“First best is falling in love. Second best is being in love. Least best is falling out of love. But any of it is better than never having been in love.”
~ Maya Angelou
When the 2 of Cups shows up well dignified in a reading it almost always speaks of falling/being in love and ill-dignified (or reversed) about falling out of love. It is one of the cards people hope to see when they are reading about a potential future lover.
However, the 2 of Cups can also signify friendships or great emotional affinity and harmony between co-workers. It all depends on the question and surrounding cards.
Either way it is a card that can be placed directly over the heart chakra for emotional healing and restoration of peace and harmony, because the greatest love of all is the love is self-love. Why? Self-love is starting point for healthy (non-codependent) relationships that are based on friendship, respect and unconditional love.
Affirmation: “I open my heart to ever-increasing levels of self-love and trust that my relationships in the world reflect how much I love and honour myself.”
Two of Cups Prayer
Dear Mother-Father God (or whichever higher power you acknowledge), thank you for opening the eyes of my heart. From love was I born and to love I return. May all my relationships be loving and true. So mote it be!
Correspondences for the Two of Cups
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Planet: Mercury
Archangel: Gabriel (Moon/Cancer) and Raphael (Mercury)
Gemstone: Selenite, rose quartz and green aventurine
Scent: Lilac and rose
The 2 of Cups in Love and Relationships
In some ways the 2 of Cups serves to illustrate the concept of relating because here we find, for the first time on our journey through the Minors, deep emotional heart-to-heart relating and intimacy.
This card symbolises reciprocal love – the beloved beholding and being beheld by the beloved. Because of the intensity of this experience, lovers in love easily get lost to the world.
The shadow aspect of this card is the ‘clinging vine syndrome’ and co-dependency. The antidote is to develop a strong sense of self.
A relationship under the auspice of the 2 of Cups signifies two people who are willing to yield and compromise. Their own needs become subordinate to the need of communion with the beloved. On the flip side, these two might be compromising their core needs, in which case this state will be limited in time.
In an intimate setting, this card symbolises gazing into the eyes of the beloved and also having a feeling of completely merging with the beloved in a kiss.