Seven of Cups Meaning: Upright and Reversed

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Thea Engst has been working with Tarot for six years. She has taken a course, worked with a mentor, and honed her skills on her own. Thea utilizes Tarot for her own personal guidance and to help friends and family through difficult times, as well as selling readings through Etsy and Instagram. Her favorite deck is the Motherpeace and she often uses oracle cards and a pendulum for clarity in difficult questions.

Keywords for the Seven of Cups

Keywords for the Seven of Cups Upright

Dreams
Goals
Illusions
Wishful thinking
Lofty goals
Unrealistic goals
Choices
Inaction towards goals

Keywords for the Seven of Cups Reversed

Making a choice
Informed decision-making
Distracted
Confusion
End of confusion
Escapism

The Suit of Cups

Overall, the Cups suit has to do with love, human relationships, and subconscious thought. They are also referred to as goblets, chalices, and cauldrons amongst other things. The name of the suit will depend on the Tarot deck you are working with and the vision of the artist who created it.

In regards to Cups, it’s important to remember that relationships come in all shapes and forms so these are not necessarily all romantic Tarot cards. The suit of Cups will apply to your relationship with yourself, your loved ones, and even your enemies. Pay attention to the cards around the Cup you pulled and remember what you asked the deck before jumping to romantic conclusions.

Each suit is associated with a different element. Cups are associated with the element of water, which is easy to remember because a cup contains liquid. Cups, therefore, correlate to the water signs of the zodiac or astrological calendar. Those three signs are Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio. If you pull this card in any tarot reading, you should stop and reflect if any water signs are involved in your question. The Seven of Cups specifically relates to Scorpio: the fixed or, in other words, most stubborn of the water signs. Scorpio stands in frozen water: immobile and resistant to change.

If you pull a Seven of Cups, consider if any Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio – especially Scorpio – is involved in your question or answer.

The Cups and water also both deal with the subconscious and delving into the unknown within yourself in order to confront the best and the worst of your inner workings.

Sevens in a Tarot Deck

The number Seven in Tarot is associated with challenges, as it is the number of The Chariot in the Major Arcana. Seven’s are funny because they are both calls to action but also waiting games. Where the Seven of Pentacles tells you to stay the path and tend your garden, it is both telling you to wait and keep working. All the Seven’s have this sort of dual-message, making them as challenging as the message they bring to you!

Symbolism and Imagery in the Seven of Cups

A dark figure stands with his back to you, astonished at the sight before him. There he beholds seven chalices or cups floating on clouds.

The grey clouds represent dreams and possibilities, two big themes with this Tarot card. Clouds also symbolize illusion though, so be cautious with your interpretation of this card in your Tarot spread. While dreaming is a healthy and necessary way to live and achieve goals, if someone dreams unrealistically, they will only be disappointed.

Grey symbolizes storms, further illustrating how uncertain this cloud is. Behind the cloud is bright blue sky, representing the subconscious mind. This tell us that though the clouds are in the sky physically, these clouds of hopes and dreams reside in the subconscious of the figure with its back to us. The dreams are therefore not yet realities.

Each cup in is filled with possibility, with different goals, dreams, and illusions. The possibilities are endless but are they realistic? Furthermore, look closely at what is in each cup. Some contain positive items like jewels and riches, but some contain curses like the dragon. The snake could be either a curse or a blessing as snakes have both represented health, healing, and spiritual guidance along with sin, the devil, and lies. See how quickly this little Tarot card gets complicated?

The figure itself is black, a color that is rarely a prominent element in the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. Black symbolizes mystery, so this is very appropriate for the figure to be completely black.

Upright Seven of Cups Meaning

Pulling the Seven of Cups upright in any reading is holding up a mirror to your current goals and situation. This card is appearing to tell you that you need to not only choose your goal but choose a realistic goal and also start making physical actions to achieve that goal.

This card is a Cup and therefore deals closely with matters of the heart, but the Seven of Cups is all business. The Seven of Cups is telling you to get your head out of the clouds and get moving.

Upright the card is urging you to make a choice but not just any choice: you must make it with a clear mind. Use your intuition to make a realistic, achievable decision and then begin action towards that goal.

Upright Seven of Cups in a Love Reading

The Seven of Cups being pulled upright in a love reading is telling you to make some difficult choices. If you’re in a relationship, you might be struggling with where to compromise and where to stand your ground. All relationships ebb and flow, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just maintain communication with your partner so these boundaries don’t become fights.

If you’re single, you might be choosing who to date or who to commit to. Because some of these cups contain negative elements, exercise caution. Communication is key once again in choosing the right person for yourself. (Don’t end up with a lying snake, look for the healing snake!)

The Seven of Cups Upright in a Career and Money Reading

The Seven of Cups appearing upright in a career and money reading is telling you that you have options to excel. Take time to consider which make sense for you and which professional goals are achievable before you make moves towards one specifically though.

Furthermore, this could be indicating that while you want to excel at work, your inability to take action is impeding your rise through the ranks. What’s stopping you from taking action? The cards are telling you that the world is your oyster, so go get that pearl!

As far as money is concerned, once again you have a lot of options for how to increase your finances. Once again though, you must make an informed decision to work towards one, achievable goal. Just because you can make more money doesn’t mean you will if you just sit around and don’t work towards that goal. Nothing happens magically in this world.

