What Tarot Cards Mean Someone Likes You: 10 Signs to Look For

The Two of Cups is the clearest tarot card for “they like you”, and the Ace of Cups comes next. The Knight of Cups, Page of Cups and The Lovers are also strong signs. The Sun, Nine of Cups, Six of Cups, Knight of Wands and Page of Wands point to softer interest that needs the cards around them to confirm it. A reversed card from this list usually means the feeling is blocked or hidden. It rarely means it’s gone.

Below, each card is ranked with its Rider-Waite-Smith imagery and what A. E. Waite actually wrote about it. You’ll also see how reversals and neighbouring cards change the answer, and what to do next for a crush, someone new, a partner, an ex or a decision.

The 10 cards at a glance

These cards rank highest when they land upright in a position about the other person’s feelings. The Waite column quotes The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911), the guide written for the deck Pamela Colman Smith illustrated and William Rider & Son published in London in 1909.

Rank	Card	What it says about their feelings	Waite’s own keywords	Signal
1	Two of Cups	Mutual attraction, feelings returned	Love, passion, friendship, affinity, union	Very strong
2	Ace of Cups	New feelings starting toward you	House of the true heart, joy, content	Very strong
3	Knight of Cups	Someone getting ready to make a move	Arrival, approach, advances, proposition, invitation	Strong
4	Page of Cups	A shy, surprised, tender crush	News, message, reflection; a studious youth	Strong
5	The Lovers	A serious pull, sometimes with a choice attached	Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome	Strong
6	Knight of Wands	Hot, fast, impulsive interest	Departure, absence, flight, change of residence	Moderate
7	The Sun	They’re openly happy around you	Material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment	Moderate
8	Nine of Cups	They enjoy you and want more of it	Concord, contentment, physical well-being	Moderate
9	Six of Cups	Fondness, history, nostalgia	A card of the past and of memories	Moderate
10	Page of Wands	Flirty curiosity, an early spark	A faithful young man, a lover, an envoy	Mild

How the cards were ranked

Each card was judged on three things. The first one counted most.

1. Directness. Does the card describe feeling aimed at a person, or just a good mood? The Two of Cups shows two people exchanging something, so it scores high. The Sun shows general joy, so it scores lower.
2. Agreement between sources. Does Waite’s 1911 text point the same way as modern readings and the Golden Dawn attributions behind the deck? When they disagree, the card drops. The Knight of Wands is the clearest case.
3. Fit for early interest. The question is “do they like me”, not “will this last”. Cards about attraction and first moves rank above cards about settled commitment, like the Ten of Cups.

1. Two of Cups: the clearest yes

The Two of Cups is the strongest single card for mutual attraction. Smith drew a young man and a young woman raising cups to each other as if making a pledge. Above them floats a caduceus topped by a winged lion’s head.

Waite’s list of meanings could have been written for this question: “love, passion, friendship, affinity, union, concord, sympathy, the interrelation of the sexes”. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the card is titled the Lord of Love and assigned to Venus in Cancer, a planet of attraction in a sign of emotional bonding.

In a feelings position: they like you, and they sense the feeling may be returned. The energy is balanced, which is rare in a crush reading.

Reversed: the feeling is there but the exchange is stuck. Timing, nerves or a misunderstanding are the usual causes.

Next to: The Lovers makes it the strongest pairing in the deck for romance. The Three of Cups pulls it toward close friendship. The Two of Swords means they feel it and are avoiding the decision.

What to do: take one small, honest step. Suggest coffee or send the message. This card almost never shows up when your interest would be unwelcome.

2. Ace of Cups: feelings just starting

The Ace of Cups describes feelings that have only just started and are still growing. Smith drew a hand coming out of a cloud and holding a cup that overflows in five streams. A dove carrying a wafer dives into the cup, and water lilies sit on the pool below.

