You probably know that the suit of Cups is ruled by the element of water, and that symbolism for this attribution is scattered through the Court cards of that suit. However, sometimes a symbol appears that doesn’t seem to fit. This can be because of an extra layer of elemental associations for the Court cards. For example, on the card called the Knight of Cups, have you ever wondered why wings are shown on his helmet and feet? Allow me to explain the significance of this winged warrior…
Any book on Tarot will announce that the following elements are attributed to each suit:
Cups = Water
Pentacles = Earth
Swords = Air
Wands = Fire
It’s easy to remember these attributions when you look at the symbols scattered across the Court cards of each suit. Fish are seen in the suit of Cups to signify the water element. Vegetation is abundant in the suit of Pentacles to indicate the element of earth. Butterflies and birds grace the suit of Swords to show its relationship with the element of air. And salamanders are found in the suit of Wands to suggest the element of fire.
The reason why the Knight of Cups has wings on his helmet and at his feet is that all the Knights are linked to the element of air. There is a subgroup of elemental associations within the Court cards. This was devised by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which gives the following correlation.
Pages = Earth
Knights = Air
Queens = Water
Kings = Fire
Earth is appropriate for Pages because they are young and inexperienced and rely on what is happening around them for guidance. They don’t yet have an inner understanding of the ways of the world, so they take their cues from the structures and systems surrounding them.
Knights live in worlds of fantasy and imagination. They are driven to quests and have romantic notions that are not grounded in reality, so the element of air is appropriate for these idealistic characters.
The element of water flows with feelings. The Queens are filled with nurturing, feminine qualities. Yes, even the Queen of Swords, known for her logical mind and over-analysis of any situation, maintains an underlying feminine essence that can be filled with love and touched by sadness.
Kings rule the land. They desire to be successful, and they want to be adored by their subjects across the land. Kings are linked to the fire element that fuels their passion and drive.
The Knight of Cups is therefore associated with the air element while dwelling within a suit related to the water element. That’s why he is depicted with wings on his helmet and feet. The artist (Pamela Colman Smith) was part of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, so she was aware of these teachings and occasionally included these extra elemental correspondences in her depiction of the Court cards in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.
