The King of Cups embodies emotional mastery, wisdom, and affective stability. A model of calm and emotional control, he knows how to dispense his emotions with wisdom and compassion. The King of Cups represents the ability to remain emotionally stable in times of crisis and to foster harmonious relationships. In its positive form, the King of Cups symbolizes lucid and grounded emotional generosity. He is then an empathetic mentor, capable of offering enlightened advice on matters of the heart. The King of Cups reminds us that mastering our emotions is a source of power and stability. However, the King of Cups can sometimes be emotionally distant, which makes him insensitive to the affective needs of others. He can also be prone to excessive control over his emotions, making him cold, calculating, and manipulative. In this case, this card encourages us to maintain a balance between emotional restraint and the authentic expression of our feelings. In the context of a reading, the King of Cups may represent someone in our environment who embodies these qualities of emotional mastery and kindness. It can also indicate a need to cultivate these attributes within ourselves, by working on our ability to express our emotions with awareness and compassion... and to give graciously.