What does the Nine of Cups card mean in Tarot?

Nine of Cups, Minor Arcana, Cups IX

The Nine of Cups, when upright, can be summarized in one word – contentment. The figure in the card is sitting comfortably in front of his accomplishments (the nine upright, standing cups), exhibiting them to whoever would like to see them, looking proud.

Nine of Cups symbolizes contentment with the self, with the past, and with who one has become in light of it. The card can symbolize material riches, but more likely, it symbolizes personal, academic, social, and even emotional successes. At this point in your life, you might be feeling very good about your life choices.

If the Nine of Cups appears in your reading, you are feeling truly satisfied with your life – and if you are not, if you find it difficult to do so, take a pen and paper and make a list of everything you’ve achieved. Don’t compare yourself to Nobel winners – whose love life or social life might be in shambles, or maybe they never have to do the laundry! If you were to compare yourself to most other “ordinary” people, you’ll realize you have many reasons to feel great about yourself.

The Nine of Cups is a good reminder that “ordinary” doesn’t mean “mediocre.” Ordinary can be exquisite, such as a red rose, a puppy, or the sunrise. Your “ordinary” life is probably also just as wonderful ; you just haven’t noticed it yet.

If your reading is about your career and finances, the Nine of Cups might mean you have many successes behind you that will never disappear or lose importance. These could be academic degrees, awards, promotions, publishing a book, creating a social media campaign etc. All the things that you’ve done, that brought great returns are yours to always be proud of! From here on, you don’t have to focus on proving yourself. Now, what matters is finding work that will give you joy.

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

For singles, having Nine of Cups in your reading means you’ve come to feel pretty content with yourself, maybe even with your aloneness. You manage just fine whether you’re with someone or without, and you want to be in a relationship only because it would be nice. You aren’t coming from a needy place. But Nine of Cups suggests you might be on your own for a little while longer, only because it really would serve you to enjoy this newfound self-contentment and confidence. Love will come, but a bit later.

For couples, the Nine of Cups might mean having arrived at a place in your relationship where you feel comfortable with one another. You have developed a certain degree of trust, enough to relax into the flow of things and let go of unnecessary worries, insecurities or jealousies. There’s some familiarity now. You know what to expect in terms of how your partner will talk, act, react etc. You’ve arrived at an emotional plateau.

While this is a nice, cozy place to be, you might want to spice things up from time to time. You could add some excitement here and there, by making surprises when it’s not your partner’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, or your anniversary. You can try new things between the sheets, maybe even take a Tantra workshop together. You have built a strong base for the future, now it’s time you two have some fun together!

What does Nine of Cups reversed in Tarot mean?

The Nine of Cups reversed indicates you feel displeased and unhappy about the way your life has turned out. You probably have this idea that your life had to be much better already, that all problems were supposed to have already disappeared. Most likely, they haven’t. There are still payments to make, career steps to take, dishes to wash, and many other things to do. It’s like it never ends, right?

Truth is, as long as we’re alive, it does never end. Because we’ll always have new needs, fresh desires and maybe even unexpected dreams ( for more info, see how to read dreams). You’ve heard of those people who become an author after the age of 90? Or take up yoga after 70? So, who’s to say you were supposed to have achieved everything by now? Try to keep an open mind about your possibilities and just how much more you still can grow and learn.

There are people in this world who make it happen even when they are at a big disadvantage, whether financially, health-wise, or even mentally. It’s their positive, wholesome emotional approach to things that makes all the difference. Try to cultivate contentment and trust that life has more to offer than what you’re conjuring up.

Astrological association

All cup cards in the Minor Arcana Deck are associated with the water element, which is associated with the astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. Because the Nine of Cups is about contentment, it could be associated with any water sign – cardinal (Cancer), mutable (Pisces), or fixed (Scorpio). This is because, contentment could lead to new, healthier beginnings, or changing one’s course, or staying on course.

The water element is associated with emotions. In Nine of Cups, we see all the cups (emotions) lined up in order, standing upright next to one another. In numerology, the number 9 symbolizes the wisdom that comes after experiencing all the lower one-digit numbers. If you were to add all the numbers from 0 to 8, you would get 36. Adding 3 and 6, you’d get 9. This means, in your journey, all important life experiences have been healthily assimilated in your psyche along with all the strong emotions they brought. You’re now ready to find deeper meanings in life.

While the Nine of Cups card can represent a person in your life, in most readings it shows your very own state of being. Your psychic Tarot reader would instantly know whether the card represents you or someone else, and would be able to guide you in the right direction.