Interpreting the King of Cups as feelings during a tarot card reading is valuable, because it can have some very clear and interesting implications.
This guide will teach you what the King of Cups means when it comes to feelings and how someone sees you. It’s not as hard as it seems!
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King Of Cups As Feelings
The King of Cups is a very good card to get in any reading about feelings. In fact, there are relatively few tarot cards that could possibly be better! Everything about the King of Cups relates to healthy, happy emotional connections. When you examine his suit, position, and imagery, you can see why.
Let’s start with the suit of Cups. This suit is associated with the element of Water, which governs emotions and the subconscious mind. Cups cards commonly appear in readings that relate to love, compassion, and emotional healing.
Next, look at the King’s position within the court cards. He is one of the monarchs, so he’s an emblem of maturity, wisdom, and the full power of the suit of Cups. He doesn’t have the rash immaturity of the Page or Knight — he’s an older figure with years of experience as a ruler.
If you look at his imagery within the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, he appears as a middle-aged man wearing a crown, a red and yellow cloak, and a voluminous blue robe. His expression is calm. Though his throne is made of heavy stone, it floats easily on the water that surrounds him. His depiction shows that he embodies emotions and has full mastery of them.
In the context of finding the Kind of Cups during a feelings reading, this points to a sense of mature, deep devotion. This person seems to care for you a lot, and this isn’t just puppy love. The King of Cups doesn’t subscribe to the Hollywood romance fantasies of the Page of Cups — his feelings are sincere and abiding.
The King of Cups also represents feelings that don’t waver easily. This person is mature enough to understand that we’re all human, and humans are fallible by nature. They’re likely to have a lot of sympathy and compassion for you. They may even love you in a selfless way.
For new relationships, the King of Cups is a very good omen. The subject of this reading feels very positively toward you and appears to want to have a deep commitment with you. While you may not have been together for very long, it seems that this person feels very connected and devoted to you.
If you’ve been together for a while already, then the King of Cups is still a very good omen for feelings. The King’s energy is the kind of energy that leads to long-lasting love and harmony. You and this person have probably already gone through a lot together. Even if you haven’t, this is the kind of love that can weather storms.
While the King of Cups is a very romantic figure, he doesn’t always indicate romantic feelings. As a King, he’s also a kind of paternal figure within his suit. The subject of this reading may have similar feelings toward you. It’s likely that they value you as a part of their chosen family.
In general, no matter what kind of relationship you’re doing a reading for, the King of Cups is a sign of strong, loving, compassionate feelings. The person you’re inquiring about cares about you very much.
Reversed King Of Cups As Feelings
When reversed, the King of Cups stops being a good sign for readings about feelings. His positive traits are inverted, and he begins to embody the worst aspects of his suit. Since the King is also in a position of power, this means that he can do some real damage.
Since the suit of Cups is connected to the emotions, that means all manifestations of the emotions — not just love, compassion, and selflessness, but also hate, pettiness, and selfishness. Where the King upright is a wise, moderate, and sympathetic ruler, the King of Cups reversed is a foolish, temperamental, and self-serving figure who abuses his authority.
If you look at his imagery again, his throne is usually floating peacefully on top of the water. This indicates his mastery of this element and all that it represents. When the King of Cups is reversed, the water is now placed over him. In other words, he’s lost control of his emotions, and now they rule over him.
In a feelings reading, this means that this person may be feeling moody and insecure. It’s likely that they have very strong feelings for you, but these feelings aren’t being dealt with in a healthy way. While the upright King of Cups recognizes people’s personhood, the reversed King is a fearful tyrant who seeks to control others. This person may think they love you, but they may be acting out of jealousy and possessiveness.
Part of the problem with the reversed King of Cups is that he’s still one of the rulers of his suit. He understands emotions, which means that he also knows how to use them to his advantage. Being presented with this tarot card may warn you that this person is using your feelings to manipulate you.
If you’re in a new relationship, then this card is a very bad sign. It’s possible that this person has charmed you into caring for them, but their true colors may be starting to emerge. This can show up in a number of ways: They may be starting to behave in a controlling or possessive fashion, or they may have stopped putting effort into your relationship entirely.
The same things can be true of more established relationships, too. Your partner may not be respecting you and your boundaries. It’s also possible that they’ve begun to lose interest in the relationship and are now content to let you do all of the heavy lifting.
For platonic relationships, the reversed King of Cups can still represent moodiness, pettiness, and emotional manipulation. This person’s friendship may come at a price. It’s possible that they’ve befriended you because they want something from you.
King Of Cups As Feelings With Other Cards
The King of Cups by itself has a number of clear meanings when it comes to feelings. But sometimes, it’s helpful to draw a second card to get more context for a situation.
Here’s what the King of Cups can represent as feelings when combined with other tarot cards.
King of Cups and Queen of Cups
The King and Queen of Cups together represent a mature, loving, balanced relationship. Even if your relationship isn’t heterosexual, these cards represent very harmonious feelings and energy with a healthy give-and-take.
King of Cups and Knight of Cups
Here, the impulsiveness and courage of the Knight of Cups tempers the mature feelings of the King of Cups. This person cares about you, and they want to jump right into a deep connection with you.
King of Cups and Page of Cups
The addition of this card to the King of Cups brings a more youthful perspective when it comes to feeling (perhaps with some rose-colored glasses). This person cares deeply for you, to the point where they may have concocted some fantasies about being with you.
King of Cups and Ace of Cups
The King of Cups and Ace of Cups are a potential power couple. Aces are new beginnings, enthusiasm, and fresh energy, paired with the power and wisdom of the King. This person cares about you and there’s the potential for you both to go very far together. This could be a very supportive, fruitful relationship.
King of Cups and The Lovers
The Lovers represent a partnership. When the King of Cups appears alongside this card, the feeling represented is a desire for a relationship. However, it can also indicate an existing relationship that stands in the way of their feelings for you.
King of Cups and The Tower
The Tower is a destructive force, albeit a necessary one. When paired with the King of Cups as feelings, it can indicate that this person feels overwhelming and conflicted feelings toward you. They may want to be with you but recognize that doing so would require them to fundamentally alter their life.
King of Cups and Temperance
Temperance is all about moderation, and the King of Cups is also a very moderate figure. Together, these tarot cards indicate strong feelings under strict control. This person likely feels strongly for you but is unwilling to show it.
King of Cups and The Devil
The Devil is typically a negative card in a love or feelings reading, since he represents addiction and manipulation. However, The Devil also has a few positive connotations, particularly when it comes to passionate love. The King of Cups with this card can represent feelings of someone who cares for you and has a very mature outlook when it comes to love but is also very passionate and sensual. They may be a bit of a “bad boy/girl,” with the power to make their partner addicted to their love.
Wrapping Up
The King of Cups can mean a number of things as feelings, but it’s not hard to decipher. In fact, all you need to do is follow this guide during your next reading!
If you have any questions or are faced with a particularly challenging situation, we’re more than happy to help! Just send over a quick message describing your situation and we’ll weigh in.
