The Ten of Cups: Love and Marriage

A husband and wife stand together, side by side. The man has his left arm wrapped comfortably around the woman's waist, as their two young children dance and play nearby. The whole family is standing on the banks of a lake or a stream, not far from a snug, cozy cottage. Overhead, ten golden cups seem to shimmer in the arc of a colorful rainbow that arches across the entire sky.

In the Ten of Cups, we see a young married couple quietly basking in their happy life together. Their children are dancing for joy, and a colorful rainbow portends an equally joyful future together. The card represents the ultimate goal of a romantic partnership: the contentment of a happy home, a loving family, and a sense of togetherness.

There are four members of the family, a nod to the four elements and the four suits of the Major Arcana. They complement each other, and they complete each other. After all, when it comes to the Tarot, ten is the number of completion and perfection.

The children in the card symbolize the productivity that can result from a successful partnership. It doesn't matter whether the children are actually living offspring or simply the tangible results of the couple's relationship. In an ideal marriage, a husband and a wife will each enhance the other's creativity and productivity.

The cozy cottage in the background is an obvious illustration of a happy home. It's a warm and comfortable refuge from the outside world. It's not a castle—but it's not a shack, either. Meanwhile, the rainbow overhead symbolizes a bright future and the promise of God's protection.

When you see the Ten of Cups in a romance reading, expect a partner who can help you be more productive. You can celebrate your successes together and help each other be more productive. Together, you can give birth to projects and successes that will outlive you both.

Traditionally, the Ten of Cups is known as the card of perfected success. Astrologically, it is associated with the third ten degrees of Pisces, where Mars, the god of energy and aggression, becomes gentle and supportive.

Excerpted from Tall Dark Stranger: Tarot for Love and Romance, by Corinne Kenner