Nine of Cups

Element: Water

The design of this card draws inspiration from the mythical figure Xiang Yao (also known as Xiang Liu) in the Chinese classic Classics of Mountains and Seas – The Northern Classics of the Sea. In ancient Chinese mythology, Xiang Yao is a fearsome deity: a snake-bodied creature with nine heads that devours countless people and turns all lands it passes into swampland.

Each of the nine snake heads corresponds to one of the Nine Cups. As a water-element card, it resonates with Xiang Yao’s water-spraying ability. According to legend, the water it sprays is more destructive than a flood—bitter and spicy, fatal to consume.

Keywords: Contentment, joy, pride, achievement, indulgence, glory

Relationships:
1. A fulfilling and happy relationship
2. Satisfied and enjoying the bond
3. One party may be more self-centered

Career & Study:
1. Cleverness and recognition
2. Reaching accomplishments
3. Defending the status quo

Finance:
1. Material satisfaction  2. Good earning ability  3. Guarding current assets

Mental & Spiritual Health:
Hard-earned success, a sense of fulfillment

Keywords: Stubbornness, stinginess, negativity, emotional withdrawal, overprotection

Relationships:
1. Unwillingness to give
2. Fear of being hurt
3. Discontent in love

Career & Study:
1. Laziness and passivity  2. Indulging in the past  3. Resistant to change

Finance:
1. Hoarding wealth  2. Petty calculations  3. Unwilling to share

Mental & Spiritual Health:
Overly guarded, emotionally closed off