The Ten of Cups reminds us that what we want matters and that we can shift our lives to echo what our hearts and spirits need.
This card centers around warmth, love, and connection. To some, success is measured in wealth, but in the Ten of Cups, it’s measured in happiness. Ten Cups are filled, bringing the seeker to fullness.
Common definitions of this card align with families, both kin and chosen. You might be focusing on building the family and life of your dreams, connecting with friends, or strengthening your community.
Or, you might envision what’s possible and hold to this goal. The Ten of Cups represents the ideal for joy and connection, and while ideals are not always attainable, a vision for happiness can help you make better choices.
This card can come up in all manner of family readings: marriage and divorce, starting a family, situations regarding legacies, wills, inheritance, homes, and family drama. You might be trying to negotiate a route that brings closure or opens the road for better things.
Blood relations aside, the Ten of Cups can focus on community, networks, and connecting with your people. You could be involved in a cause, working through group dynamics, or mediating situations with multiple parties to bring cohesion and peace.
On a spiritual level, the Ten of Cups asks you to reflect on your vision and sense of self. Are you short-changing yourself? Are you spending time and energy on things (or people) that drain you and leave you feeling a lack? Pull yourself close to what and who lifts you up versus drags you down.
When the Ten of Cups is drawn reversed, joy is absent. Or, it’s taken for granted. When pleasure is missing, it could suggest that those involved have different goals, don’t share the same feelings, or need to separate.
In the case of disenchantment, it’s also possible that the beauty built isn’t appreciated or valued. The dreamy, feel-good quality of the Ten of Cups can suggest ideals akin to fairytales; if it’s not perfect, it must not be right. Those without metrics for healthy relationships and circumstances are drawn to repeat the chaos they’ve always called home. In other words, the card reversed can signify self-sabotage or not seeing the good in your life.
The reversal of this card also feels like not fitting in. You might feel ostracized, out of place, in the wrong place, or not finding your crew. You might need to open up new doors and breathe fresh air.
I’ve also seen this card drawn reversed when people are overly focused on having their future goals met, especially when it relates to starting a family and getting married. While it’s important to know what you’re reaching for, stretching yourself forward means losing out on the good stuff you could be enjoying now.
The Ten of Cups raises questions about joy, love, connection, and how we build our relational homes (and physical ones). Know what contentment is and seek it out. If you’re new to feeling and seeking the good in life, explore the blocks that keep you low.
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Tarot Spread
If you are drawn to the Ten of Cups and want to dig deeper, get them outta your deck, make them your mascot, and draw some cards from the rest of the deck with this tarot spread I created!
