#tarottraditionalqabalahelitarot2strikingly.com
Above all things, know thyself.
Knight of Cups- Triple Goddess Tarot
Radiant Edition: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot-Knight of Cups
The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Knight of Cups is again focused on the more mundane and personality-level characteristics of this court figure. Yet subtle Hermetic cues quietly reveal the deeper initiatory current beneath the surface. The winged helm of the Knight suggests the Eagle of Higher Scorpio—the most exalted of Scorpio’s three emblems (Scorpion, Serpent, and Eagle), the latter symbolizing spiritualized desire and mastery of emotional force.
The languid river flowing through the card clearly establishes Water as the elemental field of operation, yet its presence is not entirely passive. The Knight rides at an unhurried, contemplative pace, holding the Cup forward as an offering rather than a weapon. This posture implies devotion, emotional intention, and idealism rather than conquest.
On the RWS card, the faint trace of fiery passion emerges in subtle details: the red fish emblazoned upon the surcoat and the sun-baked hills in the background. These hints quietly acknowledge the Knight’s underlying volatility. The river itself, cutting through a scoured and arid landscape, reminds us that consciousness—though often calm—can surge into violent overflow when repressed or misdirected. The wavelike ornamentation of the surcoat reinforces this truth: Water is never static, only temporarily contained.
In Western Hermetic astrology, the Knight (Prince) of Cups spans 21° Libra to 20° Scorpio, a liminal passage between balance and obsession, harmony and intensity. Understanding this card requires holding both poles simultaneously.
21° Libra
Libra represents equilibrium, diplomacy, and relational intelligence. Those under this influence seek harmony and fairness, relying on aesthetic sensibility and ethical judgment. Ruled by Venus, Libra values beauty, proportion, and graceful interaction. The Libran current in the Knight of Cups expresses itself as empathy, tact, mediation, and the desire to unite opposites without conflict.
20° Scorpio
Scorpio, by contrast, introduces depth, fixation, and transformational force. Governed by Mars and Pluto, it brings intensity, courage, and emotional penetration. Scorpio is unafraid of endings or beginnings and operates in absolutes rather than compromises. Here, desire becomes total, probing beneath appearances to reach hidden truth. In its higher expression—the Eagle—Scorpio transcends obsession and becomes spiritual will refined through emotional trial.
There are three images applied to the Scorpio sun sign: the scorpion, the serpent, and the Eagle. Therefore, Scorpio is a complex and multifaceted sign of the zodiac, symbolized not only by the Scorpion but also by the Serpent and the Eagle. Each of these symbols represents different facets of Scorpio's characteristics and energies:
Scorpion: The Scorpion symbolizes the instinctual and primal nature of Scorpio. When Scorpio energy is expressed through the Scorpion archetype, it can be intense, passionate, and fiercely protective. Individuals with strong Scorpio placements may exhibit traits such as determination, resourcefulness, and a keen sense of self-preservation. However, like the Scorpion itself, they may also have a tendency towards defensiveness, jealousy, and vindictiveness if they feel threatened or betrayed.
Serpent: The Serpent represents transformation and regeneration, key themes associated with Scorpio. Just as the Serpent sheds its skin to reveal a new self, Scorpio energy is deeply transformative, often leading individuals through periods of profound change and personal growth. People with strong Scorpio influence may possess a deep understanding of the hidden or unconscious aspects of themselves and others. They may also have a natural affinity for uncovering truths and delving into the mysteries of life and death.
Eagle: The Eagle symbolizes Scorpio's ability to rise above challenges and gain a higher perspective. When Scorpio energy is expressed through the Eagle archetype, individuals may exhibit qualities such as insight, intuition, and strategic thinking. They have the ability to soar to great heights, both intellectually and spiritually, and to see beyond surface appearances to the deeper truths underlying any situation. Like the Eagle, they may possess a sharp vision and the ability to focus intensely on their goals, often with a single-minded determination.
Overall, Scorpio as the Scorpion, Serpent, and Eagle represents a dynamic interplay of instinctual drives, transformative power, and spiritual insight. Individuals with strong Scorpio placements may navigate life's challenges with resilience and depth, drawing upon their innate strengths of passion, intuition, and tenacity to uncover hidden truths, facilitate personal growth, and ultimately rise to new heights of understanding and self-awareness. Scorpio is also known as the "house of sexual congress".
Hermetic Synthesis
The RWS Knight of Cups therefore stands at a threshold of refinement: Libra tempers Scorpio’s fire, while Scorpio gives Libra depth and resolve. This is the lover-mystic, the poet-initiate, the Grail-bearer whose quest is driven not by impulse alone but by idealized emotional purpose. His danger lies not in cruelty but in idealism ungrounded, where passion floods discernment.
What appears gentle on the surface conceals a current capable of profound transformation—or equally profound disillusionment—depending on how consciously the waters are directed.
Hermetic Axiom:
When desire is balanced by beauty, it becomes devotion; when devotion is sharpened by will, it becomes power.
The Triple Goddess Tarot – Knight of Cups removes the river entirely, replacing it with a blue horse blanket, signaling that emotion here is no longer an external environment but an integrated current carried by the Knight himself. Water is not something he moves beside—it is something he rides upon. This shift alone marks a profound doctrinal difference from the Rider-Waite-Smith presentation.
