Three of Cups in the 5-Card Spread with the Rider Waite Tarot

Three of Cups as second card : Challenge / Obstacle
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In contrast, the Three of Cups can reveal several types of imbalance.

This may include dependence on others, excessive superficiality in relationships, or emotional misalignment within a circle of friends or loved ones.

The person seeking advice may be trying to please others at all costs, blending into a group at the expense of their own truth, or getting caught up in socialising and demands without any real connection to their feelings.

This card can also indicate rumours, gossip or emotional triangulation (particularly in a romantic context), or an imbalance in emotional exchanges: giving too much or expecting too much from the group.

Sometimes it indicates disillusionment: what seemed joyful or nourishing is no longer really so, or is not based on solid foundations.

The opposition then invites us to re-evaluate the quality of our relationships, to dare to say no to empty interactions, and to reconnect with what truly nourishes the heart, beyond immediate pleasure.

It is also a call to rediscover our personal emotional anchor, rather than diluting it in the outside world.

Three of Cups as third card : Advice
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

As advice, the Three of Cups invites you to open yourself up to shared joy, to come out of isolation, to surround yourself with those who do you good, and to celebrate what is alive in your life, even if it seems small. It encourages you to welcome tenderness, spontaneity, lightness, and to reconnect with the joyful dimension of your emotions. Now is the time to nurture your friendships, accept invitations, and create simple but precious moments with others.

The Three of Cups also encourages you to share your emotions, allow yourself to be loved without overprotecting yourself, and remember that you are not alone. If a positive event arises (birth, meeting, celebration, reunion), welcome it fully.

It also advises you to express yourself through collective creative forms: art, music, dance, group projects — anything that makes your heart vibrate with others. Pleasure is medicine: treat yourself to moments of free joy and let your heart open up in simplicity.

Three of Cups as fourth card : Outcome
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the outcome position, the Three of Cups heralds a happy outcome, a moment of shared joy, a fruitful reunion, or even a celebration to come. The consultant may enjoy a period of emotional harmony, whether in friendship, romance, family or community.

This result is often synonymous with a significant and happy event: an engagement, a birth, an important meeting, or a celebrated success. It is not just an individual success, but a collective joy, where everyone plays a role in the fluidity of the bond.

It can also mark a return to a lighter phase after more intense or complex periods.

The Three of Cups promises a warm, supportive and emotionally beneficial experience. The heart is free to vibrate in the moment, unburdened by the past and without worry for the future. It is a moment of sincere rejoicing, where emotional life opens up fully in its bright and simple dimension.