Upright Keywords:
Celebration, Sabbaths (Imbolc, Samhain, Thanksgiving…), Shared happiness, Female company, Coven gathering, Pleasure and satisfaction, Enrichment of friendships, teambuilding, Excitement and play, Fulfilment of sexual fantasies (especially in a female company), Luck and momentum, Artistic collaboration, Shared success, Team effort, Spring, fertility, Good health, Gratitude
Reversed Keywords:
Exploitation of the environment, Exploitation of kindness, Wasting resources, Problems with addictive substances, Overindulgence in alcohol, Material pleasures with a less emotional component
The Lord of Plenty that governs the spirits of the Three of Cups has many irresistible, fun and benevolent Undines at his disposal. Undines are generally very propitious towards humans, and many of them are of an amorous nature.
This card can also indicate a love relationship with someone who has etheric and esoteric properties or lineage. Three of Cups card is perfect for spiritual/occult rituals and workings when you want to invite beneficial and festive energies into your life on a daily basis.
Since the spirits of this card are very benevolent towards humans, you can get your wish easily fulfilled by stating your desire to the card directly, or by writing up your petition on paper and placing it below the red, yellow or white candle in front of the Three of Cups card on your altar.
This card is under the heavy influence of Venus and the element of Water, and as such, it’s very important to remember that Franz Bardon cautioned about many mages’ dooms brought upon the Lady of Love – Venus. In esoteric and occult workings, this card implies that it’s more than possible to realize a love relationship with Fey, but this kind of magical work is not something that is advised to novice mages.
According to the legends and folklore, in a passionate and powerful love relationship between humans and otherworldly beings, something is bound to go awry. Despite the fact that it’s usually the human side that causes problems in such relationships, the outcomes usually end badly. You should keep all of these potential dangers in mind when working with the Three of Cups card because there are those among the Fey kind that are not so benevolent towards humans and they do not care about human fates very much.
However, the Undines of the Three of Cups are very benevolent and kind toward humans; they are neither jealous nor possessive, which is why they represent the female friends, relatives or lovers in a reading who are especially beneficial and honestly happy for the reader when there’s success in the cards.
The Three Graces (Aglaia, Thalia and Euphrosyne) depicted on the Raider Waite’s card, represent splendour, joviality, and good cheer, and are entirely free-spirited. They represent the Water quality that is emotional freedom and liberty to love and be loved by all. This card can also be a representation of polyamory and polyamorous relations.
The Lord of Plenty and Graces ahead of a merry cortege of Undines and Fey maidens – who wouldn’t like to see them in a reading? That’s the Three of Cups for you – Water in its most seductive, merry and free expression! Reversed and overemphasized placement in a reading suggest all possible forms of exaggeration and crapulence.
Upright Meaning
When the Three of Cups shows up in an upright position in a reading, the general vibe is that you need a serious time-out and a time to celebrate your successes, party, and host a celebration in the name of your victory be it a small or a very big one. This card is telling you that you have overburdened yourself with various chores and obligations and that both your mind and your body need to recharge and recuperate, especially if the King of Wands makes an appearance in a reading paired with the Three of Cups.
The time has come for you to surround yourself with the loving energies of those women who you hold dear and who hold you close to their hearts, too. This card also foretells about a festive event in your near future, a birthday party, a baby shower, a wedding or a family gathering for an upcoming Sabbath.
This card could also mean that the time has come for you to make your own Coven, or have a Coven gathering where you’ll enjoy merry times and cast celebratory spells with a lot of seasonal food and wine. This card indicates more than just some merry gathering, it proposes that you should spend some time surrounded by the energy of love and frequency of like-minded individuals who wish you well and prosperity.
Reversed Meaning
Three of Cups reverses first and foremost represents the time to be grateful and to say your ‘thanks’ to your loved ones, your ancestors, deities and all those who have supported you throughout your struggles, and still do. The time has come for you to do some solitary work, be it a work project, a study, or an occult practice – whatever the form of work(ing) it takes – you should go at it by your lonesome.
This card when reversed also indicates overindulgence in alcohol or some other addictive substance that lets you escape reality but is harmful in the long run. It can also imply that you are running away from a matter that requires you to approach it with a clear head and objective perspective.
If paired up with Pentacle cards in a reading, Three of Cups reversed implies that you are spending beyond your current means and that you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself in the financial sphere. Reversed, Three of Cups also indicates a short-lived romance that might leave you hanging and wanting in the long run, ask yourself “is the short-lived pleasure worth long-lasting emotional pain”?