Suit: Suit of Cups
Card Type: Minor Arcana
In this article Page of Cups Symbols, I refer to the Page of Cups court card from the Rider Waite Tarot deck, also known as the Waite-Smith, or Rider-Waite-Smith, or Rider tarot deck. In the Thoth Tarot deck this card is called The Princess of Cups and esoteric name is The Waters and Lotus of the Palace of the Floods.
The symbolism found on this card is primarily drawn from mythology, spiritualism, Christianity, Buddhism and color therapy.
Page of Cups: Key Symbols
Cup, blue fish, ocean, lotus flowers, blue feather
“A fair, pleasing, somewhat effeminate page, of studious and intent aspect, contemplates a fish rising from a cup to look at him. it is the pictures of the mind taking form.”
A.E.Waite
The Original Rider Waite Pictorial Key to The Tarot
Page of Cups Imagery: symbol meanings, metaphors, allegories and legends
Complete A-Z List: Tarot Card Symbols
What is The Meaning of The Cup in the Page of Cups?
A young Page stands in front of the sea, dressed in a colorful Grecian tunic. He holds a cup or chalice in his right hand and a blue fish emerges from within.
This is the same cup from the Ace of Cups card, the cup with the esoteric name The Root of the Powers of Water. The Page is holding out this chalice, offering you the magic elixir of water. It sounds like an exciting offer, doesn’t it?
This Page of Cups is the personification of the element Water, and all the sacred symbols water represents in shamanism, astrology and I-Ching. Water is considered the center of life, a divine energy which makes up 60 percent of the human body and 70 percent of the Earth’s surface. Water is linked to the Svadhisthana or the sacral chakra, located around the belly button. Every time we connect to water or spend time near water, it raises our energy and enhances the qualities of joy, creativity and healing in our mind and body.
What is The Meaning of The Blue Fish in The Page of Cups?
The Page seems to be listening closely to the message of the blue fish. Whatever he hears, must be good news because it makes him smile. What news does the fish impart?
Perhaps the fish wants to make you aware of a new spiritual gift or talent that is emerging in your life. In Tarot psychology, water symbolizes the depths of the unconscious higher-self and feelings. The blue fish in this card is therefore a metaphor for deeper spiritual awareness.
As water brings life, all creatures living beneath its surface symbolize fertility and birth. This fish could also be announcing a pregnancy or birth.
The color blue is used extensively in this Tarot card: the blue fish, blue tunic of the page, blue feather and ocean behind. In color therapy blue represents communication, and in particular light blue is associated with the need to talk to other people and to tell them what is your mind. This may be why the fish is light blue in color.
Interesting: The ichthys or ichthus is a symbol consisting of the profile of a fish. The symbol was adopted by early Christians as a secret symbol to recognize churches and each other during a time when they faced persecution in the Roman Empire. It later became known as the sign of the fish, or the Jesus fish.
The Thoth Tarot deck has a turtle emerging from the cup instead of a fish. In Eastern philosophy the turtle supports the universe on its back, and turtle shells were also used in divination for predicting the future.
What do The Ocean Waves Mean?
The ocean is vast and symbolizes the vastness of life. When it appears in a Tarot card, the ocean means that we are thinking about our life, and what will emotionally bring us happiness.
In the Page of Cups, the ocean is wavy. These waves represent waves of emotions, and signify the ripple of joy or the wave of emotion that washes over us when we receive good news.
⭐The ocean appears in many Tarot cards, some examples: Two of Swords, Five of Swords, Six of Swords, Ace of Cups, Queen of Cups, Two of Wands and Three of Wands
What do The Lotus Flowers on The Page of Cups Tunic Symbolize?
What are the flowers on the tunic of the Page of Cups? The answer is, the lotus flower.
These are the same lotus flowers which made an appearance in the Ace of Cups, and so we have a continuation of the theme. For thousands of years, Lotus flowers have been considered a powerful symbol of purity in Buddhism. The lotus grows from the depths of a muddy pond, and begins its journey towards the light and surface of the water. It is a symbol of emergence, signifying emerging from difficult times and entering a lighter period of happiness and optimism.
The lotus can also be considered a symbol of mind, body and spirit. It is associated with the 7 chakras in the body, and the Soul Star Chakra where the crown chakra merges with the Divine.
What Does The Blue Feather Mean in The Page of Cups Tarot Card?
The blue feather that the Page is wearing in his hat symbolizes spiritual evolution. It is a universal sign of communication with spirits, angels and spirit guides. Read more about the meaning of the blue feather, in my Guide to Feather Meanings.
Feathers appear in all four Pages suits, and four Knights in the Rider Waite deck.
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Karina, author of Tarot in 5 Minutes.
The Ultimate Guide to Page of Cups Symbols
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