Pulled The Knight Of Cups In A Tarot Reading? Here's What It Means

Tarot readings can give us insight into our past, present, and future—so long as we know what the cards mean. And of all the cards in a traditional tarot deck, the Knight of Cups can tell us a lot about our own needs and intuition.

The Knight of Cups depicts a knight riding a white horse at a steady pace. Rather than charging ahead, he appears to be calm and collected, indicting that he is at ease with what he's doing.

As tarot expert and creator of the Magical Self-Care Tarot Deck, Leah Vanderveldt, tells mindbodygreen, the Knights in tarot are related to the air element, while the suit of cups represents water. "So this air and water combo can be like bubbles in champagne or really good mineral water—it has the capacity to lift a situation with new energy," she explains.

Not only do knights hone their skills by taking action, but they learn through trying new things, Vanderveldt notes, adding, "In the case of the Knight of Cups, you’re being called to move in a way that honors your feelings, emotions, intuition, and imagination, and develop your connection to these themes."

Connecting air and water is to connect your movements and speech with your feelings, and that's a powerful practice, according to Vanderveldt. As such, she says, this can be a great guide card for storytelling among community or through art. "You can make the spaces you enter better by honoring a commitment to grace, kindness, and presence that allows you to go with the flow," she adds.

If you pulled the Knight of Cups upright in a reading about love, you'll be pleased to know it can indicate very romantic energy. As Vanderveldt explains, you could have an opportunity to connect with someone on an emotional level, "but it requires you meeting another halfway."

If you pulled the Knight of Cups in reverse a reading about love, the message here is that you could be putting someone on a pedestal, according to Vanderveldt, who adds it can also signal lack of commitment or follow through.

If you inquired about your career or finances and pulled the Knight of Cups upright, Vanderveldt tells mindbodygreen that the guidance here is to take your time and allow your vision for the future to fuel your actions. "Wise moves aren’t immediate [...] play the long game, if you will," she says.

The Knight of Cups in this instance could also be encouraging you to reflect on how you feel about your job or money situation. Vanderveldt suggests asking yourself what story you might be telling about yourself in relation to your career or money, adding to make sure that story is a supportive one.

In reverse, the Knight of Cups in a career or money reading suggests your heart might not be in it, or there’s a disconnect between how you’re feeling and your actions, according to Vanderveldt.

Sometimes we ask the cards for guidance on a particular challenge we're facing, or one we might need to watch out for in the future. In this case, Vanderveldt notes, the upright Knight of Cups is "a dreamer with an active imagination," which can be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it.

When we think about our intuition and being in touch with what our hearts really want, trouble arises when we ignore, repress, or deny ourselves of it. In the case of the Knight of Cups in reverse here, that's likely exactly the challenge it's speaking to.