The Knight of Cups is one of the Minor Arcana of a traditional tarot deck, and contains a number of interesting and important symbols. In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, the most popular tarot deck in the English-speaking world, the Knight of Cups is viewed as a symbol of change, free-thinking, and elasticity.
The Knight of Cups of the Rider-Waite deck rides a gray horse, who walks with his head down and one leg lifted. The Knight is adorned in an elaborate robe and armor, adorned with images of red fish. His helmet and shoes both have trailing wings, reminiscent of the messenger god Mercury. A single golden chalice sits in the Knight of Cups' right hand, and the background of the card appears to be a desert oasis.
Imagery within this tarot card is rich and meaningful. The desert combined with the many symbols of water-- fish, a river, and a cup-- indicate the union of different forces and the fertilization of creative ideas and relationships. Knights in divinatory tarot are generally considered to be messengers of change, and this correlation is reinforced by the symbolism associated with Mercury.
When drawn in a tarot reading, the Knight of Cups often signifies that a change is on the horizon; often one that is steeped in romance, sexual desire, or creativity. It likely indicates that the subject of the tarot reading will be, or has been, through a major life change that was influenced by an emotional or creative drive.-- possibly the introduction of a deep and passionate relationship, or a career change in favor of the arts.
Like all Court Cards in tarot reading, the Knight of Cups can symbolize an actual person, rather than just a state of mind or state of being. The person symbolized by the Knight of Cups would be someone who is youthful or immature, and almost certainly a male. He is passionate, quick-thinking, eccentric, and always seeking new adventures. Negative traits associated with the Knight of Cups character include moodiness and a tendency toward sudden, but quickly passing, bouts of depression.
The negative features of the Knight of Cups tarot card become more pronounced when the card is drawn in reverse, in which case it can be viewed as a warning to avoid the person or mindset associated with these traits. The reversed Knight of Cups especially symbolizes sullenness, hypersensitivity, and excessive emotional dependence on others.
