TAROT CARDS: FIVE OF CUPS
In the end, everything will be okay. If it's not okay, it's not yet the end."
Fernando Sabino
DESCRIPTION
Far away from home, beside a river, a man in a long black cape is staring at the three cups that have been knocked over. His back is turned away from the other two that is still standing. Cups represents his emotions and here in this card; instead of looking at the positives in his life, he focuses on the painful ordeals of the past.
Here we are with another card of self-imposed rut. The Five of Cups represents old wounds that are still stealing from the happy moments of the future and pushing down the hurt and disappointment rather than processing it in a healthy way.
The Five of Cups represents being emotionally devastated by a loss, regret or break up. There’s no denying the hurt it caused, but there is always a choice to move forward. One way to release yourself from this mindset is to stop asking 'what if's' or thinking 'if only's'.
When the Five of Cups shows up, you need to put things into perspective. Zoom out on the present struggle and focus in on the big picture. From this point of view, you will see that you are never as hopeless or powerless as you think.
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Number 5 represents adaptable thinking, freedom and openness to the new.
Five of Cups Keywords
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- Disappointment
- Dwelling in the past
- Negative mindset
- Loss
UPRIGHT
REVERSED
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- Letting go
- Need to move on
- Hesitance to make a change
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Upright Five of Cups
Guidance: Grief is a natural response to loss. Even if you choose to repress your emotions, eventually you must face them in order to heal. This is the moment the Five of Cups is talking about. Help yourself to move on by embracing change, forgive the ways that you were wronged, and always treat yourself with love, compassion, and understanding. Allow yourself to see each day as a new opportunity to create something better.
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Love: The Five of Cups heralds a heartbreak in the past. Perhaps you still hold resentment and anger. Perhaps you think you can never find happiness again. Or perhaps you wish you could turn back time and make different choices. These are some of the feelings you need to explore when the Five of Cups appears. Whether it is a break-up, divorce or getting over an ex, it is not the end of things. Let go of the old, embrace the new.
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Work/Finances: The Five of Cups is surely an unwelcome card to get in the context of work and finances, signifying disappointment, loss and regret. However, you should not let it consume you to the point of denying the opportunities and success the future holds. Every success story is written on the point of turning mistakes and failures into valuable lessons.
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Health: Regardless of what you are going through, The Five of Cups invites you to escape the prison of negative mindset. You will allow more healing to happen by simply changing your perspective. If you feel like no one can truly understand what you are going through, remember that it is this negativity talking. Surround yourself with positive people who love and support you. If you haven’t experienced improvement in your health or desired results yet, you may be putting too much of your focus on negative thoughts.
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Spirituality: The Five of Cups points to a time when you are overwhelmed by negative emotions: anger, guilt, sadness or loneliness. Life is an ever-changing and evolving journey. Every beginning has an end. Sometimes an unexpected end pushes us out of our comfort zone when we are not ready. But no matter how much you resist; you can’t keep living in yesterday. This card tells you that forgiveness is vital when it comes to finding closure.
Guidance: Life has thrown you a curveball. Understandably you felt hurt, shocked and disappointed. But that’s what life does. It changes, sometimes for the good and sometimes bad. You need to remember that change itself is not bad- but resisting to it is. Only by releasing yourself from the old and allowing yourself to heal you can find the freedom to flow in life.
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Love: Reversal of the Five of Cups often means that the ghosts of the past are still haunting you. If you find that your heart no longer feels complete, it is because you are still tied to the past for some reason. Figure out what you don’t want to let go, why you don’t allow yourself to forgive and love again. It is up to you to move on and be happy again, not anyone else. Now is the time to break the self-imposed boundaries of isolation.
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Work/Finances: The Five of Cups reversed suggests hesitance to learn, adapt and change. Perhaps you want to get back what you lost, reach the success of your dreams or have a better job. In any case, the solution is always you. You are the one that will take you from here to there, where you want to be. So, don’t run away from the problems, face them fearlessly. Accept the responsibilities and the uncertainty that comes with embracing the future. Don’t dwell on the past financial losses or mistakes, learn from them.
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Health: The reversed meaning of the card is same as the upright; only this time you prolong the negative thinking even further. The situation you are in calls for implementing healthy changes and behaviours. Don’t get frustrated when your recovery takes time. Instead, honour your healing process by staying positive and patient throughout.
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Spirituality: When life forces you out of your comfort zone, it can be challenging to understand the greater reason behind it. If you divert your attention from the negative emotions and look deep within, you will see a resilient, adaptable, strong soul. And from that moment on, you are ready to turn your greatest pain into your greatest strength.
