Ace of Cups
Tarot Card meaning
The Ace of Cups tarot card symbolizes the essence of love, budding romance, contentment with life, and a sense that wonderful potential is waiting just around the corner.
Keywords:
~ essence of love
~ simple joy
~ emotional contentment
~ beginning of a new phase
~ romantic potential
Reversed:
~ potential for a new beginning just around the corner
~ seeds of love planted but not yet blooming
~ refusal to look on the bright side
~ unimpressed by the smalls joys of life
The Aces in the tarot represent fresh new beginnings. They show the pure potential available now to start something new. This could be a completely new project, habit, goal, relationship, or mindset. Alternatively, an ace can appear in a reading to highlight your ability to reset or restart on something that you have already begun. Either way, an Ace means that now is a great time to start fresh.
The Cups cards in the tarot represent water and the realm of the heart. Cups cards indicate love, deep feelings, important relationships, and emotional connections. They also highlight intuition and listening to your most heartfelt desires. There is a sense of flow, like water, within the suit of Cups.
Combining the meaning of the Aces and of the Cups, the Ace of Cups speaks of new beginnings emerging that concern matters of love, relationships, and feelings. It can be an emotional time when you are struck with intense feelings, especially positive emotions. It’s not uncommon to have a tear spring to your eye simply pondering the wonder and beauty of the world.
Usually a welcome addition to any tarot reading, the Ace of Cups may bring a smile to your face every time you pull it. It just feels good to believe that life is full of potential for love and positivity. Holding the belief that good things can happen (and will!) gets you more than halfway to actually having good things happen. We manifest what we believe is possible, so it is important to believe that love, connection, and good feelings are possible for you.
The Ace of Cups is unconditional love. It is the oneness that the Buddha points towards. It is what connects and brings us all together. It is the solution and the answer to all the strife and loneliness in the world. When we love without conditions, freely, openly, and with vulnerability, we can change the world. When you pull the Ace of Cups in a reading, ask yourself how you are showing up with love in your heart to make the world a better place.
Of course, the Ace of Cups can indicate romantic love. This is a great sign if you’re looking for romantic relationship advice. If you’re looking for a relationship, the Ace of Cups advises you to keep your heart open and have faith that there is a good partner for you. If you’re in a relationship, this card is an indication that deep love can be found in the relationship. If you’re in the middle of a breakup, this Ace can mean that you are doing what is right for you, believing that real love is possible and you need to show it to yourself doing what is right for you.
The Ace of Cups isn’t just about romantic love, though, as it is the very essence of love. It is how you relate to all that you encounter in your day-to-day life with the ability to see the bright side, to see the wonder, to see how everything is connected. Bask in the simple joy that we are all interrelated and interdependent upon the planet and our relationships with each other that heal or harm the world in which we live. Choose to see how we are all connected and our differences dim in comparison to what we share.
Ace of Cups reversed:
Oftentimes with the Ace of Cups reversed, all it means is that the possibilities outlined above with the upright card, are just around the corner. You’re not quite ready for the new beginning. Seeds have been planted but nothing is ready to sprout just yet. Your fresh start is coming but you’ll need to be patient and wait a little bit longer. The advice here is to keep yourself open and wait with grace.
In the meantime, make sure you’re not blocking your flow in some way and preventing your fresh start. So often we have blindspots or unconscious patterns that keep us stuck in old ways of loving and understanding love. This self-sabotaging behaviors are notoriously hard to root out and uncover. Look to the other cards in the reading to see if they give an inclination about where or how you are blocking your ability to love and move on to a new phase. In a single card reading, the block with the Ace of Cups reversed is generally fear of love. Make a list of everything you are afraid will happen if you let love be pure, new, and present in your life.
The reversed Ace of Cups can also be an indication that you are unable ot connect with the joys of life at the present. You can’t see what all the fuss is about when it comes to happiness, being in loving relationship with others, and loving and accepting yourself. This may be a brief low as you work through difficulties, experience a drop lull in your life force energy, or go through a breakup in a relationship.
Give yourself time if you are blue. It is okay to not be always up in life. We are cyclical beings and can’t live on level 10 indefinitely. There is nothing wrong with taking a break and resting as you recover from a particularly bad fall from the heights of euphoria. If you depression continues for longer than normal for you, or you are concerned for your mental health, find a good therapist of psychologist to help you through your difficult time. We all need help sometimes, and matters of the heart need professional care, just the same as any bodily illness or injury.
The good news with the reversed Ace of Cups is that the potential for a new beginning in matters of the heart is indicated, even if it isn’t happening right now. Whether is just a matter of waiting with patience for seeds of love to sprout or needing to do significant healing work before you can move onto a new phase, either way you’re not with a light at the end of the tunnel. Your time of joy will come, especially if you remain open to all of the possibilities that life holds.
