Are you feeling disappointed with how certain events have unfolded so far? The 5 of Cups shows up when it is time to let go of past disappointments. We all know wallowing is a waste of time. If you’ve been crying over spilt milk, this is a sign that it’s time to move on.
All you have to do is turn around and focus on the two upright cups. What you lost is for your learning not for pain to keep festering. So create the emotional release you need today (ask your heart what it needs) and focus on how to bring what you learned forward for the Highest Good. All 5s relate to The Hierophant so the focus is on learning and lessons.
If you find it difficult to shift out of pity mode, give thanks. Gratitude is the quickest way to transform the energy of disappointment.
Tough Lessons and Deep Pain
Please understand that I’m not encouraging anyone to go into spiritual bypass. The lessons brought by the 5 of Cups (Mars in Scorpio) can be harsh lessons that generate deep pain and sorrow. We must acknowledge our feeling-state before we can move on, no matter what kind of loss or disappointment we suffered. Perhaps a love relationship ended. Or you realise you are stuck in a dead-end job. You got evicted. Your dog died. You got a diagnosis which changed your life expectancy… Life is full of these kinds of moments.
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”
― Steve Maraboli
That one or more of these types of things will happen to us during our lifetime is inevitable. Thankfully, the Tarot is kind enough to prepare us by gently guiding us to remember that no matter what the circumstances, all is not lost. Every challenging experience presents us with an opportunity for growth. Because that is why we are here: to experience, learn and grow our souls.
In the greater scheme of things, it matters little if we survive the terminal diagnosis by some miracle, or if we find ‘The One’ at age 21 and settle down in a rose-tinted ‘happily ever after.’ What does matter is how grief and sorrow carve our character out of the ego personality. The ego always suffers from a sense of entitlement. It asks ‘Why me?’ and it only ever sees the three cups on the ground traditionally depicted in RWS style decks.
Grief from the POV of the Higher Self
The Higher Self takes pity on the ego… “There, there… I’m sorry you had to endure this. Now, have a good cry. It will help you shift and align through understanding and acceptance.”
The Higher Self is like that best friend mentioned in the George Eliot quote below. The Higher Self always reminds you of the two Cups still standing and doesn’t judge you for crying over the ones that fell over. It waits patiently for the ego to let go of its sense of entitlement and helps you see what is worth holding onto.
“A friend is one to whom one may pour out the contents of one’s heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that gentle hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.”
― George Eliot
Affirmation: “I accept my feelings of grief and sadness completely before releasing them with self-compassion.”
5 of Cups Prayer
Dear Mother-Father God, thank you for helping me see that not all is lost. Help me be authentic about what I feel so I can heal fully from this grief and sadness. Amen and so it!
Correspondences for the 5 of Cups
Planet: Mars
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Archangel: Gabriel, ruler of the Element of Water
Gemstones: Smokey quartz, amethyst and red jasper
Essential oils: Lavender, neroli and galbanum
The 5 of Cups in Love & Relationships
Jealousy or power plays could have driven two lovers apart as this card signifies an element of loss and regret. If this card comes up in a reading for a couple still living together, it could signify that someone is paying way too high a price for the presence of the other. Relationship counselling would be a good next move. Unless you acknowledge your present feeling state, the relationship has no hope of mending.
Single and looking
In a reading for a single person, this card usually indicates the need for some serious heart-healing and shadow work before they are ready to move on and start dating again.
Take me to the Angelic Tarot Card Meanings Index
