The Ten of Cups tarot card is one of the most joyful and optimistic cards in a traditional tarot deck. In the popular Rider-Waite tarot deck, it displays an idyllic and detailed illustration, and most tarot readers interpret the Ten of Cups as a symbol of good fortune, perfection in love, and fulfilling relationships.
In the Rider-Waite version of the Ten of Cups, ten golden chalices form an arch across a rainbow. A young couple stares into the rainbow, arms outstretched in awe. Two happy children dance joyfully beside them, and a fertile, beautiful landscape lies ahead of them. The sky in the Ten of Cups is a perfect blue, and the landscape includes a cozy-looking red house on a mountain.
The Ten of Cups communicates sheer joy, childlike satisfaction, and an all-inclusive sense of contentment. In any tarot reading, regardless of the subject of the tarot spread, the Ten of Cups is a welcome sight. Depending on the context of the tarot reading, it might indicate comfort and satisfaction in material wealth, a happy and fulfilling relationship, or a joyful conclusion to a difficult and challenging period.
When it appears in a tarot spread that relates to marriage, romantic relationships, or love, the Ten of Cups is viewed as an optimistic symbol of commitment. Awkward, tummultuous, or uncomfortable times have passed, and the relationship has entered a state of joyful and unconditional love. The Ten of Cups might be a symbol of a new engagement, or the solidification of a previously unsteady relationship.
The two children, representations of fertility, can literally indicate childbearing, or they can indicate a love that indulges the “inner child” and satisfies youthful desires for unconditional affection. In some tarot reading contexts, the Ten of Cups might signal children whose lives have improved because the adults in their lives have achieved inner peace.
If the Ten of Cups appears in reverse, its meaning becomes darker and it carries the reverse of its original interpretation. The reversed Ten of Cups signifies quarelling, violence, and bottled anger. A situation illustrated by the Ten of Cups has the potential to be wonderful, but its glory is destroyed by anger, exploitation, and cruelty.
Still, the overall meaning of the Ten of Cups tarot card remains positive– in fact, some tarot readers consider it to be the most joyful and uplifting card in a traditional tarot deck. The combination of encouraging symbols– a rainbow, dancing children, and a gorgeously fertile landscape– makes the Ten of Cups as beautiful as it is optimistic.
Source: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
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