King of Cups Tarot Card Meaning and Art Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Designation
About the Deck
Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Pivotal and canonical, this deck defined a new pattern that would be followed up to the present. I made a digitally retouched and painted version of this deck, which I call the "Vivid Waite Smith Tarot Deck". The cards from that deck, as well as a modern English translation of the romantic English descriptions by Arthur Edward Waite (as appear on the Waite Smith Tarot deck) appear in a cross-referenced format in my book, "A Concise Guide to the Tarot: In Vivid Color"
Provenance
Designed by A.E. Waite and Illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. England, 1911.
Tags
cups-14, king-of-cups, king, cups
Description
He holds a short sceptre in his left hand and a great cup in his right; his throne is set upon the sea; on one side a ship is riding and on the other a dolphin is leaping. The implicit is that the Sign of the Cup naturally refers to water, which appears in all the court cards.Meaning of King of Cups from the Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Upright
Fair man, man of business, law, or divinity; responsible, disposed to oblige the Querent; also equity, art and science, including those who profess science, law and art; creative intelligence.
Reversed
Dishonest, double-dealing man; roguery, exaction, injustice, vice, scandal, pillage, considerable loss.
According to Many Schools of Thought
Papus's Divinatory Meanings
A fair man. A friend. A barrister, judge, or ecclesiastic. A bachelor.
A. E. Waite's Secondary Meanings
Upright
Beware of ill-will on the part of a man of position, and of hypocrisy pretending to help.
Reversed
Loss.
Mme. Le Normand's Divinatory Meanings
Reunion. Prosperity. Fidelity. Endurance.
S. L. MacGregor Mathers's Divinatory Meanings
Upright
A fair Man, Goodness, Kindness, Liberality, Generosity
Reversed
A Man of good position, but shifty in his Dealings, Distrust, Doubt, Suspicion.
P.R.S. Foli's Divinatory Meanings
Upright
Fair man of generous disposition
Reversed
a disappointing person.
Mme. Le Marchand's Divinatory Meanings
a man high in station for a husband; a wealthy man will give the bride away, and will likewise furnish the marriage portion. The bridegroom will attain to high honors. On Christmas-day the person will obtain the consent of his or her beloved.
