Three of Cups And Cheating

[Dew]

Hi all,

Is three of cups always interpreted as a cheating card in relationships one card reading?

 

For me, most of the times, I do see this card as cheating card. But there are times that I don’t feel this card as cheating card. 

 

Examples, in one reading, I read there’s no cheating from man’s side because I felt the man seems unwilling to associate with the yellow girl by looking at the way he holds the cup and the yellow girl seems barge in forcefully. So I read it as only girls are trying to involved with him. 

 

In another reading, I interpreted this card as the man isn’t cheating and he and the yellow girl are only business associates because of the fruits in the girl’s hand. Also because I got the devil card in how the man feels for the querent. 

 

Opinions please and thank you. 

[Raggydoll]

I would like to suggest that you look up the traditional meaning of this card and try to apply it to this context. If you want help with a specific reading then we need to move this topic. But if you just want to discuss the general interpretations of 3 of cups then that’s fine. 

 

And to answer your question:

no, I do not interpret this card as always indicating that someone is cheating. It could symbolize more casual social settings and non exclusive relationships, but it could also represent a time where you celebrate with friends - like a baby shower or a hen party. 

[fire cat pickles]

I echo what @Raggydollsays about traditional meanings. I think it's important not to force our preconceived notions, or to force-fit what our suspicions, are onto our readings, especially with a one-card reading.

 

So, let me guess, the question was a one-card "is he cheating on me"? question and a 3 of Cups was drawn? Naturally, since the sitter suspects he is cheating, then all of a sudden, the 3 of Cups is "the cheating" card? Absolutely not.

 

This is one of the most pleasant cards in the deck. It is jubilation, celebration, cooperation, etc.  It is so pleasant that I would venture to say that even reversed (with blocked energy) it isn't a "cheating" card (even if there is such a thing) and arguably there isn't. Cheating, to me, is a very serious matter. It would involve a whole host of indicators (i.e., not just one card) and a lot more nasty cards than a lone "cheater" card (think 3 of Swords, 9 of Swords, 10 of Swords, Devil, Tower...)

 

3 of Cups? Nah....

[Adriana]

I think with cheating there’s also the notion that from the cheaters perspective they may well be feeling a 3 of cups vibe, getting extra affection etc. for them it is the “positive” focus on having an affair. It’s a focus on joy and fun. But for the third party 3 of swords or other negative cards would make more sense and maybe not this card alone?

So it’s meaning could also depend on what party you read for if that makes sense. Just to throw that in here too.

 

But as stated by the others, 3 of cups could mean other things as well. Maybe the person in question is a flirt but not a cheater.

Also it can have other meanings entirely. Social gatherings, going out with friends, celebration. But your gut feeling while reading the cards will be important to determine what it is. 

[katrinka]

7 hours ago, Dew said:

Is three of cups always interpreted as a cheating card in relationships one card reading?

No. It can be celebration, as Raggydoll mentioned. It's a happy, festive card and it's good to see in a relationship reading.
If it shows up in a cluster of card that talk about someone cheating, it's just saying that they're meeting at parties, bars or festivals, or it could be a timing card indicating a holiday. This card, in itself, isn't about cheating at all.

The reversed meaning can point to excess, but it could just as easily be talking about any physical excess: food, alcohol, etc. You would still need supporting cards.

Quote

Examples, in one reading, I read there’s no cheating from man’s side because I felt the man seems unwilling to associate with the yellow girl by looking at the way he holds the cup and the yellow girl seems barge in forcefully. So I read it as only girls are trying to involved with him. 

 

In another reading, I interpreted this card as the man isn’t cheating and he and the yellow girl are only business associates because of the fruits in the girl’s hand. Also because I got the devil card in how the man feels for the querent.

Do you mean the lady on the right?

 

There is no man on the card. Waite described the image as "Maidens in a garden-ground with cups uplifted " https://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/pktcu03.htm

It's just three women celebrating a harvest, raising a toast.

Edited September 4, 2019 by katrinka

[Eamane]

Hey @Dew! What a good question! And I'm glad people are coming with sensible answers as well. Which deck are you using? As far as I know there's no man in the 3C, it's all female and - if I remember correctly - they are the muses.

 

I've never related 3C to cheating. For me it's always a celebratory card, more about festive gatherings or reunions. As @fire cat picklesnoted is one of the most pleasant cards in the deck. 

 

However, I've noticed readers on YouTube who interpret this card as the "third party situation", regardless of the adjoining cards. I don't know what's happening (besides all YT readings being about love lately, which is pointless here), but whenever there's a 3 on their spread, it's automatically interpreted as a third party... and the very "negative" cards are read as "positive change". I think it's better to stick to the traditional meaning, but also rely on our intuition and the position of the card in our spread in order to jump to such conclusions. 

