Learn about the 5 of Cups Tarot card meaning

Keywords: Loss, Disappointment, Regret, Grief, Reflection, Healing, Acceptance
Meaning
The Five of Cups represents grief, regret, and focusing on what has been lost rather than what remains. It reflects moments of disappointment or emotional pain, when the heart feels heavy and healing seems distant. This card encourages you to acknowledge the loss but also to see the opportunities still standing. It is a reminder that healing and renewal are possible when you shift perspective toward hope.
Reversal Meaning
When reversed, the Five of Cups suggests a turning point in grief or disappointment. It signals the release of sorrow, the willingness to forgive, or the courage to move forward. The reversal offers hope, healing, and a new chapter after emotional difficulty.
Love
In love readings, the Five of Cups can indicate heartbreak, loss, or a relationship weighed down by regret. It may reflect struggles with forgiveness or difficulty letting go of past hurts. Reversed, it suggests healing, reconciliation, or renewed hope in love.
Career
In career readings, the Five of Cups may symbolize setbacks, missed opportunities, or disappointment at work. It encourages learning from mistakes and finding strength in resilience. Reversed, it points to recovery, new chances, and regaining confidence in your path.
Spiritual
Spiritually, the Five of Cups reflects the process of releasing sorrow and learning from loss. It encourages you to find wisdom in pain and to recognize that your spirit is stronger for enduring it. Reversed, it signals renewal, forgiveness, and the return of spiritual hope.
Symbolism
- Spilled Cups – loss, grief, and disappointment
- Standing Cups – hope, renewal, and unseen opportunities
- Dark Cloak – sorrow, mourning, and withdrawal
- River – moving forward, transition, and healing
Mantra
“I honor my losses while opening to the healing and hope that remain.”
Journal Prompt
What lessons can I take from my disappointments that can guide me toward hope and healing?