In the Five of Cups we see the figure of a woman, who epitomizes sorrow and loss in the manner in which she stands, head down, regretful, desolate, and - we sense - deeply alone in her sadness, quite possible by choice. The three spilled Cups that are the source of her grief lay on the ground before her; behind her stand two remaining upright Cups, as yet unseen, or unheeded.
Five of Cups
Ace of Swords
As a suit, Swords are linked to Air, which is the element of the intellect and the mind. In the Ace of Swords, we see a hand emerging from a cloud holding the emblem of the suit; a crown surmounts the Sword - a symbol of triumph and victory in the material world.
Three of Swords
Three of Swords is usually easy to understand even for those who are completely new to the tarot. In this image we see three Swords pierce a heart that is suspended in a grey sky from which rain slants down. And yet, not all is as it seems, for this card is as concerned with hope, just as much as it is with emotional pain.
Eight of Cups
In the Eight of Cups image, there is a sense of deep sadness but also resolve; we see a figure walking away from a collection of Cups that remain upright and unspilled. The stick that the figure uses and his cloak suggests a long journey ahead: we intuit that he is not planning to return.
Four of Cups
The Four of Cups depicts, in the Rider Waite version of the card, a man sitting with arms crossed, looking fed up and disinterested in life. A hand holding a Cup appears from a cloud - an echo of the suit’s Ace, while three other Cups are lined up in front of the man. Here we see what can happen if Water’s receptivity is not tempered by another element: passivity has turned to apathy.
The Hanged Man
The key to understanding The Hanged Man is realizing that he is maintaining this hanging by choice. This card depicts a man suspended, upside down, from the branch of a tree, a bright glow around his head. He has assumed this symbolic hanging position to reflect, meditate, and become at one with the universe - the light encompassing his head represents his success in achieving this.