Seven of Cups Tarot Card Meaning
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Seven of Cups |
Eight of Cups |
General Meaning
When the Seven of Cups card appears in a tarot spread, it suggests a pause; it advises against making any decisions at this stage due to a high risk of error. When thoughts are in disarray, it is impossible to make the right choice. This card serves as a final warning before a looming disaster. Hopes may remain unfulfilled, desires unattainable, and success may be nothing more than an illusion, bringing about sobering realities, disappointment, and losses.
Card Motto
In the situation of choice, seek the golden mean between heart and mind.
by Marta Winter
Core Card Meanings Seven of Cups
Description and Symbols of the Card Seven of Cups
This tarot card portrays a person meticulously choosing among the gifts symbolized by the seven cups floating in wispy clouds. The contents of the cups represent certain gifts of Fate, depicted as images: wealth, love, inspiration, fame...
The person in the tarot card appears both mesmerized and bewildered, their eyes dazzled by the wealth of possibilities. However, the tantalizing and appealing imagery is too beautiful to be true...
Meaning in Upright Position
The Seven of Cups card symbolizes a situation of confusion, uncertainty, and a foggy future. In this tarot arcana, there's always a degree of self-deception or false promises from others, a disconnection from reality. Are you mistaking your desires for reality? And are you chasing after mirages?
Perhaps you've fallen into a fantasy trap, soothing yourself with sweet dreams and magical tales, yet you lack the desire or the means to actualize these dreams? Or is the range of your desires so vast that you can't settle on one thing, endlessly swapping one promising opportunity for another, like a fashionista changing outfits, indulging in illusions? Or have you fallen victim to idealism?
In the sphere of love, the Seven of Cups tarot card can warn of dishonesty, betrayal, or a partner not living up to your dreams. You're idealizing your loved one, willfully wearing "rose-colored glasses," unwilling to face reality.
This edited reality is nothing more than an illusion of happiness. The appearance of the Seven of Cups tarot suggests: the sooner you shake off the euphoria of infatuation and come back down to earth, the less painful the moment of enlightenment will be!
Key Meanings of the Upright Seven of Cups Card
- Imaginary success, daydreaming, vain hopes, unrealistic dreams, play of imagination.
- Temptions, pandering to desires, intense and immoderate emotions.
- Bewilderment, confusion, challenging choice, inner conflict, unclear motives.
- Instability, lack of realism, delusions, misjudgment of the situation.
Reversed Position
The reversed Seven of Cups card indicates a sensible choice. You've shed illusions and misconceptions, you're not building castles in the air, your plans are realistic and grounded in reality, thus having every chance of coming true. The appearance of the reversed Seven of Cups card in a reading points out that you're full of determination and sincere desire to achieve your goals, skillfully controlling your emotions, correctly setting priorities, and persistently and actively moving in the right direction.
The appearance of the reversed Seven of Cups tarot card in a reading is also a great sign, foretelling the emergence of new prospects and enticing opportunities in your life. Be prepared to seize every single one of them, scoop success with a full spoon, and implement the boldest projects!
Key Meanings of the Reversed Seven of Cups Card
- Strong will, drive for success, correct choice among several options, certainty.
- New prospects and opportunities, beginning of a successful project.
- A drive to move forward, inspiration, creative uplift.
Meaning in Love Readings
In love spreads, the upright Seven of Cups card suggests that you're lost in the clouds and harboring illusions about your partner. You might be blissfully happy now precisely because you can't soberly assess reality, but this happiness is a poison that carries with it the regret of unfulfilled hopes.
One of you is being dishonest in the relationship, or overly idealizing the object of their dreams, endowing them with nonexistent qualities. This resembles being infatuated with an unattainable ideal, where fantasies outnumber realities.
In the reversed position, the meaning of the card changes to the opposite, indicating the shedding of illusions and overcoming a crisis in a relationship.
When Reading for a Suitor or Loved One
In a reading for a suitor or partner, the upright card indicates that your chosen one is a person of desires and temptations. They find it difficult to make a life-long choice, thus they prefer to enjoy their freedom, sifting through possible options.
The reversed card signifies that in love, your chosen one is passionate, but goal-oriented. They aspire to long-term relationships, and therefore, despite the temptations, they can control their desires.
Reading for Money, Career
In business readings, the Seven of Cups card speaks of ill-considered plans and intrigues. It's a situation where money can be earned and lost equally easily through manipulations by people, deception, and mistaking the desired for the real.
One might find themselves involved in dubious and utopian projects that bring no profit, or they may secure a loan with exorbitant interest rates that become impossible to repay later on. Given the distorted perception of reality, it's better not to take any active actions during this period.
When reversed, the meaning of the card changes to the opposite, indicating clarity of vision and realistic goal-setting.
