The Five of Cups represents disappointment, pessimism, having plenty of regrets, and failure.
And when this card shows up, that means you have been wallowing in self-pity and are having a hard time getting past the disappointments that have happened.
It can represent a period of mourning or sorrow, but it can also mean a time of hope and renewal.
Let's talk more about when this card shows up in a reading a bit later, and now let's go over the history and appearance of the Five of Cups.
The History And Appearance Of The Five of Cups
The Five of Cups first appeared in Europe in the late 14th century, during the height of the Renaissance.
At this time, tarot cards were used primarily for entertainment and gambling.
However, the Five of Cups began to take on a more symbolic meaning over the next few centuries.
Some believe that the Five of Cups is derived from the five senses, which were thought to be the key to understanding the world.
Others believe the card represents the five elements of water, fire, earth, air, and spirit.
It likely also represented the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
When you look at the Five of Cups in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, you see a man wearing a long cloak looking down on knocked over three cups, representing his failures and disappointments.
There are two upright cups behind him, representing opportunities for fresh starts.
However, he is so fixed on the three cups that fell over that he does not see those opportunities.
If you look at the background, you will see a bridge that crosses over a river that goes to the castle, which shows that if he could look past the disappointments, he could move through the bridge to move past it.
So let's discuss what it means to get the Five of Cups in a reading.
What It Means To Get The Five of Cups In A Reading
The Five of Cups shows up when you are sad and depressed over something that went wrong.
You had high hopes for something that did not end up working out, and now you are indulging in your sadness over it.
For instance, you may have had high hopes for getting a job that you had applied for, and you did what you could to present yourself well.
You created an awe-inspiring portfolio and resume.
But you did not get the job.
Another applicant was chosen over you despite how well you prepared for the interview and the work you put into your resume.
You feel like a failure, wallowing in self-pity, and you don't think you will ever get a job again.
It is self-explanatory when the Five of Cups shows up in a similar situation.
It can also represent a setback or regression in progress that you were making.
However, sometimes the Five of Cups can represent that you are ready to let go of the disappointment and look into new opportunities after your fair share of mourning.
It comes to a point where you need to allow the feelings of disappointment to run their course, move back on, and try again.
That all depends on the position and the spread.
If you remember, five numerologically mean change, upheaval, and chaos.
Let's go over that new mom that just had the baby represented by the Three of Cups.
She began to experience boredom and dissatisfaction with being a mom represented by the Four of Cups.
Now, it is hitting her.
She was looking forward to having her own family, and now that she is a mom, she is disappointed that she is not enjoying motherhood as much as she would have hoped.
She cries about it and feels guilty for feeling that way. The Five of Cups represents that stage of her life.
Those who struggle with mental illness, regardless of what it is, have many Five of Cups moments.
No, I am not talking only about the nature of the illness.
I am talking about regressing after doing well with treatment.
It is easy to get angry with yourself for having that kind of setback, but unfortunately, that is the nature of mental or even a physical illness.
Setbacks are often inevitable.
A disappointment or devastation in life can do it, or sometimes the course of treatment stops working.
Either way, it is terrible. Now, let's go over the Five of Cups reversed.
Five Of Cups In Reverse
The Five of Cups shows up in reverse and has two meanings.
One is that you are not just depressed over something going wrong but blaming yourself for it.
This is because you are dealing with a personal setback.
Again, when you struggle with mental illness, you will have those moments a lot.
When you also have C-PTSD, you will blame yourself for allowing yourself to endure the trauma you endured.
And I admit I still kick myself for being an echoist.
However, I realize logically that it is silly to blame myself for something that I did not know, nor not having the guts and strength at the time to stand up for myself.
I know I would be a lot easier on myself if those bad decisions I made by being an echoist did not impact me today.
That is because I do as I lost so much as I look back.
Sure, I can move forward, which I am working on, but the dreams that I lost out on because of allowing myself to please others are gone for good, and it is not like I can easily pick up and make them happen now.
But, maybe, eventually, I can. It is more that I am mourning over losing a big chunk of my life.
The other is that you can finally move on because you are done with having a pity party.
Like me, I had a bit of a pity party over losing out on so many things because I am a people-pleaser with no boundaries, and it is time to stop swimming in it.
I will always grieve for those lost dreams and miss out on many other things. But life goes on.
And that is something I need to remind myself daily.
How To Apply The Five of Cups To Your Life
Well, this is where I need to take my advice.
I think we all get down on ourselves for missing out and can get lost with having so many regrets in life.
Therefore, when something goes wrong, and you are disappointed over something, you need that time to throw a bit of a pity party because that is the only way to process your emotions and move forward and go after new opportunities.
Therefore, when something disappointing happens, such as not getting the job you wanted or your crush rejecting you, feel the emotions, have a pity party, and then know that the world did not end.
Therefore, look for other opportunities. When you are in that state, pull this card out and look at it to remind you that it is necessary to go through the emotions you need but don't sit there.
I will go over the Six of Cups next.
Episode 058: Five Of Cups Tarot Card