[Raggydoll]

12 hours ago, katrinka said:

No. It can be celebration, as Raggydoll mentioned. It's a happy, festive card and it's good to see in a relationship reading.
If it shows up in a cluster of card that talk about someone cheating, it's just saying that they're meeting at parties, bars or festivals, or it could be a timing card indicating a holiday. This card, in itself, isn't about cheating at all.

The reversed meaning can point to excess, but it could just as easily be talking about any physical excess: food, alcohol, etc. You would still need supporting cards.

Do you mean the lady on the right?

 

There is no man on the card. Waite described the image as "Maidens in a garden-ground with cups uplifted " https://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/pktcu03.htm

It's just three women celebrating a harvest, raising a toast.

In relationship context this depiction often makes me think of the situation when one woman tells her closest friends that she and her partner are going to try for a baby and the friends say “Wonderful! Let’s celebrate and drink - while you still can!” 😁 

[katrinka]

53 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

In relationship context this depiction often makes me think of the situation when one woman tells her closest friends that she and her partner are going to try for a baby and the friends say “Wonderful! Let’s celebrate and drink - while you still can!” 😁 

Yes! Something about the relationship is cause for celebration. Bachelorette party, wedding reception, anniversary party, even a baby shower (minus the alcohol.) It's a fun card!

[JustPeachy]

7 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

In relationship context this depiction often makes me think of the situation when one woman tells her closest friends that she and her partner are going to try for a baby and the friends say “Wonderful! Let’s celebrate and drink - while you still can!” 😁 

For whatever reason, when I read this, it made me think of the sect of Mormonism and their polyamorous Sister Wives. The women in the 3/cups are sharing, joyful and in agreement. I can't see this as a cheating card either.

[Raggydoll]

1 minute ago, JustPeachy said:

For whatever reason, when I read this, it made me think of the sect of Mormonism and their polyamorous Sister Wives. The women in the 3/cups are sharing, joyful and in agreement. I can't see this as a cheating card either.

You’re right! I’ve seen some episodes of Sisterwives and this card could totally have been modeled after them 😊 Its great that a card can have so many facets and angles.

[JustPeachy]

11 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

You’re right! I’ve seen some episodes of Sisterwives and this card could totally have been modeled after them 😊 Its great that a card can have so many facets and angles.

The longer I delve into Tarot, the more I have come to believe that the cards are like onions with their layers of skin, or maybe lotus if you are so inclined!

Edited September 6, 2019 by JustPeachy

[Eric13]

I've always felt the ladies are sticking the cups into each others faces for some reason. Each showing the other their own form of abundance. And notice how the cups form a triangle the ladies are all looking up too. A symbol of strength.

 

[katrinka]

I probably have the information someplace, but I don't recall it and it would take some time to dig it up. So - off the top of your heads - does anyone recall the timeframe that PCS was given to finish these cards?
The reason I ask is that she had to do 78 scenic images - for cheap money - and a lot of what people are reading into the images might not have been intentional at all.
"3 of Cups - draw three maidens in a garden-ground with cups uplifted", or, alternately, "Draw Binah through water, but fudge it a little."

For that reason, I don't read into the tiny details overmuch. YMMV.

[Raggydoll]

2 hours ago, katrinka said:

I probably have the information someplace, but I don't recall it and it would take some time to dig it up. So - off the top of your heads - does anyone recall the timeframe that PCS was given to finish these cards?
The reason I ask is that she had to do 78 scenic images - for cheap money - and a lot of what people are reading into the images might not have been intentional at all.
"3 of Cups - draw three maidens in a garden-ground with cups uplifted", or, alternately, "Draw Binah through water, but fudge it a little."

For that reason, I don't read into the tiny details overmuch. YMMV.

She was in the countryside doing much of the work in a friends cottage. She used her friends as models for several cards, especially the Queen of Wands and her cat (that was an actual cat that they had at that cottage). It is said that the painted while listening to music and that she was in a highly inspired (possibly even altered) state of mind. It is believed that she was psychic and channeled while she pained. It is also described that she would have had time to research tarot and visit the museum where the Sola Busch was displayed. So she probably worked on notes and initial sketches while she was in the city and then finished it while in the countryside. There are at least two books that go in depth about her and the creation of this deck. The Secrets if the Waite-Smith tarot, and then that newer book that just has her name on it. 

[katrinka]

Yes!
I have Secrets of the Waite-Smith on my kindle. (And it was very lazy of me not to open it up!) While I don't normally recommend Katz-Goodwin (due to issues I have with their reading instructions, not so much their historical research), that one does clear up a lot of puzzling things about the images. The double line going across a lot of the cards indicates the scene was taking place on a stage. The lady on the 9 of Pents is Rosalind from As You Like It, and the snail on the ground alludes to the lines "Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my sight. I had as lief be wooed of a snail." PCS had a lot of friends in the theater, and yes, they're in the deck. The whole thing had me cross checking dates and locations trying to see if one of the Barrymores might have made an appearance, lol. It's a good book to read before jumping to conclusions about the images. Knowing the background of the pictures and the characters being portrayed helps make sense of things.