The Knight appears in full armor, emphasizing commitment, readiness, and the willingness to act upon feeling rather than merely contemplate it. In one hand he raises a golden cup, the Grail of emotional purpose and inner calling; in the other, he grips the red reins of the horse, symbolizing passion, vitality, and controlled desire. Emotion and will are not in conflict here—they are consciously yoked together.
His closed helm, crowned with a blue plume streaming in the wind, suggests inward focus and devotion to an interior vision, while the fiery red cape proclaims courage, ardor, and sacrificial movement. The horse gallops through a medieval village, placing this emotional quest directly into the human world of action, society, and consequence. This is not the solitary mystic by the riverbank; this is the lover-warrior riding through lived reality.
Hermetically, this Knight represents emotion in motion, desire translated into action, and imagination embodied through decisive engagement. Where the RWS Knight contemplates the Cup, the Triple Goddess Knight rides for it.
The message is clear:
Let passion guide movement.
Fight for what the heart knows to be true.
Allow joy to be discovered through courageous engagement rather than passive longing.
This is the attainment of the heart’s desire not through reverie, but through enthusiastic participation in life itself.
Hermetic Axiom:
When emotion is armed with will, desire ceases to wander and becomes destiny.
Just log onto El's Thoth Tarot Guide and get all your questions answered:
Knight of Cups — RWS & Triple Goddess
Element: Water
Zodiac Span: 21° Libra – 20° Scorpio
Function: Emotional movement, desire in motion, romantic or spiritual pursuit
Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot — Knight of Cups
Upright
Romantic idealism
Emotional sensitivity and empathy
Gentle pursuit of love or creative inspiration
Diplomatic action guided by feeling
A message, invitation, or emotional offering
Contemplation before action
Reversed / Ill-Dignified
Emotional inconsistency or moodiness
Unrealistic fantasies or escapism
Manipulative charm
Emotional indecision
Passion without direction
Disillusionment in love or ideals
Triple Goddess Tarot — Knight of Cups
Upright
Passionate pursuit of the heart’s desire
Enthusiasm and emotional courage
Acting boldly on feelings
Joy found through engagement and movement
Fighting for love, art, or personal truth
Emotion consciously directed into action
Reversed / Ill-Dignified
Reckless emotional behavior
Acting from impulse rather than wisdom
Passion becoming obsession
Burnout or emotional exhaustion
Conflict driven by unchecked desire
Losing direction in the pursuit of pleasure
Comparative Hermetic Key
RWS: Emotion contemplated
Triple Goddess: Emotion enacted
Hermetic Axiom:
Feeling reveals the path; will determines whether it is walked.
Thank you for your interest, your engagement, subscriptions, and your supportive donations.
What you give sustains this work and affirms the sacred flow of giving and receiving.
May your generosity bless your path, and may you live long and prosper.
3 Western Hermetic Tarot and magick websites helping people become more magick and less tragic since 2010.
Traditional Tarot Card Comparison blog and tarot reading store.
Home page, Tarot Store, Thoth Tarot Master Classes, and nontraditional Tarot Card Comparisons Blog.
Western Hermetic ritual, invocation and magick website. Magick blogs.
🔮 Tarot Readings with a Western Hermetic Thoth Magus
This Is Not Fortune-Telling. This Is Self-Knowledge.
If you are seeking more than surface answers…
If you want clarity instead of comfort, truth instead of superstition, and empowerment instead of dependency—
then a Hermetic Thoth Tarot reading is for you.
🌞 What Makes This Reading Different?
A reading with a Western Hermetic Thoth Magus is not about predicting fate.
It is about revealing the architecture of your soul.
Using the Thoth Tarot, the Tree of Life, and Hermetic Qabalah, your reading becomes a map of consciousness—showing:
Where your Solar Self (Higher Genius) is guiding you
Where the personality is misaligned or blocked
What archetypal forces are currently shaping your life
How to act in harmony with your True Will
This is Tarot as it was originally intended:
a living language of initiation, not a parlor trick.
🜂 What You Receive in a Hermetic Thoth Reading
🧠 Clarity of Mind – confusion dissolves when patterns are revealed
🔥 Self-Authority – no dependency on the reader; the power returns to YOU
🌳 Qabalistic Insight – your situation placed on the Tree of Life
🃏 Archetypal Precision – the Thoth Tarot speaks directly to the psyche
☀️ Solar Integration – guidance aligned with your Higher Self, not fear
This is a reading that activates awareness, not anxiety.
🌿 Who This Reading Is For
Those tired of vague, generic Tarot answers
Seekers ready to take responsibility for their path
Mystics, thinkers, creatives, and initiates
Anyone standing at a crossroads who wants truth, not flattery
No prior Tarot knowledge is required.
Only honesty with yourself.
💠 A Sacred Exchange — Not a Commodity
Readings are offered with integrity, depth, and flexibility.
Pricing is fair and accessible, because gnosis should never be locked behind privilege.
If you feel called, the door is open.
✉️ Book Your Reading
Email: eli@elitarotstrickingly.com
Come with a question.
Leave with clarity, sovereignty, and alignment.
🜂 Final Word
Tarot does not tell you who you are.
It reminds you.
Awaken the Solar Self.
Read the symbols of your life.
Walk your path consciously.
— Magus Eli