know what that misfortune might have been. Maybe the mother fell ill. Maybe the father lost his job in service to the king and could no longer afford to feed his family. Or maybe the father was forced to ride away to the wars and didn’t return. Maybe a drought blighted the land so the crops died, or gypsies stole the little girl. But something happened, and their little whitewashed cottage with the red roof was dark and unhappy in the face of it, and the family was sad.
But the plucky little boy was indefatigable. Accompanied by his faithful hound he walked many miles to find a treasure trove of gold that would feed the family, or bring his father home from the battlefield, or rescue his sister from the gypsy camp, or a rare plant whose leaves would cure his mother. Along the way he had many adventures and met many strange characters - some helpful, others less so. And finally, after many near misses, the brave little lad reached his goal. And discovered that what he really sought was within him the whole time. Triumphantly he returned with his father/sister/cure/wealth in tow. And as the family, reunited, healthy and comfortable, rejoiced in their great good fortune and the courage and devotion of their boy, a rainbow arced over them and showered them with blessings. As the mother and father lovingly wrapped their arms around one another and raised their arms in praise to the sky, the children danced singing in a circle in their glee. And they all lived happily ever after.”
That’s what this card is. The Ten of Cups is the “happily ever after” card. Because fairytales don’t always end with marrying the prince and being wealthy beyond their wildest dreams and no longer having to scrub floors or haul water. Sometimes they end with just the simplest yet happiest things. Hansel and Gretel returning home and finding the nasty stepmother gone and the father repentant for losing them in the woods. Little Red Riding Hood finding her grandmother alive and unharmed still in the wolf’s belly. They might not make Disney movies and tons of merchandise from those fairytales, but they’re sweet and end happily.
In the Rider Waite Tarot, this card is predominated by a rainbow arcing across a blue sky. Ten glimmering cups shine in the midst of the rainbow as though posed there for a storefront window display; as though the prosperous man in the Nine of Cups had turned his horseshoe table into a rainbow and it floated up to the sky and hung there. However they got there, they certainly attracted the attention of the people on the ground below. A man and woman in reddish-orange and blue stand back-on to us, each with one arm raised to the sky. As if they’d summoned the rainbow by their own will, or showing it off to the neighbours. Or perhaps just simple, wondering adoration. Whatever the motive, they’re happy; his arm is around her waist as though he’s pulling her tight to his side. Beside them, a little boy and girl are dancing hand in hand as though playing ring-around-the-rosy. A floppy-eared dog like a basset hound sits close by, panting in bemusement. He’s the only character in the card that looks out of the picture to us.
This whole thing happens in a peaceful little setting; a red-roofed house or cottage peeks out from the trees, and a river runs by; the grass is green, the land consists of gently rolling countryside. Or is this true? Is this where the story actually takes place? Notice the horizontal line that separates the dun-colored flat surface the people seem to stand on, from the pastoral scene and the rainbows. Are they performers? Wishful thinkers? Is this really happening?
This card is really a little sappy. It’s the one that speaks of simple pleasures, of being happy with your lot in life. Nice home, nice family, nice life. Just nice. It doesn’t promise wishes to come true, or fabulous riches or your own true love or any of that. But it does indicate in a reading that especially in domestic and family issues, that the outcome will be positive.
Creator’s Notes
Waite says:
Waite said:
Appearance of Cups in a rainbow; it is contemplated in wonder and ecstasy by a man and woman below, evidently husband and wife. His right arm is about her; his left is raised upward; she raises her right arm. The two children dancing near them have not observed the prodigy but are happy after their own manner. There is a home scene beyond.
And that’s it. It had never really occurred to me that the children didn’t see the rainbow; but looking at the card in this light I see what Waite means. They’re just … happy. Their parents are exalting in the vision of the rainbow, but the kids are happy for the sake of being happy.
Others’ Interpretations
In
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot Waite says of the Ten of Cups:
Waite said:
Divinatory Meanings: Contentment, repose of the entire heart; the perfection of that state; also perfection of human love and friendship; if with several picture-cards, a person who is taking charge of the Querent’s interests; also the town, village or country inhabited by the Querent. Reversed: Repose of the false heart, indignation, violence.
