The 78 Cards
Knight of Cups
Minor Arcana, the suit of Cups, the Knight. Element: water.
The romantic, riding slowly with the heart held out.
The picture
A knight in armour, with wings on his helmet, rides a grey horse at a slow walk. He holds a golden cup out in front of him, carefully, as if it were full to the brim. His tunic is patterned with red fish. Below them a river winds across the land, with hills and trees beyond.
Upright
The Knight is movement and pursuit, and knights often go too far in the direction of their suit. In Cups, this Knight follows his heart.
This is the card of the romantic, the idealist, the person who arrives with an offer. A proposal, an invitation, a declaration of feeling, a creative project pursued for love. When the Knight of Cups turns up, something is coming towards you with the heart held out.
Look at the horse. The Knights of Wands and Swords rush forward, and the Knight of Pentacles stands still. This one walks. The Knight of Cups moves at the pace of feeling, and he holds the cup steady so nothing spills. There is great tenderness in that.
The going too far is dreaminess. Beautiful words that are not followed by action. Falling in love with love, or with the idea of a person, and riding off when the reality turns up.
Like every court card, this can be a person, an approach, or a part of you, and the age and gender of the figure do not limit who it describes.
Reversed
Reversed, I read this card as too much or too little, and sometimes as delayed.
Too much is the moody knight. Promises that are not kept, jealousy, sulking when things do not go the way the fantasy said they would. Too little is feeling held back so tightly that the offer never gets made.
Delayed is the invitation or the news that is on its way and taking its time. The horse is walking, after all.
To tell which, look at whether words and actions match. If the words are lovely and the actions never come, it is too much. If nothing is said at all, it is too little. If both are there and simply slow, give it time.
When it turns up
What offer from the heart are you carrying, and are you ready to hold it out?
If you would like the cards read against your own chart, my readings are here.
The 78 Cards
Every card in the deck, upright and reversed.
See every page and post in the Contents.
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