What does the Knight of Cups card mean in Tarot?

Knight of Cups, Minor Arcana, Cups XII

The Knight of Cups card symbolizes dreams, imaginations, and fantasies that are very much alive in your psyche, but not acted upon by you. They continue to remain unrelated to your outer, manifest life, because you either don’t know how to turn them into reality, or you haven’t mustered a strong enough will to do so.

You like your dreams – maybe you imagine getting a coveted prize and thousands of people cheering you on, or you fantasize about inventing something the humanity direly needs and giving your name to it. Or you daydream about having found your soulmate and you visualize what your wedding would be like.

Truth is, this type of thinking alone won’t get you anywhere. You aren’t doing the work required to attain any of these achievements or ideals. You would like to believe you’re moving towards your desired destination, but the body language of the horse in the card suggests otherwise. It’s barely moving. At this pace, if you continue like this, you are not likely to see your dreams come true.

But the Knight of Cups isn’t a harbinger of bad news. Rather, it is a soulful call for you to act, to do something about your dreams. Once you take action, you have the possibility of achieving anything you want. Anything! But you need to commit. You need to show sustained action for weeks, months, maybe even years.

If your reading is about your career, the Knight of Cups might mean you have all these great ideas, that you would make a great inventor, if only you could find ways to turn these ideas into reality. Maybe you’re lacking the connections, the finances, or the courage. Whatever it is, you have got to find ways to implement and market your awesome ideas.

The Knight of Cups card could also mean that you have an amazing vision for the company you work for, but your bosses won’t listen to you, because they aren’t visionaries themselves. They are the kinds of people who don’t like to rock the boat. You might want to switch to working for a startup, as people there tend to be more open minded about change and innovation. Or, you can start your own company – but the Knight of Cups advises you to do it only with a solid, well thought-out business plan.

What does the Knight of Cups Tarot card mean for love?

For singles, having Knight of Cups in your reading means you aren’t being committal, or more likely – you keep finding people who won’t commit. Even when everything is going really nicely, something doesn’t click. Maybe you say sweet things to one another, you talk about a shared future, but deep down you suspect it just won’t happen. Your suspicion is very likely justified, if you have this card in your reading.

For couples, the Knight of Cups means your commitment to each other isn’t strong. Or there’s a lot of pretense. Maybe on the surface you two look committed, but when you analyze deep down, you see you can easily sabotage one another. It’s almost like you have a love and hate relationship. Given the opportunity, maybe one of you would even cheat. It might have happened already, and if it hasn’t, it’s not thanks to a solid commitment, but to lack of “opportunities.”

If you want to stay in this relationship, you need to find ways to strengthen your bond. Talk to your partner. Work with an advisor. Do everything you can to make it work. The Knight of Cups doesn’t indicate an imminent breakup, but it does suggest a dire need to work on your relationship.

What does Knight of Cups reversed in Tarot mean?

The Knight of Cups reversed indicates all action without a goal or destination. You are always doing, doing, doing, and then doing more, and you’ve lost sight of where your life is heading. You fear that if you spend some alone time, you might discover you haven’t tended to your dreams in a long time, and you’d do anything to avoid facing this truth.

So, you take on more responsibilities, achieve more at work, keep an impeccably clean house, look great all the time, but deep down you know you maintain this façade only to ignore your soul – who wishes none of the job titles, the extra fancy furniture, or the extra cool clothes.

What happened to your real dreams? Why have you stopped fantasizing about the future? When did you become such a “realist?” You’re avoiding your true self, and as you get older, you might find yourself experiencing a deep sense of loss. You’re losing time, and your very own true self in the process. It might be a good idea to carve out just one hour a week and talk to an advisor. You need to get in touch with your dreams and fantasies again.

Astrological association

All cup cards in the Minor Arcana are associated with the water element, which is associated with the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Because the Knight of Cups is about dreams, images, and fantasies, which change over time, it’s most associated with Pisces, the mutable water sign.

The Piscean energy is known to be dreamy. And let’s face it, also a bit flaky. The Knight of Cups indicates you’re experiencing this energy deep in yourself right now. You might have Pisces as your Sun sign, rising (ascendant), or your Moon sign, or you might simply be under the influence of Neptune these days, the ruling planet of Pisces. It could serve you to get your natal chart done along with an astrology reading.

The Knight of Cups could also be symbolizing a person in your life, especially if you’re getting a love reading. In love readings, this card represents a noncommittal male whose two feet aren’t touching the ground. He means well, but he doesn’t have what it takes to deliver a long, deep, real relationship. If you want a serious commitment, make sure you don’t lose precious time because of this person.