Nine of Cups
A goodly personage has feasted to his heart's content, and abundant refreshment of wine is on the arched counter behind him, seeming to indicate that the future is also assured. The picture offers the material side only, but there are other aspects. Divinatory Meanings: Concord, contentment, physical bien-être; also victory, success, advantage; satisfaction for the Querent or person for whom the consultation is made. Reversed: Truth, loyalty, liberty; but the readings vary and include mistakes, imperfections, etc.
A. E. Waite, Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911)
With understanding and forgiveness there is an ecstatic moment of fulfillment, the power of unconditional love, the benediction. Great mother in all her aspects, protecting, caring and unselfish, the deep joy of overflowing love. Also the support that a close, loving family can give and share. A time of pleasure and satisfaction and the fulfillment of a cherished wish. The psyche is rescued from the darkness of the underworld with inner commitment of the only mortal and loyalty of own feelings, a second meeting of real marriage is possible - the inner and outer union.
9 of Water: Laziness
This gentleman clearly thinks he's got it made. He sits in his big over-stuffed chair, wearing his sunglasses, shaded by his umbrella, with his pink slippers and his piña colada in his hand. He doesn't have the energy to get up and do anything because he thinks he's done it already. He hasn't yet turned to see the mirror cracking around him on his right, a sure sign that the place he thinks he's finally arrived at is about to shatter and dissolve before his very eyes.
The message this card brings is that this poolside resort is not your final destination. The journey isn't over yet, as that white bird flying into the vastness of the sky is trying to show. Your complacency might have arisen from a real sense of achievement, but now it's time to move on. No matter how fuzzy the slippers, how tasty the piña colada, there are skies upon skies still waiting to be explored.
Tarot of the Ages - Mario Garizio ©1988 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
After the difficult choices of the Seven and the stagnation of the Eight, the Cups suit starts to balance out with the Nine. One of the most positive and uplifting cards of the entire deck, the Nine of Cups shows satisfaction on all levels - emotional, physical, sensual. It is little wonder that most Tarot readers refer to this as the Wish Card, and its appearance is often taken as a sign that, whatever your heart's desire is, it shall be granted in the coming days. It may not be granted exactly as you expected but you can rest assured that you will get what you want.
As it is a Cups card, the Nine of Cups usually refers to an emotionally fulfilling situation, such as the strengthening of a romantic bond, the solidification of a friendship or the consummation of a sexual relationship. It shows that joy and happiness are certainly within your grasp, and that you probably already have them. It is a sign to enjoy the abundance of life for as long as it lasts. Feel each of your emotions as if you had never felt any of them before. Take some time to value every person you love - and all those who love you back. See the perfection all around you.
On a more physical level, this card signals delight and pleasure, contentment with what you have and a steady foundation for the future. Your worries are all in the past, and you can look forward to a bright future. The Nine of Cups shows excellent health, though when badly dignified it can often point to an overabundance of physical pleasure that can lead to intoxication and illness. But this is really the only caution of the Nine of Cups: enjoy life and enjoy living but don't take it too far, because pleasure without regard to the consequences is rapidly lost.
It is rare that the Nine of Cups refers to a sense of spiritual bliss, since the cards of the spirit are the Swords. But with the Swords suit so full of strife and danger, the Nine of Cups would look out of place anywhere else but in the Cups suit. And if you think about it this makes sense, because when the pleasure and contentment of the physical plane is transferred to the spiritual level, it becomes inner peace and harmony with the Universe. The Universe is, after all, the source of all the love and pleasure that flows through the Nine of Cups into our lives. It only makes sense that we can sometimes follow that river to its source.
Tarot of the Dream Enchantress ©2009 Lo Scarabeo