Knight of Cups
Minor Arcana · Cups · number 12 · Cavaliere di Coppe
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The Knight of Cups advances at a walking pace, his cup held out before him: an arrival, an approach, a proposition, a gracious demeanour, an invitation, an incitement. He is the messenger of the heart, the one bringing the invitation you were waiting for. If these days someone steps forward, with a declaration, a job offer, a proposal to collaborate, it is no accident: the card says the advances are sincere, at least in intention. In love it is a gentle courtship; in business, an opening to be welcomed graciously. The practical advice: answer the invitation, if only to listen. And if you are the knight, make your proposal calmly, without rushing to hear a yes.
Source: Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) · read the original passage
Reversed
Reversed, the Knight of Cups is the seducer who cheats: trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud. Sweet words hide a hidden motive, and the cup he offers you is empty. If these days a proposal seems too generous, a safe investment, a love promising everything after two days, it is no accident: something does not add up. Be especially careful with money and signatures. It is not a sentence, it is a protection. The practical advice: before accepting, ask for documents, references, time. Someone sincere is not in a hurry; someone in a hurry is usually not sincere.