Cups Tarot Card Combinations with the Ace of Cups
Ace of Cups + II of Cups = It’s love! A budding romance is ready to become a partnership or go to the next level in some way. If you’ve been meaning to have a talk with your significant other about being exclusive, moving in together, or getting married, now is the time for a fruitful and loving discussion. If the partnership that is coming up for you now is more business focused, you will both need to make sure your hearts are fully dedicated to the business in order to commit to working together. This is also a good sign of success for romantic partners that want to work together. For any situation that involves making decisions with another and/or forming a partnership out of love, this combination is an excellent and welcome sign of harmony.
Ace of Cups + III of Cups = Deep, meaningful friendship is of the utmost importance now. It’s time to call your besties, make some good hang out plans, and appreciate each other. Ask questions and listen with an open heart. Bask in the joy and wonder that is close friendship. If you aren’t able to get together with your friends now, consider reaching out in some other way- a phone call or card in the mail are the most meaningful ways. You can also heal friendships that are broken at this time by expressing your love and affection for your estranged people. Be honest about your feelings and open a compassionate dialogue. Lastly, there can be a tendency to overindulge with this combo, so be especially cognizant about what you put into your body. You want to treat yourself with the same loving kindness that you treat your friends.
Ace of Cups + IV of Cups = Ignoring signs of love is easy to do when you’re focused on other things. Ask yourself if you’re letting something good pass you by, a possible love connection, because you’re unwilling to dedicate the time and space that love requires of you now. It could be that love just isn’t a priority for you, but at least give yourself the gift of acknowledging that directly instead of not even looking at the love that is on offer. There are very few times in life when love isn’t the most important thing, so you better have a good reason for not putting your heart first. If it’s a fear of commitment and forming meaningful connection with another, that is something that you should look into. No one can do life alone, no matter how much you may wish it were otherwise.
Ace of Cups + V of Cups = Feelings of regret or pain over past love have you questioning if you can open your heart again. No one is denying your pain or trying to gloss over it. Some really shitty things happened and it’s natural to feel regret, whether you were the one who messed up or the one that was messed with, both are tough. The Ace is here to offer you a new chance though, a fresh start to try for love again. Are you going to let past trauma stop you from trying again or are you going to learn important lessons from what happened before and do it differently this time around? The choice is up to you. The struggle may be intense, but you are resilient and strong. Your heart can heal if you put in the effort to face your pain. Please, find professional help if your pain can’t be faced alone.
Ace of Cups + VI of Cups = There is a tendency to get caught up in the past. Nostalgic pining for lost love grabs your attention again and again. You constantly find yourself reminiscing about old romances, remembering the good old days with a glow in your heart. You may even lean towards the melodramatic and sigh that you will never love again like you did in the past. Your heart has gone through too many trials and tribulations to ever be so open again. Maybe you’re thinking about the one who got away, a particularly poignant time of love in your life that feels like it could never happen again. It’s fine to take a happy stroll down memory lane, just remember that anything is possible and the future is full of potential. It may be that while you’re looking over your shoulder idealizing past experiences, you’re missing out on the amazingness of the present. Even if you have one foot in the past, remember to keep the other in the present.
Ace of Cups + VII of Cups = There are so many options for exploring love and feelings at this time. You really have a great opportunity to discover and unearth possibility. If you’re looking for a lover, this is a time of plenty, when you’re spoiled for choice. Of course, there’s no telling if the options are any good, but with an open heart, it’s a great time to find out. Just keep in mind that some people and situations are not what they may seem. You may have a particular fantasy in mind that is unrealistic or impossible. Be wary of anyone who fulfills all your daydreams, they are probably trying to manipulate your willingness to love to take advantage of you. Yes to being open to love, but also a yes to being discerning about which lovers are real and which are false starts or illusions. If you’re already in a relationship, it’s time to explore some of those fantasies that you’ve been keeping to yourself. Have the courage of heart to open up and share now. Give your love the option of meeting your needs instead of daydreaming about some other prince charming coming to fix your problems.
Ace of Cups + VIII of Cups = It’s time for a mindset shift about what love means to you. You can no longer believe in fairy tales and are on a quest to understand and experience authentic love. You need to walk away from long held beliefs about love that have been instilled into you by experience. Remember, just because love unfolded for you in one way during the past, that doesn’t mean that it will always happen that way. There are other possiblities for how love can manifest and now is the time to soul search, unearth your shadow beliefs, and decide to believe something new. These big changes are internal but a trip or journey of some kind will help you learn these lessons. It’s a great time to go on a retreat or soul searching quest to a favorite place or somewhere that holds meaning for you to explore. Don’t be afraid of the profundity of love, you are strong enough to handle the depths.
