It is important to keep in mind that one of these cards belongs to the Major Arcana, while the other belongs to the Minor Arcana. The Devil, which is part of the Major Arcana, is more likely to deal with important or life-changing issues, while the Ace of Cups, which belongs to the Minor Arcana, is likely to deal with more mundane or everyday issues.
Various associations can be made between these two cards on a number of different levels, including astrological associations, elemental associations, and more. Before we plumb into the deeper meanings of these two cards, let’s take a quick look at their basic meanings.
The meanings of the The Ace of Cups and The Devil cards
The Ace of Cups means
The Ace of Cups can be summed up in one simple statement: Creative energy, passion, and a new romance are the qualities it indicates
Summary meaning of the Ace of Cups:
An abundance of creativity and self-power. It suggests an abundance of love and creativity. There is an abundance of self-fulfillment and creativity. The cup of love and creative energy overflows with abundance.
The Devil means
A simple way of understanding the Devil is to think of him as the embodiment of: Addiction, temptation, materialism, and deception.
Ace of Cups tarot card meanings reversed
When the Ace of Cups tarot card is reversed, it indicates that creativity and emotions are blocked, along with access to the subconscious and psychic abilities. The cup is spilled empty, which could indicate that the Seeker is feeling emotionally drained. As a tarot card, the Ace of Cups reversed often shows up when the Seeker needs to forgive someone.
Summary meaning of the Devil:
A relationship proves false. Something one relies on becomes unstable. Physical pleasure replaces emotional sustenance due to distractions, addictions, and temptations. A relationship proves false.
Yes or No meanings of the Ace of Cups and the Devil together
Yes + No
The Yes or No meaning of the Ace of Cups is “yes”, while the Yes or No meaning of the Devil is “no”.
The mixed affirmative / negative meaning of this pairing makes for an unclear Yes or No interpretation, or a Maybe
NOTE: While there is a general consensus on Yes or No tarot meanings, the truth is there is no universally accepted Yes or No interpretation of every tarot card. we use the most generally accepted Yes or No values, but different systems exist which may conflict with this one.
Astrological comparison of The Ace of Cups and The Devil tarot cards
According to the Golden Dawn system of connecting tarot cards with astrological equivalents, the Ace of Cups is associated with the primary element Water.
The Devil on the other hand, is associated with the zodiac sign Capricorn, and not directly associated with a primary element like the Ace of Cups.