Tarot ~ The King of Cups, up close and personal

 

Romantic, highly sexual, insipid, quiet, lazy, hedonistic, intuitive, stubborn, sensitive, unambitious, complacent…these are just a few of the words that will describe this tarot king. The King of Cups is the least verbal of the kings. Whether you’re waiting for a soliloquy of undying love and devotion, or a clear explanation for his actions, you are not going to receive it from this character. The one ironic twist to this king is that although he doesn’t have the skills or the desire to express himself, his lack of expression does not mean that he doesn’t have the capacity for feeling deeply.

At his best he’s romantic and chivalrous, as long as this means that he doesn’t have to stand up for anything, and he’s gentle. At his worst he’s lazy and passive aggressive, which generally tends to come off as childishness, and he tends to be promiscuous. He’s also exceedingly stubborn and often has a skewered perception of any given situation. This King indulges his appetites, whatever they may be, with unabashed abandon, and of course, no explanation or apologies.

The King of Cups, though quiet and mostly passive, will become stubborn and sullen when confronted with opposition. He also tends to retreat from contact with those who annoy him, or with anyone who has pushed him past his limit– and this king does have a limit to how much he will tolerate, though you will never know, until it’s too late, that you’ve reached this limit, because he will never speak up.

The King of Cups is closely associated with the element of Water; the herb palmetto; and the zodiac sign of Scorpio.