King of Cups Tarot Card Meaning

Minor Arcana

Upright Keywords

Yes. Compassionate, Balanced, Wise, Calm

Reversed Keywords

No. Out of Control, Destructive, Imbalanced, Toxic

Key Associations

Element: Water

Number: King

Planet: Jupiter

Zodiac: Scorpio

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Upright Meaning

The King of Cups represents the mastery of the emotional realm. He brings a powerful combination of compassion and clarity, demonstrating how to lead from a place of balanced integrity.

This King shows that when you integrate your heart and your head, your emotional depth becomes a source of profound strength and influence.

Love & Relationships

This is what a mature, secure partnership looks like. In love, the King of Cups signifies a relationship where emotional depth is met with unwavering stability. Vulnerability is safe here.

Seek or cultivate a partnership that offers both passionate connection and reliable, steady presence. This is the kind of love that feels both exciting and safe.

Career & Finances

Compassionate leadership is your key to success. The King of Cups encourages you to make decisions that honor the human element of your work. When you lead with both wisdom and care, you inspire fierce loyalty and creativity.

Your ability to remain calm and composed, even in a crisis, makes you a grounding presence for your team. For more tips on holding this kind of space, consult our guide on how to do a tarot reading.

Health & Spirituality

True wellness involves integrating all parts of yourself. The King of Cups reminds you that acknowledging and processing your emotions is a vital part of your physical healing journey.

There's a myth I had to unlearn: that being 'strong' meant ignoring my feelings. The King teaches that true strength lies in facing your emotions with compassion and clarity.

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Reversed Meaning

When the King is reversed, there’s a disconnect between what you're feeling on the inside and what you're showing on the outside. This can manifest as emotional suppression, moodiness, or passive-aggressive behavior.

The work here is to bring your inner world and your outer expression back into alignment. Authentic and direct communication is the path forward.

Love & Relationships

Are you using emotional control as a shield against true intimacy? The reversed King of Cups can point to a fear of vulnerability that keeps others at a distance. Your composure might be a mask.

Real connection requires you to let your guard down. Honest, vulnerable expression is what truly heals and deepens a relationship.

Career & Finances

Unexpressed feelings could be subtly sabotaging your work life. This reversal warns that suppressed emotions can leak out sideways, creating tension or influencing your decisions in unconscious ways.

Bringing appropriate emotional honesty into a professional context can clear the air and build trust. Authentic leadership requires self-awareness.

Health & Spirituality

Your body might be keeping the score. The reversed King of Cups can indicate physical symptoms that are a manifestation of emotional suppression. Your unexpressed feelings are finding another way to get your attention.

Make attending to your emotional world a non-negotiable part of your healing path. Gentle acknowledgment is the first step to release.

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