Three of Cups & Infidelity?
Added at 15:45 on 12 August 2023
Three of Cups .. a third person?
I see a lot of people stating that the Three of Cups represents a third person within a relationship.
Yet the card is about happiness and friendship. The symbolism says all that is needed about it. Three people, all united in sharing a single experience. If we look at the Rider Waite Smith card, the three women are also of three different ages or stages of life, all joined in a mutual celebration. The number three is also one of creation; the joining of the original two gives rise to the third, so it is a card of growth. They also form a triangle, which is a symbol for fire, which adds to the creative vibe of the card. They are all joining in their enjoyment before the next step, everyone aware of the role they play.
This does not mean three people are involved in a celebration; it could be you alone or more than three people, as it shows a time to relax, let your hair down, and feel excited about what has been achieved. Within the image, there is a harvest being celebrated, something they have all contributed to in one way or another. Everyone within the card is aware of the situation they are in. Everyone is happy, connected, and smiling, saying ‘cheers’ and raising real or metaphorical glasses. All the things a third-party or affair-based situation would lack.
The confusion stems from three people within the card; their minds go to an 'extra' in a relationship as they associate the card with love.
Yet this card is about more than how it affects intimate relationships, as it is a card that can affect any area of life. It brings a time to have some fun with those we enjoy being with. In relationships of an intimate nature, it can show things are going very well if there is an established relationship and growth possible, even with a child or pet on the way—maybe, or just that things are all very good. If it is a new relationship, it can show they are in the ‘honeymoon’ period, so there is potential, yet no real firm roots have formed as of yet, so it has potential but no real foundation.
The card can be quite shallow, and if reversed or ill-defined, it can leave us focused on how things look, their value, and relationships within relationships. If that is the focus of the card when drawn, it can show short-lived relationships, ones based on gratification, or lovers’ tiffs. Yet still, it does not mean infidelity, unless obvious from the other cards; it shows that things are based on wants and needs, nothing real.
Do I see this card as a third-party event? No.
Can it? Yes, of course, within the right placement of a spread and with the relevancy of the other cards, but not solely within itself.