I'll look for the newer book. Thank you!
 

Edited September 7, 2019 by katrinka

[Guest]

No; at least not for me, anyway.  Generally speaking, threes relate to communication and interaction, which, in the world of cups, brings pleasant encounters and friendly messages.  

 

If we consider the Smith-Waite designs, we note that the vessels are 'uplifted' and raised 'over the heads' of the maidens.  I cannot quite see how we could process that to an actual indication of adultery.  

[Guest]

4 hours ago, katrinka said:

Yes!
I have Secrets of the Waite-Smith on my kindle. (And it was very lazy of me not to open it up!) While I don't normally recommend Katz-Goodwin (due to issues I have with their reading instructions, not so much their historical research), that one does clear up a lot of puzzling things about the images. The double line going across a lot of the cards indicates the scene was taking place on a stage. The lady on the 9 of Pents is Rosalind from As You Like It, and the snail on the ground alludes to the lines "Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my sight. I had as lief be wooed of a snail." PCS had a lot of friends in the theater, and yes, they're in the deck. The whole thing had me cross checking dates and locations trying to see if one of the Barrymores might have made an appearance, lol. It's a good book to read before jumping to conclusions about the images. Knowing the background of the pictures and the characters being portrayed helps make sense of things.

I'll look for the newer book. Thank you!
 

Pamela Colman Smith - The Untold Story is a fascinating read.  

[JustPeachy]

On 9/5/2019 at 9:25 PM, Eric said:

I've always felt the ladies are sticking the cups into each others faces for some reason. Each showing the other their own form of abundance. And notice how the cups form a triangle the ladies are all looking up too. A symbol of strength.

 

Sorry, I beg to differ here. I don't detect any cattiness or hostility at all, only jubilation, celebration and communion. It's one of the few purely positive cards in the deck. 

[Eric13]

@JustPeachy I didnt say that theres any of that going on here. 

I've always wondered out loud about how they stick the cups in front of each other like that. And triangles have very spiritual meanings. 

[Raggydoll]

31 minutes ago, Eric said:

@JustPeachy I didnt say that theres any of that going on here. 

I've always wondered out loud about how they stick the cups in front of each other like that. And triangles have very spiritual meanings. 

It’s almost like they form a triskele. And together they also make the grand water-triangle, so that they both embody the suit of cups as well as the creative feminine. Definitely something to meditate on. 

[LeFou]

Tarot of the New Vision's take on 3 of Cups.  (The lines are often finer, so it's easier on the eyes or at least, my eyes.)

 

Lots of pumpkins, so presumably harvest, abundance.  Maybe: success after a long growing season. 

 

The grapes might be just a hint of Bacchus - are these maenads?  🙂

[Grizabella]

I've always thought the cups were raised in a celebratory way like they were making a toast, sort of. Something like that. LeFou's harvest observation is a good one, too. They're celebrating success after long waiting for the harvest of some situation. And true friends will celebrate with you when you've achieved something, so this also shows the spirit of true friendship and love between friends.

 

 

[Eric13]

I do like what everyone says. And I am not knocking anyone, not at all. But with the RWS cards to me, it's also fun, just plain fun to look for the not so obvious. Remember, Pixie was an artist, a great artist will put more than meets the eye in a great picture. Like the Mona Lisa. Research that if you dont understand what I really mean about the Mona Lisa. Pixie was also a psychic. She would probably love all the debate over her paintings. But theres a reason why this deck has sold over 100 million copies since it was made and I dont think it's just because it exists. I feel theres limitless possibilities to the pictures and to only fo by Waites meanings is really limiting the artists vision. 

[katrinka]

21 hours ago, Eric said:

Remember, Pixie was an artist, a great artist will put more than meets the eye in a great picture. Like the Mona Lisa. Research that if you dont understand what I really mean about the Mona Lisa.

It's interesting that you bring that up. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mona-lisas-hidden-symbols-researcher-says-yes/

 

"...Vinceti said the "S" might refer to a woman in the Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan. "

 

"Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his Tuscan hometown of Vinci, was skeptical.

Vezzosi argued that multiple sources prove that the painting depicts a woman from Florence, saying the purported new symbols are insufficient to counter that evidence."

Looking beyond Waite gives us Smith. Smith was a member of the same magical lodge as Waite, as well as being hired by him for this project. It's definitely a Golden Dawn type deck. Any personal slant she brought to the RWS generally centers on her friends in the theater. I'm not seeing any solid evidence that her intent was to contradict the card meanings.

[Raggydoll]

@katrinka I agree. I don’t think Pixie ever wanted to contradict any of the intended card meanings. I believe she respected Waite and his vision and I don’t think she felt she was knowledgeable/initiated to the degree that she could add any further mystic layers. But I do believe she added her own personal flare to it and that she was inspired - perhaps even to the point of tapping into the greater knowledge. So it’s very possible that there are a lot of remarkable things to find in her art, simply because of that.