Upright Keywords:
Despair, Guilt, Shame, Mournful, Blessings, Hope, Pain, Grief, Loss, Loneliness
Reversed Keywords:
Moving on, Letting go, Recovery, Hope, Acceptance, Changing, Overcoming
Fives in any suit represent struggle in the Tarot deck, no matter where they fall. If they are upright: they foretell struggle. For the specifics of how the five will impact you, you need to take into strong consideration the cards surrounding it and the reading you’ve chosen. If this is a love reading, for example, the five will represent a future struggle whether it’s with money (Pentacles) or dishonesty (Cups).
The fives are a group of cards that you want to see blocked or reversed because they foretell difficulty.
Upright Meaning
This is a card of loss and loneliness. It is also a card of hope. Don’t lose faith in the two cups that are still standing and the bridge in the distance. The survival tools are there if you choose to take them.
If you pull this card upright, it’s foretelling or acknowledging the trauma of a loss you have already suffered or will suffer down the line. This will be a struggle, as all five’s foretell, but it will not be the end of you.
This card is allowing you time to grieve but also reminding you that you still have many blessings (represented by the two upright cups) and hope (represented by the bridge and the structure in the background). Pick up the pieces of your life and move forward.
Reversed Meaning
This is a relief when you pull the Five of Cups. This means that you have already passed the initial stages of grief and are now accepting that something hard or terrible has happened and it’s time to move on. This is a sign of your readiness to move forward, to cross the bridge, and start over.
If you pull the Five of Cups, you want it to be reversed. This means that the hardest part is over. Now pick up the pieces and walk away. This is a recovery card.