The King of Cups is a card about emotional intelligence and resiliency.
Hit play below to listen to the audio lesson, or scroll down to read the text version.
Here are a few key things to know about the card:
Traditionally, the King of Cups represents emotional intelligence, empathy, and compassion. The King of Cups is a master of their emotions and has a deep understanding of the emotional landscape of those around them - that’s how the King is able to stay afloat in as the ocean moves around them.
I often think of this card as a bit of a lighthouse - a safe place amongst the chaos of life. When you draw it in a reading, ask yourself - what is keeping me afloat right now? In what ways am I keeping myself afloat, and in what ways might I be lighthouse for someone else?
But while the King can - and in the imagery of this card does - use their emotional intelligence and maturity to stay afloat, the figure is also comfortable diving below the surface - into the scary, deep stuff.
Just look at the figure’s feet - they are scaled, almost as if the King would go full-on mer-person the second they slid into the water, suggesting the King isn’t emotionally mature simply because they can keep their head above water. This King is emotionally mature because they can exist simultaneously above and below. There’s a flexibility, a fluidity here that’s deeply important when it comes to dealing with our feelings - and the feelings of others. We’ve got to find a way to breathe underwater so we don’t drown in the sea of our own complexity.
In your tarot journal, you’re asked to reflect on what this card means to you, now, in this moment, and what actions and thoughts it inspires in you. As you journal, pay attention to what you’re personally picking up in the card, but also consider what the key symbols and themes in the card might be telling you. Where do you need to stay afloat, and where do you need to dive deep? What are the lighthouses in your life, and what are the hidden depths worth exploring?
This mini-tarot lesson was brought to you by me, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, founder of Pip Cards Tarot. I hope you gained a little context to help you continue reflecting on the card in your own way, and I’ll see you tomorrow for another mini-lesson.