Reading for a Person
When reading for a person, the upright card is interpreted as a dreamy and creative individual, with a rich inner world and a penchant for fantasy. At times, they may find it difficult to orient themselves in what's happening around them: their perceptions of reality are quite unique.
When the card is reversed, it represents a highly emotional and imaginative person with a developed fantasy. Many alluring paths lie before them, but they have not yet decided which one to choose.
Reading for Advice
In the upright position, the card advises you to come down from the heavens to earth: your dreams and castles in the air are nice, but it's better to replace them with real actions.
Appearing in a reversed position in the spread, the card advises you to make a decision regarding a certain matter you already know. Trust that once the choice is made, everything will fall into place.
Reading for Outcome
If the card appears upright, the forecast for your situation is ambiguous. Temptations and unattainable dreams might hinder you. It's time to stop building castles in the air and start engaging in real actions.
When the card is reversed, the forecast for your situation is favorable. You will be able to concentrate your efforts on a single goal and achieve what you desire as a result.
Meanings In Combination with All Tarot Cards
Major Arcana Combinations
With the 0 card, The Fool – Excessive fascination, detachment from reality, unrealizable dreams.
With the 1 card, The Magician — Unjustified ambitions, excessive dreaminess, bitter experience.
With the 2 card, The High Priestess — Indecision, delay in finding a solution, suffering from overthinking.
In combination with the 3 card, The Empress — Hopes for the future, overestimating possibilities, empty dreaminess.
With the 4 card, The Emperor — Seeing the perspective, contemplating expansion, learning about an exclusive technology.
With the 5 card, The Hierophant — Getting stuck in illusions, a game of imagination, high hopes.
With the 6 card, The Lovers — A new approach to solving a complex situation, deceptive simplicity, escaping from reality.
With the 7 card, The Chariot — Setting a goal, lack of patience, starting to plan for the future.
With the 8 card, Strength — Influence of others, empty promises, attempt to profit using authority.
With the 9 card, The Hermit — Feeling grace, comprehending something unusual, receiving guidance or revelation (not always true).
With the 10 card, Wheel of Fortune — Surveying the horizon, evaluating possibilities, receiving missing information.
With the 11 card, Justice — Imposed choice, getting into a system, someone else's plan.
With the 12 card, The Hanged Man — Losing an opportunity, shattered dreams, unrealized proposals.
With the 13 card, Death — The collapse of illusions, harsh reality, hopes were not fulfilled.
With the 14 card, Temperance — Strengthening in intentions and desires, seeing the long-term perspective, turning desired into reality.
With the 15 card, The Devil — Chasing freebies, dream intoxicated, a wastrel or a windbag.
With the 16 card, The Tower — Dangerous plans, foggy consciousness, escapism or schizophrenia.
With the 17 card, The Star — Falling out of reality, getting intoxicated with prospects, wanting everything at once.
With the 18 card, The Moon — Being a dreamer, lack of practice, hoping that everything will sort itself out.
With the 19 card, The Sun — Test of resilience, there's a catch in the situation, too many opportunities, confusion.
With the 20 card, Judgment — Secret vices and desires, procrastinating with decision, being under pressure.
With the 21 card, The World — Living with hopes for future successes, overlooking real problems, a period of detachment from the world.
Wands Suit Combinations
With the Ace of Wands — Being deceived by predictions, a false picture of success, theory without practice.
With the Two of Wands — Beginning of planning, contemplating ideas, inexplicable inspiration.
With the Three of Wands — Reaching a dead-end, infantilism or escape from problems, an unrealized task.
With the Four of Wands — Feeling of unreality in what is happening, dazzling prospects, exaggerated expectations.
With the Five of Wands — Ideological conflict, promoting one's own views, defending a dream.
With the Six of Wands — Unexplored territory, new profession or role, requiring fresh knowledge.
With the Seven of Wands — Getting bogged down in delusions, daydreaming, illusions, or false hope.
With the Eight of Wands — Unrealizable dreams, dangerous choices, negative outcome, hiding one's thoughts.
With the Nine of Wands — Lowering vigilance, hallucinations or visions, seclusion.
With the Ten of Wands — Unrealizable dreams, living in an illusory world, heavy dependency.
With the Page of Wands — Great opportunities or prospects, contemplating a career or profession, having bright hopes.
With the Knight of Wands — Discrepancy between desires and reality, being disorganized, hasty actions, desiring quick success.
With the Queen of Wands — Illusory confidence, unconfirmed data, a dubious enterprise.
With the King of Wands — Immersing oneself in one's own thoughts or plans, multiple vague prospects, abuses and bad habits.
