The 10 of Cups

Representing completion; the 10 of Cups is associated with the culmination of our relationship with quiet comfort and security; the point of silence has been reached where you can sit in silence in one another’s company without a feeling of awkwardness. The 10 of Cups portends to faith and trust being cemented in our relationship bringing us to an almost dogmatic point of renewed clarity and assurance.

In the upright state the 10 of Cups represents a fulfilling relationship that delivers upon what was promised and holds potential for so much more. The 10 of Cups represents the endurance of this relationship beyond test.

In the inverted state the 10 of Cups represents a relationship that reaches a point of acceptance, its form may not be what was anticipated but nevertheless its shortcomings are accepted by those involved. Our focus here becomes whether this is enough or if our time should once again be drawn to a close.

In the Rider-Waite deck the 10 of Cups depicts the arc of the covenant as depicted in the Book of Genesis as a rainbow in the sky given as a sign to Noah as God’s promise never again to send forth the flood – not to be confused with the Ark of the Covenant as described in Book of Exodus said to contain the stone tablets of the commandments, the Rod of Aaron, and a pot of Manna.

The arc represents enduring commitment and an everlasting promise that is held in faith beyond question. The 10 of Cups can be a sign of upcoming marriage or a shared experience that will create a bond that will never be broken, perhaps the birth of a child.

In self-reflection the 10 of Cups serves as a prompt to consider what has been achieved and what has been learned, what remains to be completed. The 9 of Cups focused on recognising your destination, the point of completion that you wanted to work towards, here the 10 of Cups represents achievement and arrival at that destination and asking “Now what?”

Ask yourself “Am I happy with things the way they are?” and “How can I preserve what I have achieved?” if your relationship has reached a place where you are happy, then your focus should be placed on how to keep that feeling fresh and prevent entropy from eroding it through time. If your relationship has reached a place which you did not expect, then this is your final opportunity to consider whether this relationship has a future, whether it should end, or whether you should accept its temporary nature and make the most of it before it inevitably falls apart if that is your expectation.

Where this relates to your emotions and feelings it can be a question of whether or not you have reached the emotional state that you wanted to achieve. Ask yourself “Is this what I want?” and place a particular focus on the distinction between want and need, with a bias towards what you want. Most emotions focus on desires, whereas most thoughts focus on necessity, as such your needs should be met by the Suit of Swords, your wants should be the focus of the Suit of Cups.