No wonder the main motif of this card bears a clear resemblance to the Holy Grail. This card has a very spiritual and emotional context. It often suggests the beginning of a new relationship. What is important to understand is that this card is the seed and the essence of the Cups suit. It suggests the beginning of a new emotion, peace, a romantic relationship or just a friendship. It often stands for the start of a harmonious family life. As a member of the Cups family, it also has something to say about creativity, imagination, faith and the deeper levels of consciousness. It is also important to see that this seed is not always very visible to us. We may carry the seed of a new relationship in our heart before our mind can see it. Sometimes it simply shows that the essence of a life problem lies in some kind of emotional, "watery" issue. The five streams pouring out of the cup probably stand for the five senses through which we experience the world. Once again we see the Hebrew letter Yod raining from above, clearly a sign of divine grace, help from above; thus following your intuition is an important part of this card's message. The cup is suspended in the air above a vast body of water, emphasizing its connection with the water element, and the water lilies symbolize the creative power of imagination.
On the card
A hand emerges from a cloud on the right side of the card, holding a large golden cup on its open palm. A white dove descends from above, head down, carrying in its beak a small round wafer marked with a cross, which it is about to place in the cup. Five streams of water spill over the rim and fall into a still pool below, where water lilies float on the surface. Small drops, shaped like the letter Yod, fall through the air around the cup. On the face of the cup there is a letter that looks like an inverted M.
The picture speaks of a gift that is received rather than earned. The hand comes from the cloud, from a source beyond our sight, and the dove, the traditional image of the Holy Spirit, brings the bread of communion into the vessel, so the cup becomes a place where the divine meets the human heart. The overflowing streams show that this love cannot be kept inside: it spills out and feeds the waters below, the emotional life of the person who receives it. The lilies, rooted in the dark mud yet opening on the surface, are a fitting image for feelings that grow from deep, hidden places and blossom into the light.
Upright
Beginning of a new relationship, intuition, abundance, joy, contentment, faithfulness, compassion, creativity, friendship; your time is coming soon; there is more work to be done, but victory is yours. The seed of success.
Reversed
Dissolution of a relationship, lost or unrequited love, despair, loss of faith, lack of empathy. Try to resolve issues from the past so that everybody involved can move forward.