Tarot Tutorial: King of Cups Meaning

Ain't nobody got time for being emotionally repressed, least of all this king. The King of Cups is confident enough in his masculinity to handle big emotions, and he's remarkably savvy at intuiting what's going on with the people closest to him. He's most def a lover, not a fighter. Romance and romantic gestures come easily to him, and he has a way of making the person he's with feel very heard. The King of Cups is also linked to Water signs, so they can represent an adult born under Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. 

Remember, court cards don't always refer to a specific gender or even to a specific person. Sometimes they show up as a nudge from the Universe when it's time to embody aspects of the royal in question. All the Kings represent a mature and outward focus, and the suit of cups is tied strongly to emotions and intuition. Whether the issues involve love or romance, it's time to get real with how you feel and act accordingly. 

King of Cups Meaning in a Love Reading 

Did this romantic royal make a guest appearance in a love reading? You love to see it! Especially if the question had to do with a potential partner's feelings towards you. The King of Cups meaning in a love spread can indicate that the person in question is a demonstrative lover, ready and able to give love in a mature manner. Lucky you! This person isn't a game player. Genuine emotional connection is a high priority for them. 

If the card comes up in a position representing you, consider it a call to see how you can be more upfront in showing your love. This is not a point to hold back your real feelings for someone! You are being called to be honestly expressive, or at the very least, you need to get more comfortable with owning up to your emotions. That includes your emotional needs in a relationship. 

Did the King of Cups come up reversed? Then you need to start thinking about things that are holding either you or your partner back from keeping things 100% with each other. The fact that His Majesty is in the reading means there's something to work with in the relationship, but you also gotta be real about the stuff that isn't clicking either. 

The King of Cups reversed in a love reading can be an indication of someone holding back either in affection or some bit of information that could strongly impact the quality of the relationship. If you know the one keeping things plugged up is you, sis, cut that nonsense out. You're only sabotaging yourself. If it's your lover, then it's def time to have a heart to heart so your relationship can live up to its full potential. 

King of Cups in a Future Reading 

Traditionally, all the court cards are supposed to represent people. This being the 21rst century, the king doesn't always equal male, as much as it indicates an individual with a more outward (as opposed to inner) focus. The King of Cups could mean that a very emotionally expressive or intuitively adept person is about to come into your life or that someone born under a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) will take a larger role in your life in the future. 

OK, so maybe you didn't specifically ask about romance, but emotional expression follows wherever the King of Cups goes. The most straightforward way for this energy to manifest is either in a new relationship or a period of growth in your current relationship. But romantic love is hardly the only way this card can express its energy. The King of Cups coming into your future could be a mentor or a wise older person who teaches you how to better work with your own intuitive gifts by being a great example of someone who does that well. If the card is in a position that represents you, it can tell you that there is an opportunity for you to express intuitive or psychic gifts more fully.   

If the King of Cups comes up in a future reading reversed, take that as a sign to be extra attentive to what your intuition is telling you. Someone who understands emotions might be coming into your life soon—but are they using their powers of understanding for good? Or in a way that will have a good outcome for you? The reversed King of Cups could have their own agenda for how they want things to play out. Since this king is really good at emotional manipulation, you must do regular reality checks. If the reversed King of Cups comes up in a spot representing you, you might need to do some heavy thinking about the long-term emotional impact your actions will have on others. 

King of Cups Meaning in a Career Reading 

With work-life balance becoming more of a priority for people, seeing the King of Cups turning up in a career reading can mean some good news. This king may take the form of a co-worker who makes the office environment much more chill. Perhaps they act as an unofficial office parent, providing emotional support or career mentoring. This card might also indicate a need to communicate with a co-worker known for their intuition and deep insight. Their input might be exactly what you need for the current project you are working on. This can also simply refer to a workplace that has a warm and genuinely nurturing vibe. 

If the King of Cups represents you in a career reading, it might signal a need for you to approach a problem more intuitively. It might feel totes uncomfortable—especially if your comfort zone involves being more analytical or detached—but finding a good solution or resolution to a work issue might involve sussing out the underlying emotions. If intuition and emotional thinking aren't normally part of your wheelhouse, then def bring in an ally to help you sort through things. 

If the King of Cups is reversed in a career reading, consider it a drama llama alert! Someone is letting their emotions about a situation cloud their judgment or just stirring up bad vibes where they have no place to be. It's still a situation that will require high EQ over IQ, so you need to be honest with yourself as you wade into the issue. If this reversed King of Cups represents you in the reading, it's time to ask yourself if you are using passive aggression instead of clear communication to deal with an issue. If so, stop! That -ish isn't worth the time or petty satisfaction you get from it, and it could torpedo your career in the long run. 

Final Thoughts

Still wondering what the presence of this powerful royal points to in a tarot reading? We gotchu! Our Tarot Experts have got the skills to go deep when you need answers about love, career, or anything else that's been weighing on your mind. See how their insight can have you moving in the right direction to manifest the life of your dreams.