How to Navigate the Nine of Cups Tarot Card

So, you drew the Nine of Cups tarot card. Now what?!

A group of tarot cards.

Tarot card reading is a fun, mysterious, and helpful adventure to embark on. However, it can be intimidating when first starting out, simply because you are unaware of the cards and their different meanings.

Therefore, when starting your adventure into tarot card reading, you may oftentimes have to consult the internet in order to help you define a card, and by extension interpret your tarot reading.

You may find yourself in this exact situation presently. Maybe you decided to experiment with tarot cards, pulled the Nine of Cups card from the deck, and now you find yourself in search of answers. If this sounds like you, don’t fret as you have come to the right place. We can tell you all you need to know about the Nine of Cups tarot card meaning.

Keep reading to learn more about:

  • What tarot card reading is
  • How to read and interpret tarot cards
  • The Nine of Cups tarot card (upright and reversed meaning, takeaways, application)

What is Tarot Card Reading?

Tarot card reading, in simple terms, is essentially a way to gain insight on your future. However, when you look deeper into the art of tarot card reading, you realize it goes much deeper than that.

Tarot card reading does not just not give us a magic glimpse of what is to come next in our lives. Rather, the cards construct a pathway of our lives thus far, as well as a window into our future. It does not predict a single moment in time. Rather tarot gives us a way to think deeper in a conscious manner of our entire journey.

In other words, rather than merely predicting what comes next, tarot card reading allows us to form a window to our soul. In this way, tarot gives us the freedom to interpret the cards in ways that best apply to our own lives.

Not everyone will necessarily interpret a single tarot card in the same manner and that’s okay. Tarot reading is not meant to be a one size fits all endeavor. We all have different journeys and that is the whole point of tarot.

How to Perform a Tarot Card Reading

A woman doing a tarot card reading.
There are several steps that go into performing a tarot card reading. These steps are detailed below. Image courtesy of CafeMom.

If you are new to tarot card reading, you may not be quite sure how to get started. And even if you have done tarot card reading before, it is always good to refresh yourself on the basics. That being said, let’s discuss the essential steps you should take when performing a tarot card reading.

When performing a tarot card reading, you can either do the reading for yourself or for other individuals than yourself. For our purposes, we are going to focus on self-tarot reading today.

First things first. Before doing anything with your deck of tarot cards, you’ll want to spend some time looking internally. Reflect on your life at the given moment. Think about your individual situations, positives, negatives, doubts, goals, relationships, etc.

Once you complete your self-reflection, form a question or think about a scenario you would like your tarot card reading to provide insight on.

After you have your question, the next task at hand is to shuffle your cards. This step is important in terms of your connection to the cards. Shuffling your tarot cards is the time in which you can physically connect with the deck.

Now that the prep work is done, you can finally draw your cards. Based on your discretion you can draw only one card, or you can draw multiple cards. A common method is to draw three cards at a time that symbolize your past, present, and future.

The last step is the interpretation of your cards, followed by personal reflection. When first looking at the cards, it may be helpful to simply sink into your feelings even if you don’t know the meanings of the cards off the top of your head.

In other words, observe the cards and their imagery, and observe how they make you feel, first and foremost. After doing that, you can then research the cards’ meanings and interpret those in your own manner. Try reflecting on what the cards are attempting to tell you about your own life.

Nine of Cups Tarot Card

The Nine of Cups tarot card. The card features a person sitting, looking content, while glasses of drink appear to surround him.
The Nine of Cups tarot card has both an upright and reversed meaning. While its meanings differ slightly, both are equally important to one another. Image courtesy of Labyrinthos.

The Nine of Cups tarot card is often one viewed in a rather positive light. Let’s look deeper into its meanings.

Nine of Cups Upright Meaning

When you draw the upright version of the Nine of Cups tarot card, it is a symbolization of the good fortune currently in your life. Essentially, drawing this card likely means that you, or the person you’re reading for, are set to experience a very positive time in life. The messaging is simply to enjoy this time to the absolute max, especially because as we know, life is very likely to change.

When drawing the Nine of Cups, It is also important to remember the importance of gratitude when experiencing good fortune. There are a lot of people struggling in the world, and the drawer of this card likely has experienced their own struggles in the past too. Therefore, be sure to actively express thanks for the positives in your life.

Takeaways From the Nine of Cups Upright Meaning

Pulling the Nine of Cups upright is often a huge blessing for an individual. As we discussed, this often leads them searching for ways to show gratitude for the blessings they have received in their life.

Some of the best ways to do so include living your life in a way in which you do positive things for others while avoiding actively harming anyone or anything in the process. No one’s perfect, so of course you are bound to mess up many times. However, the most important thing is the intent behind your actions. If you have good intentions, you will likely make a positive difference in others’ lives.

Some ways to do this include:

  • Volunteering some of your free time when able to
  • Look after the planet
  • Listen to and be empathetic towards others

Nine of Cups Reversed Meaning

The reversed meaning of the Nine of Cups is applicable when you draw the card in an upside down manner. When this happens, the Nine of Cups’ meaning changes slightly. The Nine of Cups reversed is essentially telling you to achieve internal happiness rather than external.

It often warns you that you may be unsatisfied with your version of “happy.” This is due to the fact that you may be basing your own happiness on others’ opinions of what it should be, rather than discovering for yourself what your view of happiness consists of.

In order to go about discovering your own happiness, it is important to practice self reflection. Reflect on your goals, when you feel best, what gives you a sense of purpose, thoughts, satisfaction, etc., in order to search within yourself. Doing so can allow you to discover what you value most in your life, therefore allowing you to define happiness on your own terms.

Takeaways From the Nine of Cups Reversed Meaning

The reversed Nine of Cups may not necessarily feel as positive to the reader as the upright version, however there are still many good things that go along with pulling the card. Pulling this card often means you do have many positive aspects of your life. You simply are struggling with how to value these positive aspects.

Don’t look at this as a negative thing. Instead, view it as an opportunity to discover what truly matters most to you, and by extension achieve more happiness than you ever thought possible. Follow strategies, such as these, to help you achieve that happiness.

Cherish the Nine of Cups

Now that you know the Nine of Cups tarot card meaning, you are prepared to interpret the card for yourself if/when you pull it. This is an incredibly good omen to receive and is a good sign for what is to come in your life. That being said, make sure to cherish the Nine of Cups card, your good fortune, and the opportunity to grow.

Elyse Endres

Elyse is a marketer, writer, and lover of dogs, dance, and reading. She resides in Columbus, Ohio.
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