Tarot Pull: The King of Cups
Get ready for a wild and crazy, free-loving guy…
This week’s random tarot card pull is the King of Cups!
I’m a water kind of gal, both in the woo-woo sense and in the literal one…lots of big emotions, creativity and mutability, and a heart that is forever tucked into the sandy beaches of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Because of this, Cups are my favorite cards of the minor arcana. Cup cards usually relate to feelings, relationships, inspiration and artistic pursuits.
Meanwhile, Kings in the minor arcana often represent masculine energy, dominant characteristics, and experience or wisdom. Put the two together, and the King of Cups has a lot to say about your creative endeavors.
Some traditional keywords associated with the card are: kindness, compassion, and emotional balance.
For a more detailed summary, check out Biddy Tarot’s article on the King of Cups.
I say it in every tarot post, but in case this is the first one of mine you’re reading, it is perfectly fine to ‘see’ something different than the traditional interpretation whenever you look at any tarot card. Whether you buy into the mystical side of tarot or are simply admiring the art, pulling cards is a great way to give your subconscious permission to address things you might not have otherwise thought about.
So, if you look at the King of Cups card and you see nothing relating to friends, lovers or male energy, that’s valid. Take whatever does come to you and play with that.
Afterall, just a quick peek at the different depictions of the card in several decks demonstrates the versatility of the card even without taking an intuitive approach to tarot reading.
The King of Cups card in the Ethereal Visions deck is the closest version in my deck collection to the one you usually see in the wild (i.e. the Rider-Waite-Smith version). Here, we’ve got a rad, presumably wise guy hanging out with his fish friends.
He reminds me of someone you might have run into at a Creedence Clearwater Revival concert back in the day, or the slightly less creepy version of that guy in college who you know is way too old to be hanging out at the frat house now.
Meanwhile, the King of Cups in the Rackham deck tells a completely different version of the story. Here, the Merking is old and tired. He’s resting alongside the waters- not struggling in the current or navigating the waters. He’s taking his time and staying present with the river flowing at his side.
This was the version I pulled this week, and it was specifically in context of figuring out how to organize the whirlwind that is trying to write, publish and promote oneself. For those of you who are not writers or aren’t interested in publishing, it is often an overwhelming experience. I won’t delve into all the moving pieces or planets that need to align for publishing to work, but it very quickly becomes a second full time job.
When I pulled this version of the King of Cups, it was precisely the reminder I needed:
Take it easy; trust the process; ride the current of your creativity.
For one last take on the King of Cups, I threw in the version found in the Star Spinner Tarot deck. Here, “cups” are “chalices,” but that doesn’t fundamentally change the suit itself. However, this deck used worldwide legends and traditional folk stories to inspire the artwork, and what they chose for the King of Chalices absolutely does make me think of the card differently than any other deck.
A dragon holds an orb in its mouth, crown atop his head as he appears ready to dive. In sharp contrast to the King in the Rackham Deck above, this one radiates action:
“Go get ‘em; You’ve got the vision; You’ve got the drive; Now, dive.”
All three versions have their own story to tell, different aspects of the King of Cups to reflect, and all of them are equally important.
So, which aspect of the King resonates with you?
As always, please feel free to tell me your thoughts and share any stories you have of using tarot to inspire your art! Until then, have fun and look for inspiration in every nook and cranny of the world around you.
-Allison