The Seven of Cups Upright in a Home and Family Reading

The Seven of Cups upright in a home and family reading is giving you the message of abundance and choices. The problem is the same problem with the Seven of Cups: they’re not all good choices.

You might be deciding on where to live and if you pull the Seven of Cups upright, I warn you to read the fine print of every lease. Trust your gut if you like or do not like prospective landlords, and definitely do not apply for any home that is pushing your financial abilities. Getting yourself into a bad situation is very possible when you pull the Seven of Cups.

Still, remember that you have the power to make a good decision, you just need to slow down and use your intuition and past experiences to make the right choice.

The Seven of Cups Upright in Health Reading

Pulling the Seven of Cups in a health reading upright is telling me that you’re taking on too much. You try to balance too many things and that makes the balance an unrealistic goal.

I suggest that if you pull this card upright in a health reading you take a break and re-evaluate where your energy is going. You need to cut back on some responsibilities in order to be a healthier person. Also, look at your diet and exercise habits because poor balance can lead to poor treatments of our bodies.

Reversed Seven of Cups Meaning

The Seven of Cups reversed in any reading could mean a variety of things. It could mean that you have done what the upright version of the Seven of Cups demanded and made an informed decision. If so, good for you!

It could also mean that you’re living outside your means because of your unrealistic goals. It could be that you are confused about which dream to focus on and strangely enough it could also mean that you have finally overcome your confusion and chosen your dream.

How do you know what it means exactly? We will discuss the probable meaning in a few different Tarot spreads below. You should also take into strong consideration the cards that fall before and after the Seven of Cups to better interpret what it means.

Reversed Seven of Cups in a Love Reading

The Seven of Cups reversed in a love reading is not a good thing. You’re all over the place! This is showing a lot of confusion and lack of clarity in your current situation, whether single or attached.

If you’re in a relationship, you’re confused. You may have made some bad choices that are affecting you and your partner. The turmoil is likely caused by your inability to make choices at all though, and that lack is creating stress. Stop wasting your partner’s time and make a decision!

If you’re single, this may be indicating that you may have refused to choose a partner and are dating several people at once which is okay if everyone knows and consents, but playing with emotions is not okay. Check yourself.

The Seven of Cups Reversed in a Career and Money Reading

Pulling this card reversed in a career and money reading is pointing out that you probably feel stuck in your current job situation. You have either risen as high as possible through the ranks or you will never be given that opportunity. Whatever the reason, whatever the situation, I suggest you move along and I suggest you do so quickly.

Strangely enough, The Seven of Cups reversed in reference to money can mean that you’ve made some informed decisions that are paying off. Good for you! Keep eyes on them and maintain your focus and clarity.

The Seven of Cups Reversed in a Home and Family Reading

The Seven of Cups reversed in your home and family reading could be telling you a few things. You may have finally made a decision on where to live. You may be entirely lacking clarity on where to live though, so if that answer fits your situation better, that’s your answer. Like with the Seven of Cups upright in this Tarot spread, I encourage you to step back, seek clarity, and make an informed decision.

The Seven of Cups Reversed in a Health Reading

The Seven of Cups reversed in a health reading is not terribly different from when it’s upright in a health reading. The overall message is that you’ve been doing too much, however, what you’ve been doing is over-indulging.

You are unable to draw boundaries and say no, even to yourself. You cannot choose wisely so you take everything. You may be over-eating, over-drinking, or just overly avoiding the harsh truth that your habits are affecting your health. Tendencies like this can really harm your body and lead to diabetes, heart conditions, and organ failure.

I suggest that you stop your over-indulging habits and try to create more of a balance. This doesn’t mean you have to suddenly eat only kale, but it does mean that you should monitor your diet and your exercise so as not to create more problems for yourself.

FAQs

Question: This card is Complicated, Can you Give me Bullet Points for When it’s Pulled Upright, Regardless of the Tarot Spread Chosen?

Answer: You’re right, this card makes you do the work!
• Clarity: do you need clarity or have you just worked through a confusing time and found clarity?
• Confusion: you are either confused or just got through a confusing time which was a result of your lack of decision making.
• Decisions: make an informed decision, the choice is yours but it’s very possible to make the wrong choice.
• Realism: be realistic. For example: if you can’t sing, you can’t be the next Lady Gaga. Can you dance? Can you play an instrument? What else can you do to be a part of the music industry?

Question: After Reading this I Feel Like the Seven of Cups Reversed Seems Like it Can be Very Similar to the Seven of Cups Upright, is that True?

Answer: Yes. I’m sorry. Pay attention the cards surrounding your Seven of Cups and where it falls in the Tarot spread you’ve chosen though. That will help you gain clarity on its exact message.

Final Thoughts on The Seven of Cups

If the Seven of Cups could have a relationship status, it would be “complicated”. This card is shrouded in mystery and multiple interpretations, just like the contents of the cups on the card.

You must be very psychically intuitive when you pull this card to not only understand what it’s trying to tell you in regards to your own life, but also what its role is in the Tarot spread overall. If you feel the card is telling you to make a choice but you’ve just made a big life-altering decision, does that make sense? Perhaps it’s just recognizing you have made that decision. These are answers only you can find.

So go on and get to work making choices and achieving goals, the Seven of Cups beckons you!

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