Ace of Cups + IX of Cups = Dreams come true! Your cup overflows with love at this time! This combination is perhaps the most lucky of card combinations as your deep desire to know pure love is realized. However you have been hoping and wishing to give and receive love, now is the time that that dream can manifest. Remember to practice gratitude and deeply notice all that you have now. Times like these do not come as often as we’d hope, so don’t blink and miss it. It could be as quick as a bubble of joy that makes your heart want to burst, or it could be a long spell of dreamy days. Either is a welcome experience that can lighten your heart and make you more resilient to future difficulties. If things seem too good to be true, just remember that you do deserve times of bliss. It can’t last forever, life is change and this too shall pass, but why not enjoy it while it’s here! Don’t succumb to the notion that it’s better not to get what you want because losing it will hurt too much. Instead, live in the moment, knowing life is offering you a fleeting blessing, and you’re resilient enough to deal with the future whatever it may bring.
Ace of Cups + X of Cups = Deep contentment and peace is yours, drink it in. This is a time when joy is the seat of your heart. It seems like everything is in its place and all is right with the world. There is a more grounded and tranquil energy here than the combination of Ace of Cups and IX of Cups. The need to grasp and cling and count your lucky stars doesn’t feel so desperate and painfully joyous. The joy here is quiet and knowing. You understand that the peace of the present is a gift to embrace and welcome. It is a time to notice all that you love about your life, especially when it comes to relationships with your friends, family, neighbors, and community. Be generous with your abundance and spread your love all around. Love is a bottomless well, so there is no fear of running out or giving too much. As you give, you shall receive in equal measure as you delight in the wonder and joy of others.
Ace of Cups + Page of Cups = Messages and signs of love are all around you. Keep your eyes and your heart open. Expect to receive news either from your heart or any source that shows you what love means, how loved you are, and how you can increase your happiness. The more expectant you are of good news, the more likely you are to manifest something! The Page of Cups is very intuitive, so use your intuition to interpret the messages you receive at this time. The Page and the Ace are both indicators of fresh beginnings in love or in your emotional life, so look for ways to start anew or do a reset. You may be feeling more youthful and childlike- go with it! Have fun! Do something spontaneous and playful. Plant seeds to make play a more integral and normal part of your life going forward. Even when the Page and Ace of Cups energy recedes from your life, you can take some of this inspiration with you in the form of a new outlook on age, gender, love, possibility, and spontaneity.
Ace of Cups + Knight of Cups = You’re on a quest to build happiness and right now that means chasing your dreams. Now is the time to take the course of action that best follows your heart. Go for it! Put yourself out there! Try and actually create the life that you want instead of wishing and hoping that it will find you. The best way to live your best life is to actually get out there and live it. Still, be careful not to put on the rose-tinted glasses and see everything from it’s best angle. There is a great joy in optimism, but this combination can lead you astray if you’re not adding in a bit of realism. Love fiercely, but don’t love blindly. Go after the love that you want, but remember that no one is perfect (including you!) and you need to take the good with the bad. Know what your non-negotiables are and stick to your boundaries, even when your heart is saying to abandon all reason. It takes courage to show up authentically in our relationships. Be giving and open, but don’t be a doormat.
Ace of Cups + Queen of Cups = Your heart is a deep well of genuine and purposeful love. You know how to share of yourself with kindness and compassion at this time. You’re experiencing a deep maturity of feeling and in that maturing, learning to love without conditions. You’ve come a long way on your path towards understanding what the concept of unconditional love even means. So many of us grow up without experiencing it. Now it is your time to role model this generosity of spirit or finally receive it from someone you love. There is a deep healing quality to this combination. It can be a time of tranquility and peace, self-acceptance and self-love. Intuition is heightened. Trust your intuition and you will just inherently know what to do about a difficult situation and a choice that you need to make for the future. You’ll go down the path of honesty, generosity, kindness, and love.
Ace of Cups + King of Cups = Confidence in your ability to love extends out to creating a safe and loving environment for those around you. Now is the time to make grand speeches or gestures that inspire and bring people together. You have the ability to move hearts and minds, or be moved yourself. When something really matters to you, you’re able to keep going after it even when obstacles get in the way. You can own your power and move through the world with love, kindness, and acceptance and help others in the process. You’re able to connect people and help them see their commonalities. You can negotiate difficult interactions between disparate parties, finding shared ground for people to live and work together more harmoniously. When you see this combination, it is a great time to get out into your community and do civic engagement work. You’ll have the charisma and voice to explain to people what it means to actually share a world and care for it together.