Swords Suit Combinations
With the Ace of Swords — Overcoming personal complexes or insecurities, choosing a life path, preserving spontaneity.
With the Two of Swords — Sudden enthusiasm, choosing a new project or hobby, a minor pause on the journey.
With the Three of Swords — Getting rid of illusions, expectations not being met, becoming more mature due to difficult circumstances.
With the Four of Swords — Lack of motivation, seclusion, immersion in illusions.
With the Five of Swords — Discrepancy between desires and possibilities, lack of leadership qualities, distrust from colleagues or friends.
With the Six of Swords — Hoping for a vacation, expecting a journey, problems with moving or relocation.
With the Seven of Swords — Sudden success, gaining useful knowledge, inventing an unusual scheme.
With the Eight of Swords — Getting entangled in daydreams, negative dependencies, ending up in unfamiliar conditions or circumstances.
With the Nine of Swords — Losing opportunities, dealing with dramatically changed circumstances, internal conflict or nervous exhaustion.
With the Ten of Swords — Becoming disillusioned with illusions, the end of a familiar life, insurmountable problems.
With the Page of Swords — Spreading false ideas, dangerous convictions, not seeing the true picture of events.
With the Knight of Swords — Short-sightedness, promoting controversial ideals, being categorical and romantic.
With the Queen of Swords — Unreliable information, rumors, requiring professional help.
With the King of Swords — Abusing power, feeling of being above the rules and consequences, an illusion of invulnerability.
Seven of Cups and Swords Suit Combinations
With the Two of Cups — Dreaming of harmonious relationships, fantasizing about love or admiration, hoping to make new friends.
With the Three of Cups — A creative gathering, seeking inspiration, gathering like-minded individuals, sharing a common idea.
With the Four of Cups — Rejecting unattainable dreams and desires, being a realist or pessimist, having a narrow perspective.
With the Five of Cups — Losing inspiration, unattainable dreams, lack of a creative approach.
With the Six of Cups — Living in the past, indulging in childhood memories, being idealistic and naive.
With the Eight of Cups — A creative and sensitive personality, a modest dreamer, unsatisfied ambitions.
With the Nine of Cups — The ability to apply imagination, enthusiasm, and playfulness, being an excellent storyteller.
With the Ten of Cups — Dreams of a happy family life, hope for a bright future, seeing oneself as a parent figure.
With the Page of Cups — Talkativeness, overly optimistic perspectives, the desire to share dreams or involve others in the creative process.
With the Knight of Cups — Inspiration, the gift of applying imagination in life, pursuing an unconventional profession, being a storyteller.
With the Queen of Cups — Justified hopes, friendliness, the ability to captivate the listener and socialize.
With the King of Cups — Divine inspiration, global thinking or problem-solving vision, the ability to detach from complexities.
Pentacles Suit Combinations
With the Ace of Pentacles — Dreams of wealth, possible deception, thinking that something valuable has been acquired.
With the Two of Pentacles — Not considering the long-term perspective, frivolity and carelessness, living a lavish lifestyle.
With the Three of Pentacles — Lack of work experience, professional shortcomings and misconceptions, lack of diligence.
With the Four of Pentacles — Earning through inspiration, the labor of a writer or artist, dealing with art objects.
With the Five of Pentacles — Being ruined due to foolishness, failing to notice inevitable problems, being infantile and unprepared to live in the real world.
With the Six of Pentacles — Being penniless, a naive person, a retiree, or a disabled individual.
With the Seven of Pentacles — Having illusions about investments, desiring to live off dividends, studying bank deposits.
With the Eight of Pentacles — A creative environment, productive work, enthusiasm, and energy.
With the Nine of Pentacles — Leisure time, intellectual relaxation, idleness, and amusement.
With the Ten of Pentacles — Romanticizing relationships, hoping for family connections, dreaming of mutual understanding.
With the Page of Pentacles — An unreliable investment, risking one's savings, considering oneself self-sufficient.
With the Knight of Pentacles — Dreaming of a swift promotion, believing in false promises, getting carried away and missing out on a profitable opportunity.
With the Queen of Pentacles — Making money from art, having a valuable collection, using someone else's inspiration.
With the King of Pentacles — A wealthy actor, writer, or other creative worker, a charming older suitor.
Example Interpretation In a Daily Spread
A Card Has Fallen for You Seven of Cups? This Signifies:
Today, you will be faced with a choice. Several tempting opportunities or options will arise, and by choosing one, you automatically give up all the others. This choice could involve anything: ways to spend your weekend or vacation, how to spend a significant sum of money, or even determining which of the contenders for your heart is more to your liking.
However, the card of the day advises against rushing into making a decision. You still have time to think. Take advantage of it to ensure that your choice is the best one and genuinely brings you joy.