Queen of Cups Tarot Card

Tarot Suit of Cups

Read more about the Suit of Cups below.

The 'Queens' in the tarot deck may also be known by other names depending on the deck. For example, the Shapeshifter's Tarot includes 'Goddesses' in place of the 'Queens' in the Rider-Waite and Robin Wood decks. All court cards may be interpreted as referring to a person with the card supplying information to identify the individual. Alternatively, they may be interpreted symbolically, in which case 'Queens' may be understood to represent new levels of awareness or understanding and also the mother-child relationship.

The element of the Queens is 'Water'. This is the element that is associated with emotions (and the suit of Cups). The Queens are subtly different reflections of the Empress. In general, when Queens appear in a spread they indicate a period of growth and development.

The Queen of Cups may be a very intense card because it combines the energy of the suit of cups (water, love, emotions, and feelings) with the femine (and also 'water') energy of the Queens.

When the court card the Queen of Cups appears in a tarot spread to identify a person to the sitter then the characteristics it conveys include:

  • a married or mature woman
  • golden brown hair
  • blue eyes
  • person whose astrological sign is cancer

Note that this is not always the purpose of the appearance of a court card in a spread and that not all of the above characteristics need apply. The readers intuition will guide him or her to mention only any that are relevant.

The Queen of Cups Tarot Card is a card of love that often depicts a beautiful image and may prompt us to help others by becoming more aware of the effects of people's feelings on the situation. It may also advise us to find ways to enable more love to flow into our lives.


Keywords and phrases for some of the possible interpretations of the Queen of Cups Tarot Card include:

  • Gentleness
  • Insightful person
  • Kind
  • Love
  • Protective mother figure

Robin Wood Tarot Deck Celtic Tarot - Tarot Cards and Book Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck The Gilded Tarot (Book and Tarot Deck Set) Angel Tarot Cards

What about the Queen of Cups Reversed ?

Some interpretations of the meaning of the Queen of Cups reversed include:

  • Emotions clouding judgement
  • Making unwise and/or unappreciated sacrifices e.g. of one's time or opportunities
  • An unreliable person (likely a woman), could just be a 'fair-weather friend' or likely to be indiscrete with a secret.

The Tarot Suit of Cups

The Tarot Suit of Cups is associated with the suit of Hearts in standard playing cards.

The "Cups" depicted on tarot cards are usually in the style of goblets, ceremonial, or communion cups (as above). There are meanings associated with each of the suits in a tarot deck, as well as the more specific interpretations associated with each individual card - and yet more precise meanings pertaining to particular cards in particular locations within spreads.

The suit of cups is associated with the element of water (as in water signs of the zodiac). It is also associated with the season of autumn (or "fall" in U.S. English) and with the direction "West".

Cups concern emotions, love, romance, range of emotions, mastery of emotions and feelings, and "gut reactions" that call upon our intuitive as opposed to intellectual development.



Tarot Articles:

Tarot Card Games - for, against and examples

Learning to Read Tarot Cards

20 Steps to reading Tarot Cards

Why use Free Printable Tarot Cards?

List of Tarot Card Meanings

Origins of the Tarot Nouveau - or 'French Tarot'

Learning Tarot

Uses of Tarot Cards

Thank your Guardian Angel whenever you feel its loving protective presence.

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