Far across the melancholy seas,
The silent keepers of the mysteries;
Met in their crowds upon that haunted ground­—
And we, the King’s Sons, waiting to be crown’d.

– Arthur Waite, Collected Poems

Meaning

Graham, Sasha. Llewellyn’s Complete Book of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot: A Journey Through the History, Meaning, and Use of the World’s Most Famous Deck.

General

The King of Cups is the commander of water, the lord of the ocean, master of the waves. He is the mature masculine energy of emotion. Look to the water and waves undulating around the King of Cups to understand him. The king navigates the ocean’s depths and dangers by remaining fluid. He does not seek to control the ocean but maintains a strong center regardless of the placidity or movement of the ocean’s tides. The King of Cups understands when to put a limit on emotions. He is free to act regardless of the deep feelings within him. This makes him incredibly effective in all situations. Versed in the mythology of the sea, hidden realms, and aquatic depths, he can be lighthearted and mysterious. As master of tidal waters, his charisma is hypnotizing.

In You

The King of Cups ignites in you when you bring your creative project to fruition, no matter the obstacle, barrier, or cost. He is activated inside of you when you allow compassion and caring to manifest action. The vision of the King of Cups lies in his ability to look dangers in the face and navigate past them. He marks inner strength and perseverance to pass through frightening emotional territory that previously held you hostage. He navigates your true course.

In Others

Consider the role of the great sea gods Roman Neptune and Greek Poseidon. If you lived in ancient times and were dependent on the ocean for your livelihood, travel, or food, you would make many appeals to the ocean gods. In this context, the King of Cups appears in your life as a figure who will grant you sustenance and may appear as a boss, parental figure, or investor. The person with the capacity to green light a project or trip. The King of Cups is guided by instincts and emotion yet is not controlled nor manipulated by them. It is best to approach such figures honestly and openly. He is often found working in the spotlight for the public good.

Symbolic

The fish pendant around the king’s neck, as well as the ocean and sea creatures, connect to the element of water. He wears scaly fish footwear. The tall ship is a symbol of adventure, stories, and risk. The fish monster on the left side is an ancient symbol of myth, danger, and unconscious fear.

Waite reflects in his memoir Shadows of Life and Thought a personal sentiment aptly describing the King of Cups:

Do I remember on my own part looking, when less than two years old, upon an open, tossing sea, through a porthole of a passenger ship? And I so slight and small that well I might have slipped through it and finished for ever—or perchance for the time being—my tale of earthy life. The sea has authentic secrets, some that it gives away, some that it keeps for a few: did I make unbeknown a beginning of learning the code of its ciphers—as it were—then and there?

The King of Cups is he who would decipher the secrets of the sea. He reflects the emotions of the sea for all to understand and interpret.

Wen, Benebell. Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth.

The King of Cups is a wise and diplomatic mature man. It is a card of caring male energy. However, may indicate a man with a troubled conscience or a lot of stress and pressure in his life. Yet his life is good overall, fruitful and full of blessings. He deals with his stress well, and demonstrates a quiet, calm temperament. Could be a professional man in law or business; very strong skills in the arts and letters. Figuratively, the King of Cups could indicate leadership or effective management of interpersonal relationships. He is often surrounded by other people due to his charisma and ,strong social skills, but he may have the tendency to feel lonely or alone, even among others. From French playing card tradition, the King of Cups is said to correspond with the holy emperor Charlemagne, and thus in tarot the card could call to mind the traits historically associated with Charlemagne, such as a strong emphasis on art, religion, and culture. Water-dominant, the King of Cups demonstrates strong people skills, charisma, empathy, intuition, and maybe a gift for prophecy. There is a tendency to be moody. Could signify Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces.

Note that two kings appearing in a tarot reading for a male Seeker could indicate direct competition with another male, while two kings in a reading for a female Seeker could indicate a professional conference. In a reading about love, two kings can indicate two men competing for the amorous affections of one, but if the spread is Fire-dominant, then the two kings could indicate romantic relations developing from a professional conference or business trip. In a reading about career, two kings represent the significance of a professional conference in advancing the Seeker’s goals, though if the Seeker is male, the two kings might denote direct competition from another male for the same promotion. Three kings in a reading symbolize a professional brotherhood, or a fraternity among men of high rank. Three kings could also suggest nepotism at play. Four kings represent a men’s interest, issues related to masculinity, or dominant male authority.

Reversed Meaning

The Seeker is being too emotional. The Seeker experiences difficulty in making decisions with conviction, is always looking to others to see what they do first. In reverse, the card suggests someone who is being spiteful to someone else. The Seeker is feeling the need to engage in petty vengeance. Could indicate the negative influence of the King of Cups on the Seeker, or that the Seeker is embodying the negative personality traits attributed to the King. Compare: the King of Wands can be hotheaded as a gut response to situations, but the bad temper of the King of Cups differs slightly; the King of Cups’ temper strays from spiritual centeredness, a result of internal instability or flux, whereas the King of Wands is just reactionary.

Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot.

Like the Kings of Wands, he represents his suit in terms of social responsibility, accomplishments and maturity. And like the Fire King, his position as maintainer of society does not fit him all that comfortably. Cups symbolize the creative imagination, and to achieve success he has had to discipline and even suppress his dreams. The fish, symbol of creativity, hangs around his neck, but as an artificial ornament. He has directed his creative powers into socially responsible achievements. Waite describes him as a man of ‘business, law, divinity’. In a sense he has matured his suit; but Water demands to flow, not to be confined.

Behind his throne a live fish jumps through the waves, signifying that creative imagination remains alive even when pushed to the background. Similarly, his throne floats on the lively sea, yet he himself does not touch the water (compare the Queen), indicating that his achievement derives ultimately from creativity, though he has shaped his life in such a way as to separate him from his own playful poet-like imagination. In its extreme the imagery suggests someone who has dammed up his or her emotions and imagination. It also shows, more gently, a person who expresses these qualities, but not as central to her or his life. Responsibility comes before self-expression.

The King does not look at his cup; rather he holds it in the same way he holds his sceptre, symbol of power. Some commentators see the King as a person of troubled emotions, even anger and violence, who habitually suppresses these feelings even from himself, always maintaining a calm exterior.

In some contexts, especially the arts, the King takes on a very different meaning. Because he is the leader of his suit, he can symbolize success, achievement, mastery, and maturity in artistic work.

Reversed

More complex, and perhaps more troubled than the King of Wands, the King of Cups reversed slides towards dishonesty. When right side up he uses his creativity for his work; reversed, he turns his talents to vice or corruption. Swindlers also use creativity to further their careers, but we would not describe them as ‘responsible’.

The card upside down can mean that the violent Air emotions emerge from their calm exterior, perhaps through the pressure of outside events. Romantically, the King of Cups reversed can suggest a dishonest yet domineering lover, more often male, sometimes female.

Finally, in relation to the arts, the King reversed can suggest that an artist’s achievement has proved to be insignificant, or that a person has not yet matured and cannot point to a significant body of work. In a reading, this final meaning would come out strongly if the card appeared in connection with certain Pentacles reversed, such as the Eight, or the Three.

Associated characters

• Cyril, my OC

Notes

pulled after someone said my skills were great. that could not have been said before.