Prince of Cups

“Seduction and relinquishment” are the two key words, which every good story is about. Those dual aspects rule this card.
The Prince of Cups won’t leave us cold, for the better or worse.
He is ruled by emotion, not logic. This knight of our dreams can be either, the shiny hero or the dark and seductive villain in his story. In any case, it’s likely going to be about desire, drama and lasting transformation.
His conscience and morals are flexible, to say the least. Therefore, he can be perceived as a trickster by those, who have stricter values then him. As a sign of that, the serpent crawls out under his skirt. Like the prince, this serpent is agile and won’t stick to her commitments and duties. This particular serpent does not climb up but stays in the deep sea of our own subconsciousness. The prince is deeply connected to his inner feminine principle, which is quite rare. He can be an enthusiastic and romantic lover. The second, the passion fades, he is gone, to chase some other adventure or partner. His argument would be, to not take everything so seriously. The prince doesn’t mean to be the bad guy, he is just not used to be restricted.
The blood, which drops from his hands symbolizes the act of self-sacrifice. He is vulnerable and not protected by armor. If he is exposed to attacks, he won’t fight back. This feature can impress and astonish.
He can be eager to act for the right reasons but lacks endurance and has trouble staying on one path. Due to his watery nature, he will renounce any liabilities, which cross his path.
Therefore, he is not able to transcend his actions into a state of consciousness in Tiphareth (referred to as real sacrifice)
If he is a false prophet, he isn’t aware of that. He often appears like a liberator and redeemer. Acting like a priest-like figure, he doesn’t understand, what it means to be an ambassador of something „real“ or lasting. Instead, passionate, as he is, he tries to engross the current, which he wants to represent for himself.
His naive, but narcissistic nature prevents him from teaching and others from learning something useful from him. This doesn’t mean that he has no talent. Quite the contrary. He is persuasive, and charismatic. Other people may even admire his vibrancy. The eagles, representing the highest emanation of the element of water, in its purest form, will carry him to illusive greatness. What a pity for all of us, that he only wanders from one illusion to the next. Eventually his behavior will leave him unsatisfied and empty, and he has to journey on, to refill his tanks. Money could be an issue here, since it is only a means to an end to him.
To be aware, that the involved feelings, will not last, may an important advice. It is essential, not to get trapped in a cycle of heartsickness and sadness.
This prince is illusion to some, imagination, and creativity to others. Which he is to us, is impossible to differ, in this state of life. The aftermath will show, which eventually was the case.

There is immense potential in this card. In a world ruled by restrictions and barriers, the prince of cups can help to break apart our own habits and follow the heart. The nascent desire and eagerness which awakens can be a gate to real transformation. As being empathic and rousing, he can be the hero, who captures/or rescues us from a self-made prison and persistent suffering. Being tempted and seduced may help to let go of restrictions, but is may also be dangerous for our lifestyle. Eventually we have to establish rules over our own desires, instead of being possessed by them.