Three of Cups: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
‘Three of Cups’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Upright Three of Cups Meanings
Keywords
Friendship, Celebration, Community, Collaboration, Shared Joy, Social Gatherings
Generally
The Three of Cups signifies a time of joyful celebration and the support of a close-knit community. It is a card of friendship, collaboration, and the happiness that comes from sharing positive experiences with others. It represents the successful outcome of a group effort or simply a reason to gather and celebrate life. A birthday party, a wedding reception, a successful team project, a holiday gathering, or a happy reunion with old friends.
In a Love Context
In matters of love, this card points to a joyful celebration within a relationship or the supportive community that surrounds it. It can represent an engagement party, a wedding, or an anniversary celebration where friends and family share in the couple's happiness. For a single person, it may indicate finding love within a social circle or a friendship blossoming into romance. It speaks of a connection that is celebrated and supported by others.
In a Money/Career Context
This card can represent a successful collaboration at work or the celebration of a team's success. It might be a work party to celebrate hitting a target, a successful product launch that was a group effort, or a harmonious and supportive team environment. Financially, it can point to shared success, such as a business partnership that becomes profitable or a community venture that flourishes. It suggests that success comes through teamwork and shared goals.
In a Spiritual Context
This can signify finding joy and connection within a spiritual community. It may represent a coven, a study group, or a religious congregation that provides a sense of belonging and shared purpose. It is the energy of celebrating spiritual milestones together, such as a festival or a group ritual. It points to the idea that spiritual growth is often nurtured through connection with like-minded souls.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Collaborate with others. Celebrate your successes. Seek out your friends. Share your joy.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A happy reunion. A successful collaboration. A joyful celebration. A strong sense of community.
As Obstacles
Social obligations are getting in the way. A group is becoming cliquey. Peer pressure.
As Hidden Energy
A secret celebration is being planned. An unacknowledged need for friendship. The potential for a happy group resolution.
As Resources/Alliances
A supportive group of friends. A strong community. A successful team.
‘The Three of Cups’ Reversed
Keywords
Gossip, Over-indulgence, Stifled Creativity, Isolation, Soured Friendships
Generally
Reversed, the Three of Cups can point to a breakdown in friendships or a celebration that has been soured. It signifies gossip, over-indulgence, or a feeling of being an outsider in a social group. This can manifest as being excluded from a party, a friendship ending due to backstabbing, a creative collaboration that fails, or the hangover after a night of excessive celebration.
In a Love Context
This card often signifies a third-party situation or a breakdown in the social aspect of a relationship. It can represent an affair, a friendship that is interfering with your partnership, or feeling isolated as a couple from your wider community. It may also point to a relationship that is based more on partying and superficial fun than on a genuine emotional connection.
In a Money/Career Context
This can mean a toxic work environment where gossip and backstabbing are common, or a team project that is failing due to a lack of collaboration. It might represent being excluded by colleagues, a business partnership that has turned sour, or a work culture of excessive partying that is harming productivity. It is the energy of a team that has lost its harmony.
In a Spiritual Context
This can mean a spiritual community that has become toxic or exclusive. It may represent a "spiritual clique" that excludes others, a falling out with a spiritual group, or a practice that has become more about socialising than genuine spiritual work. It can also point to a feeling of being spiritually isolated and alone.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Avoid gossip. Re-evaluate your social circle. Be wary of over-indulgence. End a toxic collaboration.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A friendship will end. A project will fail due to a lack of teamwork. A celebration will be cancelled or soured.
As Obstacles
Gossip and backstabbing. A third party is causing trouble. A toxic social environment.
As Hidden Energy
A secret affair. Hidden resentments within a group of friends. An unacknowledged feeling of being an outsider.
As Resources/Alliances
Help comes from leaving a toxic group. The clarity that comes from ending a soured friendship.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Three of Cups’
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Three of Cups
"The conclusion of any matter in plenty, perfection and merriment; happy issue, victory, fulfilment, solace, healing. Reversed: Expedition, dispatch, achievement, end. It signifies also the side of excess in physical enjoyment, and the pleasures of the senses." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911)
RWS Three of Cups Symbolism
A.E. Waite’s Three of Cups depicts three women in a circle, raising their cups high in a toast of celebration and shared joy. They are surrounded by a bountiful harvest of fruit and gourds, signifying abundance and the successful outcome of their collective efforts. Their dance-like posture represents harmony and the easy flow of positive emotion between them. The scene is a powerful allegory for friendship, community, and the happiness that comes from celebrating together.
Meditations On The Three of Cups
Who are the people in my life that form my core community?
Am I taking the time to celebrate my own and others' successes?
Is my social life a source of genuine connection, or is it based on superficiality?
