The Two of Cups follows the Ace and is a type of mirror image of the preceding card. Therefore Two in any Minor Arcana suit can show an opposition of the Ace, change, something being divided, or a duality of sorts. The Two of Cups may show a man and woman, each with a cup of their own. It seems that the beginnings of the Ace have multiplied, and there is suddenly someone to share the road with. The initiation of the relationship has past, and two people are here getting to know one another. All twos show where the energy of the Ace has divided or multiplied to create a pair or doubled meaning. The twos of the Minor Arcana also show where the querent first encounters opposing forces that go directly against the energy of the Ace, so in this situation it is implied that the Two of Cups is showing where one is splitting things instead of having all love, emotion, romance, and even his home to himself.
When more than one two appears in the same spread, there is an additional message available to the querent. Pairs of twos shows the ups and downs, cycles, and ever changing dynamics in relationships while three of them points to trades and other transactions where people are exchanging things, and perhaps, in this case, sweet words. Having four twos in a spread indicates change and coming to a crossroads, which is very fitting considering that roads are usually bidirectional and four roads diverging would create a turning point of some kind. The Two of Cups may show a choice of two different relationships in this context.
The Two of Cups in an Upright Position
An upright Two of Cups represents a happy couple as two people or two cups are shown in the imagery. There may be a love letter or letter from a close friend on its way. There may also be a marriage or engagement on the way, but this could also be seen as any real commitment made to another in the realm of romance. There is a feeling of harmony in the upright Two of Cups and a feeling that there is mutual respect, admiration, and love between the two people holding the cups. This could also signify a toast to the future. The emotional scales are balanced by the equality represented here. There is promise in the Two of Cups that relates to the relationships taken up in the Ace. One can expect to experience fun times and a period where everything seems to be in the right place. An affair is also possible.
The meaning of all Minor Arcana cards can be modified by the cards that surround it. Court cards from the Minor Arcana (Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings) all represent people. They have corresponding physical characteristics as well as their own astrological correspondences. The Two of Cups heralds a time when there are positive feelings travelling back and forth between two people in a new or existing relationship. There is reciprocation, and the relationship looks very promising. The court cards surrounding the Two of Cups will show the specific characteristics of the second person the cards is referring to. Also pay attention to the surrounding cards of the Major Arcana; these cards narrow down the meaning of the Two of Cups and can give the querent a clearer picture of what is being conveyed in the spread. For example, an accompanying Chariot card will show a short trip with a lover that is quite harmonious, and a school girl crush could be indicated where the Fool appears.
The Two of Cups in a Reversed Position
The reversed position of each card of the Minor Arcana is really as it states: an inversion of the card’s meaning. The Two of Cups shows two people and/or cups turned upside down. It appears that a budding relationship could be over before it’s even begun, or there is less harmony in this union than the querent may think. The cups have lost their contents as well, showing that there may not be any real love or emotion behind the relationship. There is caution that should be taken to not get over-invested in a current relationship when the Two of Cups appears in its reversed form. The querent may have more emotion, or love, for the other party, and their partner may not reciprocate those feelings. The heart could be ruling the head, causing the querent to make rash decisions and trust too easily.
There is also a feeling with the reversed Two of Cups that the querent is in a relationship that is unbalanced. This is possible through the loss of balance through reversal that the pair of cups usually represents. There could be inequality between the partners, and one may feel that the other is taking advantage of the amount of caring the other has in themselves for the relationship. The reversed Two of Cups is still not as disastrous of a card as one would expect. The querent is still in the early stages of their journey through the Suit of Cups, and has time to replenish what has been lost or restore the passion in a relationship. If the querent finds that they have had to give up on the person depicted within the Two of Cups, this card should also be taken as a sign that one can still find the perfect person with whom a perfect union is possible. This could also show a relationship that has been halted and going through a standstill. There could also be a sudden revelation about the querent’s partner having affair, or transversally, the querent’s affair with another individual may be exposed. Extra attention should be paid to how balanced the querent’s love life is when the reversed Two of Cups is present in a spread.
Key Terms
- Equality
- A harmonious union
- A happy couple
- Making a commitment
- Fairness in love
- A balanced relationship
- Unbalanced emotions
- A frivolous crush
- An engagement
- A broken engagement