Knight, Suit of CupsKnight of Cups tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedKnight of Cups in shortIn short
The Knight of Cups is an offer from the heart. A knight in a winged helmet rides a white horse slowly forward, holding out a gold cup. Waite calls him graceful, and no warrior: he brings an invitation.
- Romance
- Invitations
- Idealism
Piece oneThe river
A blue river winds over yellow ground under red cliffs and dark trees. Waite calls the knight a dreamer. Water is the element of Cups, and the river keeps his pace, slow and winding.
"He too is a dreamer, but the images of the side of sense haunt him in his vision."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe river sets the knight's pace. It winds slowly through the yellow plain, and the horse walks beside it at the same speed. Water is the Cups element, so he travels with feeling at his side. The red cliffs add the heat of desire to his calm offer.
Piece twoThe white horse
He rides a pale white horse that walks forward, one foreleg lifted, head bowed. Waite says he rides quietly, without war in him. No hurry: he arrives step by step.
"Graceful, but not warlike; riding quietly..."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe horse sets the mood of the whole card. It walks with one leg raised and head bowed, never charging. A knight usually means speed. This one arrives slowly, and the gentle horse keeps the cup level in his hand.
Piece threeThe winged helmet
The knight wears a silver helmet topped with a white wing. Waite says the wings stand for the higher graces of the imagination. His mind flies while his horse walks.
"...wearing a winged helmet, referring to those higher graces of the imagination which sometimes characterize this card."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe helmet shows where his mind lives. The wing on top says imagination, so while the horse walks, his thoughts fly ahead. His armour is for show, and he carries no weapon. The helmet, the cup and the slow horse all say the same thing: a dreamer bringing a gift.
Piece fourThe cup
He holds a gold cup out in front of him, steady and upright, as if offering it to someone ahead. Waite's meanings: arrival, approach, an invitation, a proposal. The cup is the offer.
"...advances, proposition, demeanor, invitation, incitement."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe cup is his message. He holds it upright and out in front, so it reaches the other person before he does. Waite's meanings all point forward: arrival, invitation, proposal. The horse carries him slowly so the cup won't spill.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
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The river
Rust-red cliffs over grey-blue water. Red for desire, blue for feeling, right for a knight who brings an offer of the heart. In the Five of Cups a river cuts the mourner off from the keep, something still to cross. Here the river runs alongside the knight and goes his way, an easy companion for a slow ride.
Also in -
The white horse
A cream-white horse against red-brown cliffs. Calm and pale in front, warm and rough behind. White horses come back on two great major cards. Death rides one in black armour, slow and certain, over a fallen king. The child of The Sun rides one bareback with one arm spread. The knight's horse sits between them: pale, slow, gentle.
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The winged helmet
Pale silver and soft grey. Armour made for show. Wings come back across the Cups. On the Two of Cups a winged lion spreads red wings over a couple's pledge. In the Ace of Cups a white dove dives down with open wings to the cup. The knight wears his wing small, on his head, as a dream.
Also in -
The cup
Bright gold on pale blue. The brightest thing on the card, held out for someone else. The Page of Cups holds his cup too, but he stands still and looks into it. In the Two of Cups two people hold their cups out to each other and seal a pledge. The knight's offer is on its way to that meeting.
Also in
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
Knight of CupsUpright
The Knight of Cups is an arrival. Waite's words: arrival, approach, sometimes a messenger's, and advances, a proposition, an invitation.
Romance, offers, someone who follows their heart. Or an idea you are in love with. Waite calls the knight a dreamer, so enjoy the offer and still look at it clearly.
Knight of CupsReversed
Reversed, Waite's words: trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud. The charming offer may hide something.
Empty promises, flattery, someone in love with the idea of love. Look behind the cup before you take it.
Yes or noYes.
Yes. An offer or invitation is on its way. Make sure it is as good as it looks before you drink.
Knight of Cups in your lifeIn your life
Love
Romance, a proposal, a charming new person. Warm feelings, generous gestures.
Work
An offer or invitation. Good for creative work; read the details before you say yes.
Money
An attractive offer. Check it; this knight dreams more than he counts.
Health
Follow what makes you feel good, at a gentle pace. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
Follow your heart and imagination. A good time for art, prayer, anything done with love.
Advice
Say yes to the invitation. Keep your eyes open.
As a person
Romantic, charming, idealistic. Leads with the heart and loves a grand gesture.
Past, present, future
Past: an offer or romance that changed things. Present: an invitation on its way. Future: a proposal or a message from the heart.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Suit
- Cups
- Element
- Water
- Golden Dawn
- Fire of Water
- Court
- Knight
- Upright
- Arrival
- Reversed
- Trickery
QuestionsCommon questions
Mostly, yes. Offers, invitations, romance. Reversed, Waite warns of trickery and fraud, so look closely.
Romance and a proposal. Someone is riding toward you with feelings and an offer.
Yes. An offer is coming. Make sure it's real.
Waite calls him a graceful, gentle dreamer, no fighter. Today: someone romantic and charming who follows the heart, sometimes more in love with the dream than the real thing.
Waite says the winged helmet stands for the higher graces of the imagination. The knight dreams, and his imagination carries him.
Waite shows a graceful knight, no warrior, riding quietly in a winged helmet that stands for imagination. A dreamer, he says, haunted by images of the senses.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Element, decan and sephira: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
All 14 Cups