Tarot Anatomy

IX, Suit of CupsNine of Cups tarot card meaning

Upright and reversed

Nine of Cups in shortIn short

The Nine of Cups is contentment. A smiling man sits on a bench, arms crossed, nine gold cups arched above him. He has had his fill and the future looks safe, so many readers call it the wish card.

  • Contentment
  • Wishes
  • Satisfaction
Yes or noYes
Folds of a blue curtain hanging under the arch of cups

Piece oneThe blue curtain

A blue curtain hangs in deep folds behind him, closing the space like a stage or a private room. Waite mentions no curtain; ours frames him and holds up the cups. Anything behind it stays hidden.

Why it is hereThe curtain turns the scene into a stage. It closes the space behind him, so all you see is the man, his bench and his cups. It holds up the arch of nine cups like a shelf. Anything behind it stays private, and the host shows you only the part he wants seen.

Piece twoThe bench

A brown wooden bench under the man's white striped robe, with his red stockings and beige shoes below it

He sits on a plain wooden bench, his striped robe spread across it, feet planted. Waite reads concord, contentment, physical well-being. The seat is simple. He needs no throne to be satisfied.

"Concord, contentment, physical bien-être; also victory, success, advantage..."Waite, 1911

Why it is hereThe bench keeps his pleasure simple. It's plain wood, square and solid, set in the middle of the card. He sits on it like a man at home, feet planted, robe spread out. The curtain and the arch of cups do the showing off. The seat just holds him.

Piece threeThe host

A round-faced man in a red cap with a red feather smiles straight at you. Waite calls him a goodly personage who has feasted to his heart's content. He is pleased with life and shows it.

"A goodly personage has feasted to his heart's content..."Waite, 1911

Why it is hereThe host is the wish come true, and he's glad about it. Round face, red cap, a grin aimed straight at you. He folds his arms like a man who's finished a good meal. The nine cups above are his, and the bench and the curtain set the scene for him.

The smiling face of a man in a red cap with a red feather and a ruffled white collar
Piece threeThe host

Piece fourThe nine cups

Nine gold cups stand in an arch behind him. Waite puts them on an arched counter full of wine; ours line the top of a blue curtained alcove. Waite says they show the future is safe too.

"...abundant refreshment of wine is on the arched counter behind him, seeming to indicate that the future is also assured."Waite, 1911

Why it is hereThe nine cups are the wish itself, laid out for show. They stand in an arch over his head like a crown of plenty. Waite says they mean the future is safe too, so the cups are a promise as well as a reward. The host sits under them without reaching, already satisfied.

Nine gold cups standing in an arch along the top of a blue curtained alcove, on a yellow background

Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes

  • The blue curtain

    Soft blue against yellow. The suit's water colour, calm and still, like a full cup. The curtain falls in deep folds, so the blue reads as heavy cloth, comfort hung up for show. Against it the bright yellow ground and the gold cups glow warmer, and the white striped robe stands out in front.

  • The bench

    Warm brown wood under cream stripes. Brown is solid comfort, and the light robe shows ease more than wealth. Another plain bench holds the woman in the Two of Swords, but she sits on hers blindfolded, arms crossed over two blades. The King of Cups has a carved stone throne on the sea. The nine needs neither.

    Also in
    Two of Swords cardTwo of SwordsKing of Cups cardKing of Cups

  • The host

    A red cap and feather over a warm face. The brightest spot on the card sits on his head, and his red stockings repeat it below. His crossed arms come from the Four of Cups, where a young man folds his the same way and scowls at his cups. Same pose, opposite mood: one shuts the world out, one is full of it.

    Also in
    Four of Cups cardFour of Cups

  • The nine cups

    Gold cups on bright yellow. Warm, sunny, full. The arch comes back one card later. In the Ten of Cups the cups ride a rainbow over a family, and the curve opens across the whole sky. The nine keeps its arch indoors, on a curtain, for one man. The ten hangs it outside for everyone.

    Also in
    Ten of Cups cardTen of Cups

Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.

Nine of Cups card, upright

Nine of CupsUpright

The Nine of Cups is satisfaction. You have what you wanted, or soon will. Waite's words: concord, contentment, physical well-being, victory, success, advantage.

Enjoy what you have: good food, comfort, a plan that worked. Waite says the picture shows only the material side, and the card has other aspects. Enjoy it, and don't hide behind it.

Nine of CupsReversed

Reversed, Waite's words surprise: truth, loyalty, liberty. He adds that readings vary, and include mistakes and imperfections.

Maybe the comfort was hollow, or you got your wish and it left you empty. Look past things to what is true. Or expect small flaws in a plan that is otherwise good.

Nine of Cups card, reversed

Yes or noYes.

Yes, one of the happiest answers in the deck. Waite's words: victory, success, satisfaction.

Nine of Cups in your lifeIn your life

  • Love

    An easy, happy time together, or a wish in love coming true. Enjoy it.

  • Work

    Success and recognition. A goal reached, a deal closed. Be proud.

  • Money

    Comfort, with some to spare. Just don't spend it all on pleasure.

  • Health

    You feel well. Go easy on rich food and drink. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.

  • Spirituality

    Gratitude. Count what you have before you ask for more.

  • Advice

    Make your wish. Enjoy what has already come true.

  • As a person

    Content, generous, comfortable. Enjoys life and shares it.

  • Past, present, future

    Past: a wish come true. Present: satisfaction and comfort. Future: success and a secure stretch ahead.

Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.

Folds of a blue curtain hanging under the arch of cups
[ Nine of Cups ]

Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance

Suit
Cups
Element
Water
Astrology
Jupiter in Pisces
Sephira
Yesod
Upright
Concord
Reversed
Truth
Related cards
Eight of Cups cardEight of CupsTen of Cups cardTen of CupsFour of Cups cardFour of Cups

QuestionsCommon questions

Waite shows a man who has feasted to his heart's content, with wine stored behind him for the future. He adds that the picture shows the material side, and the card has others.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911

Card 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