Tarot Card Combination
Five of Cups+Seven of Cups
聖杯五 & 聖杯七
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Five of Cups
Five of Cups
聖杯五
Seven of Cups
Seven of Cups
聖杯七
This pairing reveals a profound emotional crossroads where past disappointments (Five of Cups) color present fantasies (Seven of Cups). You stand between mourning what was lost and being seduced by myriad possibilities. The dual Water energy suggests deep intuitive currents, yet warns of emotional saturation. The numerology of 12 points to a necessary choice that will bring balance through decisive emotional action, moving from regretful fixation to conscious selection.
The Five of Cups depicts the figure of grief, fixated on three spilled cups while two remain upright behind—a traditional symbol of regret overshadowing present blessings. Combined with the Seven of Cups, where a dreamer confronts seven floating vessels containing both treasures and terrors, this pairing speaks to a psychological state where past emotional wounds (Five) actively shape current fantasies and illusions (Seven). In the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, these cards together suggest that disappointment has become the lens through which all future possibilities are viewed, potentially leading to choice paralysis. The seeker is advised to recognize that while mourning is valid, it must not become the foundation for future decisions, lest they choose based on fear of repeated loss rather than genuine aspiration.
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Elemental Analysis
Double Water creates a potent, intuitive, but potentially overwhelming emotional tide. This isn't the gentle flow of a single Water card, but a confluence where feelings from the past (Five) merge with feelings about the future (Seven), creating a deep, swirling current. It enhances psychic sensitivity but risks emotional flooding—where intuition blurs into projection, and feeling becomes indistinguishable from fact. The challenge is to navigate these waters without drowning in nostalgia or fantasy.
Numerology Insights
The sum 5 + 7 = 12 reduces to 3 (1+2=3), but the number 12 itself holds significance. In tarot, 12 is the number of The Hanged Man—sacrifice and new perspective. It symbolizes a cycle of experience (5) meeting potential (7) to create a pivotal choice point. Twelve implies a need for balance and completion before a new cycle (ruled by 3) can begin. Here, it mandates an emotional reckoning that leads to enlightened choice.
Reversal Meanings
Five of Cups Reversed
Five of Cups reversed suggests a gradual release from the grip of past regret. The spilled cups begin to right themselves; the mourner turns from the loss. While pain is not erased, its dominance over the psyche lessens, allowing for acknowledgment of the two upright cups—the resources and relationships that remain. This is the beginning of emotional acceptance and the decision to move forward.
Seven of Cups Reversed
Seven of Cups reversed indicates a collapse of illusions and a return to reality. The enticing but vague visions lose their power, forcing clarity. This can feel like disillusionment, but it is ultimately liberating. Choices become narrower and more defined. The seeker stops chasing fantasies and begins to see options for what they truly are, often leading to a single, clear, and actionable path.
Both Cards Reversed
With both cards reversed, the dynamic shifts from paralysis to proactive release. The emotional fog clears. You are simultaneously letting go of past disappointments (Five Rx) and cutting through present illusions (Seven Rx). This creates a stark but clean emotional slate. The danger is an overcorrection into excessive pragmatism or emotional detachment. The opportunity is to rebuild from a place of clear-eyed realism, making choices based on present truth, not past pain or future fantasy.
Spiritual Guidance
Spiritually, these cards together represent the 'dark night of the soul' meeting the 'visionary's crossroads.' The grief of the Five becomes the raw material for the visions of the Seven. This is a call to transform personal disappointment into discernment. Your emotional wounds have granted you the depth to perceive spiritual illusions from truths. The journey involves honoring the mourning process without letting it define your spiritual aspirations, ultimately choosing a path of authentic growth over comforting fantasies.
Yes/No Reading Guide
This combination strongly leans toward 'No,' or 'Not yet.' The Five of Cups indicates unresolved emotional baggage, and the Seven of Cups shows confusion or illusion clouding the matter. A positive outcome requires first processing the grief of the Five and then achieving the clarity to choose wisely from the options of the Seven. The current energy is too mired in past loss and future uncertainty for a definitive 'Yes.'
Historical & Mythological Context
In the 15th-century Italian *tarocchi* games, the Five of Cups (as Five of Chalices) and Seven of Cups (as Seven of Chalices) were simple pip cards. Their rich psychological symbolism was largely developed by A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith in 1909, who imbued them with the themes of regret and illusion, reflecting early 20th-century explorations of the subconscious and emotional memory.
Meditation & Reflection
Sit by still water. Visualize your past disappointments dissolving into the water like dark ink. Then, watch as seven reflections appear on the surface. Which reflections hold their form in the wind? Which distort? The stable ones are your true choices.
Daily Affirmation
"I release past grief to choose my present truth with clarity."
Practical Advice
Conduct a ritual of emotional acknowledgment. Literally or symbolically, name the three spilled cups (your losses), then turn and name the two upright ones (your remaining blessings). Only then, with that balanced perspective, examine the seven floating cups of possibility. Choose not what promises to replace the loss, but what aligns with your whole, present self.
Things to Watch
Beware the siren song of options that seem to 'fix' your past pain. You are vulnerable to choosing fantasies that are reactions to disappointment rather than affirmations of true desire. This can lead to repeating cycles of loss.
Individual Card Meanings
Five of Cups
聖杯五
The Five of Cups shows a cloaked figure mourning over three spilled cups, while two upright cups stand behind them, unnoticed. This card represents grief, loss, and focusing on what went wrong rather than what remains. It suggests a period of mourning and disappointment, but reminds you that not all is lost—there are still opportunities for emotional recovery.
View full meaning →Seven of Cups
聖杯七
The Seven of Cups shows a figure facing seven cups filled with various visions—a castle, jewels, a snake, a dragon, a shrouded figure, a laurel wreath, and a glowing figure. This card represents choices, fantasies, and illusions. It warns against wishful thinking and suggests the need to distinguish between realistic options and pure fantasy.
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