Waite gives the meanings as “house of the true heart, joy, content, abode, nourishment, abundance, fertility”. For the reversal he wrote “house of the false heart, mutation, instability”. The Golden Dawn calls every ace a “root”, and this one is the Root of the Powers of Water: emotion in its rawest, earliest form.

In a feelings position: something new and warm is building toward you, and they may not have put it into words yet, even to themselves. When the position is how they see you, the full ace of cups tarot meaning gets warmer still: you come across to them as a source of something good and new.

Reversed: feelings held in, or uncertain. They may like you and feel embarrassed about it. Waite’s “instability” is the warning sign: if every other card is negative, the feeling may not last.

Next to: with the Knight of Cups, expect them to say or do something about it. With the Page of Cups, it’s a first crush they haven’t admitted yet.

What to do: give it room. Be warm and consistent, and don’t push for a label this early.

3. Knight of Cups: they want to make a move

The Knight of Cups is someone who likes you and is building up to showing it. Waite describes him as “graceful, but not warlike”, riding slowly in a winged helmet with a cup held out in front of him.

Waite’s meanings are among the most useful in the book for this question: “arrival, approach, sometimes that of a messenger; advances, proposition, demeanour, invitation, incitement.” An invitation is the literal meaning, so you don’t have to stretch the card to read it that way.

In a feelings position: romantic intent. Expect compliments, thoughtful messages, or them remembering something you said weeks ago. Because the horse is walking, the move may come more slowly than you’d like.

Reversed: Waite is blunt here: “trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud.” In a modern love reading that usually means charm without substance. Judge them on what they do, not what they say.

Next to: with the Ace or Two of Cups, an invitation or confession is likely. With the Seven of Cups, they like the fantasy of you more than the reality.

What to do: make yourself easy to approach. Reply, leave an opening, and don’t send cold signals. This knight loses his nerve easily.

4. Page of Cups: a sweet, nervous crush

The Page of Cups is someone who didn’t expect to like you and now does. Smith drew a young page looking calmly at a fish that pokes its head out of his cup. Waite calls the fish “pictures of the mind taking form”.

That surprise is the point. Waite’s upright meanings include “news, message; application, reflection, meditation” and a “studious youth”. The reversed list is more pointed for love readers: “taste, inclination, attachment, seduction, deception, artifice.”

In a feelings position: genuine but shy affection. They go quiet when you walk in, laugh a beat too long at your jokes, or type a message and delete it.

Reversed: feelings they’re hiding or denying. Waite’s “inclination, attachment” says the feeling exists. “Deception” means checking whether they’re being straight with you.

Next to: if the Page of Wands comes just before it, read Waite’s note on that card (number 10 below) about a rival. With the Sun, it’s a crush they’re happy about.

What to do: lead gently. A light, low-stakes invitation works far better than a grand declaration.

5. The Lovers: a real pull, and a choice

The Lovers shows serious attraction. The person thinks about you when they should be doing something else. Waite’s keywords are “attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome”, reversed as “failure, foolish designs”. In the Golden Dawn system the card belongs to Gemini, the sign of the twins and of pairs.

The “choice” meaning comes from history. Older decks such as the Tarot de Marseille show a young man standing between two women with Cupid aiming overhead. Waite and Smith redrew the card as a man and woman in Eden under a great winged figure, with the Tree of Life behind him and the serpent’s Tree of Knowledge behind her. Modern readers kept both layers: love, and a decision.

In a feelings position: a strong pull toward you, possibly weighed against something else, such as a current relationship, fear or circumstances.

Reversed: attraction tangled with doubt, or chemistry without shared values.

Next to: with the Two of Cups, it’s a clear romantic yes. With the Two of Swords, they’re stalling a decision. With the Seven of Swords, someone in the situation isn’t being honest.

What to do: be clear about what you want, then give them room to choose. Pushing a Lovers situation tends to backfire.

