Visconti-Sforza Tarot (Cary-Yale 1466): Maiden of Cups
Cups are also referred to as chalices and may be represented by religious grails or goblets. They correspond to the playing card suit of Hearts. This suit represents the element Water, and the social class of Clergy. Cups are considered a Feminine suit. Cups typically represent emotions, love, and spiritual beliefs.
The Maidens concern children on the cusp of adulthood. They can represent innocence and playfulness, novices, amateurs, and young students, learning, naivety, and youth. They often represent the beginning of an adventure or an exploration. In their most symbolic form they represent a girl or sometimes a boy embarking on a fairy tale journey, about to earn wisdom through a rite of passage. They can represent the young and good defeating an older foe, or challenging out of date traditions. They may also represent fresh perspectives and the washing away of prejudices.
Crush. Idolisation. Gullibility. Whimsical romance. Virginal innocence.
The Maiden of Cups is prone to whimsy and romance. She represents a girl on the cusp of puberty who is at the age of the teen crush. She often idolises her elders, and because she is starry-eyed, she is unable to see their faults. It may also represent an individual at the very start of a new relationship. This card may represent the questioner, and be a warning to them to open their eyes. Others may not always have their best interests at heart. The questioner should not be too gullible and trusting, and should be alert to the flaws in others.
Reversed Meaning: Dangerous obsession. Stalking. Predatory behaviour. Innocence lost.
Reversed, the Maiden of Cups represents the darker side of the teenage crush. It may represent an individual who is behaving inappropriately in matters of love, such as through an obsession. It may be a warning to the questioner to reign in their desires, or may indicate that they should be wary of the strength of feelings of another individual. It may also indicate that an individual in the questioner's life may be growing up too quickly, or that they are attracting the wrong kind of attention. The questioner should act with caution in matters of love.