The bit about the “several picture-cards” doesn’t seem to fit with Waite’s deck, in which
all cards are designed to be “picture-cards”. I think this is a bit of a holdover from previous interpretations of the earlier packs.
Symbols and Attributes
The Ten of Cups combines the completion of the Ten - the ultimate embodiment of the qualities of that suit - with the emotional nature of the Cups and their corresponding element of Water. So you get the pinnacle of emotional achievement, of happiness, of belonging and relationships, in this card. Numerological it coincides with the Wheel of Fortune, but also with the Sun by reduction (Sun = XIX = 19 = 1 + 9 = 10), and so combines the happy innocence of that card as well.
The figures that dominate this card are clearly a family unit. Mama, Papa and a little boy and a girl. The adults are happy, in love even after two babies, enough that Papa tries to cop a little feel while they admire the spectacle of this rainbow in the sky glittering with golden cups. The children are happy and joyful, carefree, even without the added spectacle of the rainbow. It doesn’t seem that they even notice it. They represent innocence, as do all children. Innocent of the unusual phenomenon, they are secure and happy in their own little world. Mama and Papa have made them a safe little haven here in the countryside, and they know it and are content.
The children and their parents all wear very similar outfits, similar colours. This could reflect the theme of completion, the end of one cycle and start of another. The grownups are reborn innocent and carefree in their children, or the children grow up to be these adults. Whichever the case, they are happy, basking in this moment. A golden moment the parents will remember when their babies are grown and moved away with babes of their own. And that is another theme of the Ten of Cups. Enjoy the moment, make each one precious. Because they’re over too soon.
The dog at their side represents not just the idealized family - mother, father, two kids and a dog - but the ideal companion. Dogs represent fidelity, loyalty, unconditional love. You leave your dog to go to work, he feels abandoned, but is still happy to see you when you get home, all is forgiven. Cats, now, cats hold grudges, they get spiteful. But I digress. And in the Lenormand cards, the Dog represents helpful and loyal friends. So it reminds us that this doesn’t have to mean just family. It can mean the community, your friends.
So overall, this is a setting of pure domestic happiness. Simple pleasures, enjoyment of each other’s company and living in the moment. The rainbow is just the icing on the cake. In the Bible a rainbow was God’s sign of his promise to Noah that he would never again destroy the world and its living creatures by a flood. A peace offering. In some religions or mythologies a rainbow is a bridge between our world and that of the gods. It brings us that much closer to the Divine. It also represents fulfillment, happiness, conciliation and peace.
Now, the Ten of Cups is one of Pamela Colman Smith’s “stage cards”; one of the cards she designed to look like the characters are actors on a stage, and the rainbow and peaceful setting are painted backdrops. In this case I choose to see it as meaning that the family (or more likely the parents; the kids don’t seem to even notice their surroundings) is creating their own little paradise. Through their own will and their great love, they are projecting their wishes for their family onto their surroundings. A self-fulfilling prophecy, I think. If you pretend that your life is idyllic, if you act like your life is idyllic, who’s to say that it won’t become, in fact, idyllic? That the children won’t be just as happy, just as innocent, just as carefree and loved, in a dirty city slum as in a cottage in the country, if their parents
act as though they live in a cottage in the country? These parents are making their own little utopia. And it seems to be working.
My Interpretation
This card is more or less about simple domestic happiness. About living in the moment, enjoying each day as it comes. Simple pleasures. Making memories. But it is also about being content with and thankful for what you have rather than pining for things you can’t have, and making the best of it. Things aren’t perfect? Well, pretend that they are, and you might find them improving in your own perception. I’ve found that to work in the past. Bad situation, feeling stressed and depressed. I told myself, made up my mind that I was happy. And you know what? I was. Not overnight, mind you, but it helped a lot. So the Ten of Cups also speaks to me of being in control of your own happiness, your own state of mind. You are the author of your own fortunes. And yes, if you do that, it is a card that promises in a reading that you will live happily ever after. The End.