The Aces are linked to the Magician, who shows us our undeveloped potential. The Ace of Cups stands for the raw power of emotion, in particular the emotions of love and compassion. It is that budding possibility of kindness, sympathy, and intuitive recognition for which the spirit ever yearns.

 

Some thoughts on the symbols depicted on this card:

• The dove is a Christian symbol of the soul; the essence of a person. The word 'soul' derives from Old Saxon 'sêola', which meant coming from or belonging to the sea ('sêo'). It holds in its beak a communion wafer, symbolizing the body of Christ, who taught love and compassion. He asked his followers to participate in the Eucharist in memory of him.  The cup (grail) itself may also be taken to refer to Jesus. Thus, a symbolic interpretation of this part of Ace of Cups may be that the true nature of man is to love and empathize.

• In contrast to this, the sea underneath teems with lotuses, an Asian symbol of purity and non-attachment. Drops of water easily slide off its petals. The Confusian scholar Zhou Dunyi wrote: "I love the lotus because while growing from mud, it is unstained."