King of Cups in the Rider Waite Tarot
Table of contents
Table of contents
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
King of Cups Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation
Minor
Water
Scorpio
The King of Cups embodies emotional maturity, steady love, mastery of feelings and wisdom of the heart. He is the one who has learned to navigate the waves of life without becoming overwhelmed, while keeping an open, compassionate and generous heart. He may represent a benevolent figure in your life, or the part of you that knows how to love without fear, listen without judging, guide without imposing. This card is saying to you: stay centred, stay gentle, stay strong in your heart – for that is your true power. It’s a call to inner peace, emotional balance, and the transmission of deep, soothing love to those around you. The King of Cups whispers to you, ‘You don’t need to control, you only need to embody the mature love you already are.’
RWS Tarot : Arcana King of Cups readings
Love / Sentimental reading
with the card King of Cups
When it comes to relationships, the King of Cups is the ideal partner: loving, stable, sincere, a good listener and deeply faithful. He or she embodies the emotionally mature man or woman who knows how to express his or her feelings without excess or confusion, and who offers a reassuring and protective presence. If you are in a relationship, this card indicates a period of great emotional stability, marked by understanding, mutual support and peaceful intimacy. For singles, the King of Cups heralds the possible arrival of a sincere, settled relationship, where you feel respected and fully welcomed. It may also represent a benevolent male figure in your love life, or invite you to become this stable, peaceful and generous figure in your own relationships. The love here is deep, discreet but powerful.
Professional / Work reading
with the card King of Cups
In professional terms, the King of Cups evokes a posture of benevolent leader, mediator, adviser or companion. This is the person who knows how to handle emotionally delicate situations with diplomacy and serenity. You may be called upon to play a guiding or supportive role in your working environment, or to take decisions with empathy and balance, without giving in to raw emotion. This card is very favourable for professions related to people, art, psychology, education, care and helping others. It can also invite you to manage your emotions with maturity in a tense context, or to take an emotional step back before taking action. The King of Cups masters his inner world, and it is this inner stability that makes him great in the outside world.
Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card King of Cups
In the material sphere, the King of Cups encourages you to approach your finances with calm, lucidity and emotional balance. You’re probably in a phase where you’ve learned to stop letting stress or emotion drive your financial decisions, allowing you to stabilise your resources or provide practical help to others without putting yourself at risk. This card may represent a protective figure (father, mentor, reliable financial adviser) who guides you towards material security and tranquillity. It also invites you to remain generous while setting healthy limits, and to manage your assets ethically and compassionately, without allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by outside pressures. Wealth here is not just monetary, but emotional and human.
Family reading
with the card King of Cups
In the family sphere, the King of Cups represents a figure of balance, peace and emotional wisdom. He may be a father, a grandfather or a kind-hearted man who plays a unifying role in the family. If you are in this position, the card invites you to hold this space of stability and listening for others, without sacrificing yourself or absorbing everything. It may also indicate a period when emotional communication becomes more fluid and sincere, helping to ease old tensions or strengthen existing ties. The King of Cups encourages you to welcome family emotions without judgement, and to have a calm heart in the storm if necessary. He is also a guardian of forgiveness, a vehicle for reconciliation through emotional maturity.
Spiritual reading
with the card King of Cups
On a spiritual level, the King of Cups is the master of the spiritual heart, the one who has crossed deep inner waters and emerged with calm faith, sharp intuition and solid universal love. He represents the alignment between emotion and wisdom, the ability to feel deeply without losing oneself, and to accompany others in their evolution. It can symbolise a very present spiritual guide, or a level of maturity that you are in the process of reaching. This card invites you to follow your intuition with discernment, to connect with your inner compass, and to become yourself a beacon for those seeking their own path. The King of Cups no longer seeks to convince: he inspires by his quiet presence, by his deep-rooted compassion.
See another card
- The Fool
- The Magician I
- The High Priestess II
- The Empress III
- The Emperor IV
- The Hierophant V
- The Lovers VI
- The Chariot VII
- Strength VIII
- The Hermit IX
- Wheel of Fortune X
- Justice XI
- The Hanged Man XII
- Death XIII
- Temperance XIV
- The Devil XV
- The Tower XVI
- The Star XVII
- The Moon XVIII
- The Sun XIX
- Judgement XX
- The World XXI
- Ace of Wands
- Two of Wands
- Three of Wands
- Four of Wands
- Five of Wands
- Six of Wands
- Seven of Wands
- Eight of Wands
- Nine of Wands
- Ten of Wands
- Page of Wands
- Knight of Wands
- Queen of Wands
- King of Wands
- Ace of Cups
- Two of Cups
- Three of Cups
- Four of Cups
- Five of Cups
- Six of Cups
- Seven of Cups
- Eight of Cups
- Nine of Cups
- Ten of Cups
- Page of Cups
- Knight of Cups
- Queen of Cups
- King of Cups
- Ace of Swords
- Two of Swords
- Three of Swords
- Four of Swords
- Five of Swords
- Six of Swords
- Seven of Swords
- Eight of Swords
- Nine of Swords
- Ten of Swords
- Page of Swords
- Knight of Swords
- Queen of Swords
- King of Swords
- Ace of Pentacles
- Two of Pentacles
- Three of Pentacles
- Four of Pentacles
- Five of Pentacles
- Six of Pentacles
- Seven of Pentacles
- Eight of Pentacles
- Nine of Pentacles
- Ten of Pentacles
- Page of Pentacles
- Knight of Pentacles
- Queen of Pentacles
- King of Pentacles
5-Card spread
King of Cups and its positions in a 5-card draw.
Want to better understand how to interpret the card King of Cups according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card King of Cups in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.
