Keywords: loss, grief, regret, disappointment, emotional healing
Suit: Cups (Element of Water)
Numerical Value: 5 – conflict, change, emotional struggle
The Five of Cups is a card of emotional sorrow, regret, and grief, but it also holds the potential for healing and perspective. It often appears when you’re focused on what has gone wrong, making it hard to see the blessings that still remain.
This card reminds you that while it’s natural—and even necessary—to grieve, not all is lost. There is still hope, and there are still cups upright behind you if you’re ready to turn around.
🟢 Upright Meaning
Upright, the Five of Cups signifies emotional pain, disappointment, or a sense of failure. It can point to a breakup, missed opportunity, or past actions that you regret. You may feel stuck in sadness, unable to move on from what you’ve lost.
But the message is powerful: acknowledge your grief, then gently shift your focus toward what still supports and nurtures you. Healing is possible.
Upright Themes:
- Grief, loss, or heartbreak
- Regret over past choices
- Emotional disappointment
- Focusing on the negative
- Opportunities for healing and forgiveness
🔻 Reversed Meaning
Reversed, the Five of Cups often suggests a turning point—the beginning of emotional recovery. You may be letting go of sorrow, finding forgiveness, or opening to peace after a painful period.
Alternatively, it can mean you’re still resisting healing, holding on to grief longer than necessary, or struggling to accept what cannot be changed.
Reversed Themes:
- Emotional release and forgiveness
- Beginning to move on
- Hope and new perspective
- Letting go of guilt or shame
- Prolonged grief or resistance to change
❤️ Five of Cups in Love
In love readings, the Five of Cups can reflect heartbreak, disappointment, or emotional distance. A breakup, betrayal, or unresolved conflict may be present. It often appears when you’re mourning a relationship or struggling to move forward emotionally.
If single, this card may point to emotional baggage from the past that’s preventing you from embracing new love.
Reversed, it may signal emotional healing, forgiveness, or a second chance in a current relationship.
💼 Five of Cups in Career
Career-wise, the Five of Cups can signal job loss, missed opportunities, or regret about a past decision. You may feel disillusioned with your path or struggle with letting go of something that didn’t turn out as hoped.
Reversed, the card can bring renewed focus, the arrival of a new opportunity, or emotional closure that clears the way for a fresh start.
🌌 Five of Cups in Spirituality
Spiritually, this card points to a time of soul-deep sadness or disappointment in your path or beliefs. It asks you to honor your feelings, but not to let them consume you.
Reversed, the Five of Cups encourages renewal of faith, release of emotional pain, and the reminder that your spiritual path is still unfolding—often through your darkest moments.
✨ Final Thoughts
The Five of Cups acknowledges pain but also whispers a truth: you’re not done yet. Loss can be a teacher. Disappointment is not the end of your story. When you’re ready, turn around—hope, connection, and healing are still waiting.
Further Exploration of the Five of Cups
The Five of Cups is one of the most emotionally poignant cards in the Minor Arcana, embodying themes of grief, regret, loss, and the challenge of moving forward. Its imagery often depicts a figure cloaked in black, standing before three spilled cups, mourning what has been lost, while two upright cups remain behind them. This imagery captures the essence of sorrow, but also the potential for healing and renewal once the focus shifts from loss to what still endures.
In my own tarot journey, I once pulled the Five of Cups during a period of mourning after the end of a long friendship. At the time, it felt like the card mirrored my grief so clearly that it was almost unbearable to look at. Yet over time, I came to realize that the upright cups symbolized the relationships and opportunities that remained, waiting patiently for my acknowledgment. This personal experience deepened my understanding of the card’s dual message: honoring grief while also being invited to turn toward hope.
In love readings, the Five of Cups tarot card meaning is often tied to heartbreak, regret, or lingering pain from past relationships. For couples, it can indicate feelings of disappointment, betrayal, or the struggle to rebuild after a rupture. For singles, it often points to emotional baggage—grief or regret that prevents openness to new love. In my readings, I’ve seen this card emerge when someone is caught in the past, replaying mistakes or losses, unable to recognize the possibilities for new emotional fulfillment. The message is never to dismiss grief, but to eventually turn toward the cups that remain upright—signs of resilience, healing, and the capacity to love again.
In career contexts, the Five of Cups speaks to loss, setbacks, or missed opportunities. I’ve encountered this card for clients who were grieving the loss of a job or a failed business venture. The focus is often on what has gone wrong, but the Five of Cups gently urges a shift in perspective. The two upright cups symbolize skills, connections, and possibilities that endure even after loss. This card emphasizes that professional setbacks, though painful, can lead to resilience and a redirection toward paths more aligned with one’s true calling.
On a spiritual level, the Five of Cups encourages processing grief, releasing regret, and seeking renewal. It acknowledges that spiritual growth often requires moving through shadowy emotions, confronting sorrow, and learning to forgive oneself and others. I have seen this card appear in spreads when someone is ready to begin shadow work or to confront unresolved wounds that keep them tethered to the past. It is a reminder that even within grief, there is an opportunity for profound transformation and deeper connection to the soul’s journey.
In daily life, the Five of Cups serves as a reminder not to let sorrow eclipse gratitude. I often encourage clients to practice small rituals of acknowledgment—lighting a candle for grief, journaling about regrets, or consciously naming what remains intact and supportive in their lives. Beginners often mistake this card for unrelenting despair, but its deeper wisdom lies in its subtle encouragement: the story is not over. Loss is real, but so is resilience, and turning toward what remains can mark the beginning of healing.
Astrologically, the Five of Cups is associated with Mars in Scorpio, a placement tied to intense emotions, deep wounds, and the transformative power of grief. Mars brings passion and drive, while Scorpio governs the depths of emotional experience. Together, they reflect the card’s themes of sorrow and the potential for profound regeneration. The energy of Mars in Scorpio reminds us that even in the darkest losses, there is a spark of power that can lead to transformation and renewal.
Ultimately, the Five of Cups tarot meaning revolves around grief, regret, and the process of healing. It teaches that while loss is a part of life, so too is resilience and renewal. In love, career, spirituality, or daily life, the card encourages seekers to honor their sorrow but to also shift perspective toward the opportunities and blessings that remain. Its message is one of bittersweet wisdom: the past cannot be undone, but healing begins when we recognize that not all is lost.