The Five of Cups as an Outcome: Grief, Then Recovery

Written by Chaya the Medium.

The Five of Cups as an outcome involves disappointment, but not total loss. Here is what it means and what still remains.

The Five of Cups as an outcome is disappointment. The situation is heading toward a loss or regret, but two cups remain standing. Not everything is gone.

What the Five of Cups means as an outcome upright

Tina Gong's the Five of Cups guide at Labyrinthos associates the upright card with regret, failure, disappointment and pessimism. In the outcome position I read those meanings as the likely direction of the situation if things carry on as they are now. An outcome card is not a fixed sentence. It shows where the current road leads, and roads can be changed. The Minor Arcana overview at Biddy Tarot is a useful second reference.

Upright, the Five of Cups shows the outcome as a time of grief over what did not work. It is real and it deserves to be felt. The turn comes when you notice what remains.

The Five of Cups reversed as an outcome

Reversed, the Five of Cups as an outcome points to recovery and acceptance. You move on, forgive and find what is still good.

The Five of Cups as a love outcome

As a love outcome, the Five of Cups can mean heartbreak or regret over a relationship. Healing is possible, and something remains to build on.

The Five of Cups as an outcome for work and money

For work and money, the Five of Cups as an outcome warns of setbacks. Learn from them rather than dwelling. A card can describe a direction; for decisions with legal, medical or financial weight, take advice from someone qualified as well.

What helps this outcome along

Turning around helps this outcome. Grieve, then look at the cups still standing.

For comparison, the Six of Cups as an outcome and Death as an outcome point somewhere different. The the Five of Cups card meaning page covers the card in full, and the Five of Cups as advice, the Five of Cups as feelings and the Five of Cups as a yes or no cover the other questions people most often ask of it. You can draw a card for yourself with the free daily tarot tool. For a personal interpretation, my guide to an online psychic reading explains how readings work, and the three-card tarot listing and customer reviews are worth reading before deciding whether to order.