Two of Cups
partnership · union · mutual respect
Two cups raised on the bridge. Two carp circle below.
Upright meaning
A meeting of equals. Love, friendship or partnership where each gives and each receives. The cups rise at the same height.
partnership · union · mutual respect · attraction
Reversed meaning
Imbalance, a misunderstanding or a bond that has cooled. One cup raised higher than the other. Or the need to repair things with yourself first.
imbalance · disconnection · tension · broken trust
What the card shows
A young man in an indigo robe and a young woman in a vermilion robe patterned with white blossoms face each other on an arched vermilion bridge in a garden. Each raises a small lacquer cup toward the other. A pale full moon hangs between them, plum blossom opens on the left, a pine and a stone lantern stand on the right, and in the pond below two red and white carp swim in a circle.
In Rider–Waite–Smith tarot the Two of Cups shows a young couple exchanging cups beneath a winged lion's head and the staff of Hermes. It is the card of partnership and mutual attraction: two people who choose each other freely. The pair of carp, swimming as a matched pair, echo that meeting in the water beneath the bridge.
Two of Cups in love
Mutual attraction, a new partnership or a deepening bond. Feelings are returned. Meet them as an equal.
Two of Cups in work
A good partnership, a trusted collaborator, an agreement that suits both sides. Build it on respect.
As advice
Reach out to the person who meets you as an equal and tell them what the connection means. Offer as much as you hope to receive.
Two of Cups: yes or no
Yes
Both cups are raised at the same height; the card leans yes, especially for partnership.
A question to keep
Where does someone meet you exactly halfway?