Page of Cups
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. Divinatory Meanings: Fair young man, one impelled to render service and with whom the Querent will be connected; a studious youth; news, message; application, reflection, meditation; also these things directed to business.
A. E. Waite, Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911)
An attractive personality, a lover and a "heart-throb". It might be a new relationship, a new quality of feeling within a relationship, even the birth of a child. This delicate quality must be nurtured or it can rapidly vanish. It's about seeing the pleasure life gives rather than the pain after a lost love and the discovery of one's own worthiness of being loved.
Page of Water: Understanding
The bird pictured on this card is looking out from what seems to be a cage. There is no door, and actually the bars are disappearing. The bars were an illusion, and this small bird is being summoned by the grace and freedom and encouragement of the others. It is spreading its wings, ready to take flight for the very first time. The dawn of a new understanding–that the cage has always been open, and the sky has always been there for us to explore–can make us feel a little shaky at first. It's fine, and natural to be shaky, but don't let it overshadow the opportunity to experience the lightheartedness and adventure on offer, right there alongside the shakiness. Move with the sweetness and gentleness of this time. Feel the fluttering within. Spread your wings and be free.
Tarot of the Ages - Mario Garizio ©1988 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Why is it that young people have such vivid emotions and wild imaginations? Perhaps it is because, like the Page of Cups, they have never been taught to suppress their innate emotional and intuitive power. The Page of Cups is a person whose imagination is totally free, free to dream wonderful dreams and to create his life exactly as he chooses. But although his head is in the clouds, his feet rarely leave the ground. When his energy enters your life it manifests in one of three ways: as a person around you, as an event that you will experience, or as a part of yourself that you must bring into full manifestation.
As an event, the Page of Cups refers almost exclusively to children, since he is so childlike himself. (Note that childlike does not mean the same thing as childish!) Pregnancies and the birth of children are often predicted by the Page of Cups, especially if the Page of Wands is nearby. He can also be a sign of a relationship or a friendship starting, a new level of happiness and pleasure in an existing relationship, or any event relating to emotional beginnings. Such beginnings can appear "out of the blue" or they can come about through your own initiative, though they're often much more appreciated and exciting when they're unexpected!
People represented by the Page of Cups are true romantics at heart. A Page of Cups person will be gentle and compassionate, often highly imaginative and artistic. He values tranquility and peace, and as such is often out of place in the modern world because he cannot always cope with conflict. He seems dreamy and detached a lot of the time, though beneath his quiet calmness lies a bravery and studiousness that could rival a Knight's. His ideas may seem elusive and impossible to realize but, more often than not, their base is solid. Though he can be moody and impractical because he is so rooted in the spiritual and the emotional, the Page of Cups is always ready to serve.
The Page of Cups often shows a side of yourself that you need to manifest. This is increasingly common as humanity becomings more and more detached from its imaginative side in a world of technology and practicality. The Page's appearance tells you to never stop listening to your intuition and believing in your dreams. If you cease to dream, he tells us, then your dreams shall never come true because they do not exist anymore. In your darkest moments, dreams can often provide a ray of hope through with the Page of Cups can manifest. Dare to dream and all things become possible.
Tarot of the Dream Enchantress ©2009 Lo Scarabeo