Knight of Cups At A Glance
Keywords: Charming person, romantic, negotiator, tactful, emotionally sensitive, artistic, moody, vain, avoiding conflict
Season: Winter
Element: Water (emotions)
Knight of Cups Tarot Card Description
The Knight of Cups is a court card within the suit of Cups in the Minor Arcana of tarot. In the original art work we can see a regal knight riding a white horse and holding a golden cup. The horse’s gait is a slow and calm trot which contrasts with the other knight cards in tarot (The Knight of Wands and the Knight of Swords are both charging and leaping at full speed whilst the Knight of Pentacles is standing completely still.)
This shows that the gait of the horse is important. It represents the mind frame of the knight and is an extension of his body language which is calm, regal and graceful. The knight carries himself confidently as he gently moves through life. He is moving at a comfortable pace: fast enough to see new surroundings and slow enough to take them in and appreciate them.
The knight is holding the cup close enough to drink. This is an indication that he intends to live his life to the fullest. The horse is white which in color magic represents purity and spirituality.
Knight of Cups Upright Meaning
The Knight of Cups is a court card. All court cards in tarot have an additional layer of meaning because they often represent real people that we know in our lives. The knight pictured in this card represents a romantic and confident person who has an idealistic and optimistic outlook on life.
Therefore it represents someone who we know, or may meet soon, who also shares these attributes. The Knight of Cups is emotionally sensitive because they are in touch with their emotions. They are very romantic and creative and are good problem solvers.
Knights traditionally fought for and protected their king so this element can also be present in the way knights and the people they represent carry themselves. They will be prepared to protect and fight for those they love. Love and family will be very important values to them and will factor in greatly when they make decisions.
“We create our future by chasing our dreams, and it’s what we become in the pursuit of our dreams that makes the journey worth it.” - Dee Waldeck
Knight of Cups Reversed Meaning
When reversed we see that knight energy becoming a bit too intense. Someone who is prepared to fight for their loved ones may also be prone to being over protective and sometimes even jealous.
So when we see this card reversed it’s a forewarning to keep our emotions in check if the question is about ourselves. If the card is referencing a person in our lives then it is suggesting their behavior could intensify in this way and we may need to discuss this with them and make sure everyone is on the same page.
“Two things you will never have to chase: True friends & true love.” - Mandy Hale
Knight of Cups: Yes or No
The Knight of Cups is a yes card if upright. It says we will have to push hard for this and it will not be an easily won opportunity but it will be worth the work.
If reversed then it is a no. It suggests that our intentions for wanting the yes to this question need to be assessed because they might not be as pure as we initially believe.
Let’s Break Down the Knight of Cups In Our Lives
How The Knight of Cups meaning can change in different areas of our lives.
Knight of Cups In Love
When we see this card in a love question it’s a good omen, as with any Cups card. That’s because Cups are the suit of love, relationships and emotions so receiving a Cups card in a love question is a double confirmation from the universe that we are on the right track in this area of our lives. This card says whether single or in a relationship we need to make decisions and act from our heart, not our head.
Reversed says we are getting a little too much in our head and this is causing a negative spiral which is worsening our emotions and our ability to make concise decisions. The advice is to get out of our heads by changing the scenery, go for a walk or call a friend. Change the scenery and the mind will quiet allowing the heart to be heard.
Knight of Cups With Money
Receiving the Knight of Cups in a money query is a sign that we are using our creative mind or skillset to overcome a small hurdle. However once we overcome this hurdle it will continue to be very profitable and enjoyable for us. Much like a happy accident which eventually leads to financial security if we keep going.
Reversed we may have been overindulging recently and financially it is beginning to show. We must cut back our spending for a short time and increase our earning to rectify this situation. But this will be a recurring issue for us until we check in with our emotions to understand why we feel the need to overindulge and find a healthier outlet for fulfilling this desire.
Knight of Cups At Work
There will be a team bonding exercise or other scenario that brings the workforce together which sparks creative thinking and problem solving within us. This is noticed by our superiors and we are rewarded for how well we have worked with the team. It can also signify taking on a team leading role or if this isn’t us or the path we have chosen then it can represent team leaders and middle management at our place of work.
Reversed there may be confrontation at work which we have started. Even though we don’t feel like this is so, we have unintentionally said something which has quickly devolved into a very tense situation. We need to quickly rectify this with clear communication and apologies where they are due, ignoring this will make it much worse and harder to fix.
Knight of Cups With Others
Knights are sent after the Pages who deliver messages. Once a message is received we as the knight have to choose how to respond and then react accordingly. Knight cards are therefore cards of decisive action and quick reaction. We can expect to be alert and waiting for the attributes of the suit to show itself so we can react to them. Cups represent love and emotions therefore we can expect an emotional shift or epiphany coming soon which will affect how we respond to/treat others.
Reversed we may be jumping to conclusions and not giving others a chance to explain themselves fully. Reversed The Knight of Cups has some issues with impatience and sometimes aggression so we need to give ourselves time and extend this time to others as well.
Knight of Cups With Self
When this card comes to us upright and is about our internal self it is saying we may need to check in emotionally with ourselves. We have been coasting along recently but for the next leg of our internal journey we are being asked to master our emotions. The Knight of Cups will do anything for love and we must turn this mantra inwards and ask ourselves what we can do to set ourselves up for success.
Reversed it can suggest we are living our own lives through the eyes of those around us. We are consumed with the opinion of others and trying to preempt their thoughts of us. This can be a very toxic place to exist in. Other people’s thoughts (including the ones which are about us) are none of our business.
We can’t choose our thoughts, they just bubble up from the brain. But we can choose how we act on our thoughts. Come back to self, it’s exhausting trying to live as an object to be viewed because in reality we are here to fully experience life in the present.
Knight of Cups As Feelings
The Knight of Cups feels like Hedonistic romance and a creative imagination. We feel confident and we attract all we desire. We feel lavish and indulgent as we go about our day to day lives.
