The Five of Cups card in tarot symbolizes disappointment or missed opportunities. This card resembles sadness, disappointment, or being let down.
Element: Water (Scorpio)
Planet: Pluto
The Five of Cups card is not an overall positive card. This card is sad, to be blundt.
The five of cups resembles disappointment and missed opportunities.
The card also indicates an emotional feeling of sadness and grief.
This card has different meanings when interpreted upright as it does reversed (upside down, not the same as face down).
The table below shows a brief summary of interpretations, followed by more in-depth analysis of the card in both positions below.
| Upright | Reversed |
| Disappointment. Sadness. Feelings of being let down. Grief. | Recovery from regretful feelings. Acceptance of sad emotions. Acceptance of the past. |
| (Yes/No?): No | (Yes/No?): Yes |
Number 5 Meaning
Numbers have various associations in numerology.
The number five correlates with interaction, discord and strife. It also represents the clashing of ideas, conflict, crisis or struggle.
Like other odd numbers, the number 5 is considered to be a masculine number.
Fives are a signal to adapt to change.
The Five of Cups Card Description
In the original Rider-Waite tarot deck the Five of Cups card depicts a figure wearing a long, dark, black cloak.
His back is turned.
He is facing three cups that have "spilled" or tipped over, while two remain upright behind him.
He does not appear to notice the two upright cups behind him, and rather he is preoccupied with mourning the three spilled cups before him.
The overall feel of the card is sad.