Knight of Cups tarot card meaning: upright, reversed and symbols

The Knight of Cups rides a white horse slowly toward a stream, holding a golden cup out in front of him as if offering it. His helmet and heels have small wings.

He is the romantic of the tarot: charming, idealistic and led by the heart. Here is what the Knight of Cups means upright and reversed, the symbols in the 1909 card and how to read him as a person or an energy.

Here is the Knight of Cups at a glance.

The Golden Dawn’s King of Cups is the mounted figure that Waite called the Knight. His title is Lord of the Waves and the Waters, King of the Hosts of the Sea, and he is Fire of Water on Chokmah, ruling 20° Aquarius to 20° Pisces. Crowley’s Thoth deck calls this figure the Knight of Cups, which is why modern readers sometimes find two different King of Cups attributions in older books.

The card: what Pamela Colman Smith drew

Waite wrote that he is “graceful, but not warlike; riding quietly, wearing a winged helmet, referring to those higher graces of the imagination which sometimes characterize this card. He too is a dreamer.”

The offered cup. He holds the cup out carefully, like a gift or an invitation. This Knight comes bearing feelings, proposals and art.

The slow white horse. Unlike the rearing horse of the Knight of Wands, his horse walks calmly. He moves at the pace of feeling.

The wings. Wings on his helmet and heels connect him with Hermes, the messenger. Many readers see a message of love or an inspired imagination.

Upright meaning

Upright, the Knight of Cups is the romantic. He rides a white horse slowly toward a stream, holding out a golden cup as if offering it. His helmet and heels have small wings, a sign of imagination and inspiration. He brings invitations, love letters, artistic projects and offers made from the heart.

Knights carry the energy of their suit into the world, and this one carries feeling. He is charming, idealistic and gentle. In readings he may announce a proposal, a new romance or a creative opportunity. He follows his heart.

His horse walks rather than gallops. Romance takes its time here, and the Knight is more interested in the beauty of the offer than in rushing to a result.

Reversed meaning

Reversed, the Knight of Cups can show moodiness, unrealistic expectations, or a charmer whose promises do not last. It can also show disappointment in love, or a creative project abandoned because reality did not match the dream.

Ask whether you are in love with a person or with an idea of them. The reversed Knight often needs a reality check before taking the next step.

In a spread about a new romance, the reversed Knight asks you to watch actions over words for a while. Charm is pleasant, and it is not proof. If the offer is real, it will still be there after you take time to see whether the cup is full.

In love, work and spirituality

In love. Upright: Romance, a proposal or a charming suitor. Reversed: A charmer who does not follow through, or moodiness.

At work. Upright: Creative opportunities, or work in arts and caring fields. Reversed: Unrealistic plans, or emotional decisions at work.

With money. Upright: A tempting offer. Check that it is real. Reversed: Spending on fantasy.

In spiritual practice. Upright: Following your heart on the path, or devotional art. Reversed: Romanticizing spirituality.

As feelings. Romantic interest and admiration. They may idealize you.

As a person. A romantic, charming and artistic person who follows their heart.

As advice. Follow your heart, but keep your feet on the ground.

Reading the Knight of Cups: positions and yes or no

In the past position: A romantic or heart-led choice brought you here. In the present position: Follow your heart, with your eyes open.

In the future position: An invitation, proposal or romantic message is on the way. As advice: Make the gesture, then show up for the follow-through.

In modern yes or no readings, the Knight of Cups leans yes. The heart says yes.

The knight in the tarot court, and the history behind the card

Knights are the movement of the court, and in Cups the movement is an offer of love or beauty. The Golden Dawn’s title, Lord of the Waves and the Waters, catches the way his feelings rise and fall.

Here is how the Knight looks across the four suits:

• Knight of Wands: energy, passion, impulsiveness
• Knight of Cups (this card): romance, charm, idealism
• Knight of Swords: action, ambition, drive
• Knight of Pentacles: hard work, responsibility, routine

When A. E. Waite published The Pictorial Key to the Tarot in 1910, he listed these divinatory meanings for the Knight of Cups: “Arrival, approach, sometimes that of a messenger; advances, proposition, demeanor, invitation, incitement.” Reversed, he gave: “Trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud.”

Common questions

Is the Knight of Cups a yes or no card? It leans yes, especially in love and creative matters.

Who is the Knight of Cups as a person? Often a romantic, artistic, gentle person who leads with feelings. It can be any gender.

What does the Knight of Cups mean in love? Romance, a proposal or a charming new person. Reversed, empty promises or moodiness.

Try this

Try this small spread for the Knight of Cups. Use it when your heart is pulling you somewhere.

Affirmation: I follow heartfelt desire with sincerity and enough realism to last.

Reversed affirmation: I trade moodiness and fantasy for clear feeling and steady action.

If you keep a tarot journal, take one of these questions to it: What does my heart want me to move toward? Where am I in love with an idea instead of a reality? What gift could I offer someone this week?

What next

Cards that sit close to this one are The Lovers (the Major Arcana card of love and choice), Two of Cups (the bond the Knight is often hoping for) and Knight of Pentacles (the slowest Knight, steady where this one dreams).

The Knight of Cups is part of the lesson Meet the court in my free Tarot for Beginners course. To see the whole suit on one page, go to the suit of Cups.

To keep walking the suit, read the card before it, Page of Cups or the card after it, Queen of Cups, or go back to all the card meanings.

For more on the court, see Tarot court cards without confusion. For every card with keywords, affirmations and examples, see my book The Novice’s Guide to Tarot. If you would like a printable cheat sheet for all 78 cards, my 45-page Tarot Workbook is on Etsy.

Sources

• A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (London: Rider, 1910), Part III, sections 1 and 2.
• Pamela Colman Smith and A. E. Waite, the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot (London: Rider, 1909).
• Nicolas Conver, Tarot de Marseille (Marseille, 1760).
• Lauri Mukkala, The Novice’s Guide to Tarot, entry for the Knight of Cups.
• Aleister Crowley, 777 (London: Walter Scott, 1909), columns of the decans, the Minor Arcana and the court cards.
• Israel Regardie, ed., The Golden Dawn (Chicago: Aries Press, 1937 to 1940), “Book T”, titles and attributions of the small cards and the court.