6. Knight of Wands: fast, hot, impulsive

Modern readers treat the Knight of Wands as bold, physical interest: the midnight “come out” text. The card earns its spot for that reason. Waite’s own reading is the reason it sits only sixth.

Waite lists “departure, absence, flight, emigration” and “change of residence”, and describes the figure as a “friendly” dark young man. Smith drew him on a rearing horse, passing pyramids as if on a journey. Even in the original text, this knight is a person on the move.

In a feelings position: they’re attracted and not subtle about it. Expect flirting and sudden plans. Don’t expect staying power.

Reversed: Waite gives “rupture, division, interruption, discord”. In practice that’s interest that flares and fizzles.

Next to: with the Eight of Wands, things move very fast. With the Eight of Cups, the “departure” meaning wins, and they’re on their way out.

What to do: enjoy it, and match their pace only as far as you’re comfortable. Decide what you want before you get swept along.

7. The Sun: they light up around you

The Sun shows someone who is openly happy when you’re around. Smith drew a naked child on a white horse, holding a red banner, with sunflowers along a wall behind. Waite’s meanings are “material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment”. For the reversal he wrote simply “the same in a lesser sense”, which is why a reversed Sun is rarely a no.

It ranks in the middle because the Sun also describes happy friendships. With a Cups court card or the Two of Cups, read it as attraction. With the Three of Cups or the Three of Pentacles, read it as friendly warmth.

What to do: spend more relaxed time together. The Sun grows with exposure.

8. Nine of Cups: they enjoy you and want more

The Nine of Cups says time with you feels good to them. Waite describes “a goodly personage” who “has feasted to his heart’s content”, with nine cups lined up on an arched counter behind him. His meanings are “concord, contentment, physical bien-être; also victory, success, advantage”. The Golden Dawn titles it the Lord of Material Happiness.

It’s a card of enjoyment more than longing, so on its own it can mean contentment rather than desire.

Reversed: wanting something they think they can’t have, or pleasure that stays on the surface.

What to do: look at the next card. A Knight or Page of Cups beside it settles the question in your favour.

9. Six of Cups: fondness and nostalgia

The Six of Cups is affection with a sentimental edge. Smith drew children in an old garden, with an older child handing a younger one a cup full of flowers. Waite calls it “a card of the past and of memories”. Reversed, he reads it as “the future, renewal, that which will come to pass presently”, an unusual reversal that looks forward rather than back.

It ranks lower because fondness isn’t always attraction. It often shows up with someone who has known you a long time, or with an ex who is thinking about you again (see the section on exes below).

What to do: lean on shared history. If there’s attraction underneath, familiarity brings it out. If it stays purely sweet, that’s your answer too.

10. Page of Wands: flirty curiosity

The Page of Wands is the earliest kind of interest: curiosity, a spark, a sense that you’d be fun to know. Smith drew a young man in a desert landscape studying the sprouting staff in his hands. Waite calls this page “faithful, a lover, an envoy, a postman”, and reverses him as “anecdotes, announcements, evil news” plus “indecision”.

Waite also wrote a combination rule that most modern guides leave out: the Page of Wands is “a dangerous rival, if followed by the Page of Cups.” If those two pages fall in that order, check whether a third person is in the picture.

What to do: be interesting back. Keep things light, playful and curious, and see whether it grows into one of the stronger cards above.

Upright vs reversed: what changes

Reversal on these cards usually means the feeling is delayed, hidden or complicated. It rarely means there’s no feeling. The table shows how far each one shifts.

Card	Upright	Reversed	Does reversed mean “no”?
Two of Cups	Mutual attraction	Feelings stuck by timing or misunderstanding	Rarely
Ace of Cups	New feelings growing	Feelings suppressed or unstable	Sometimes, if neighbours are negative
Knight of Cups	Romantic approach coming	Charm without substance; Waite’s “duplicity”	Not a no, a caution
Page of Cups	Shy, sweet crush	Hidden feelings or immaturity	Rarely
The Lovers	Strong pull, a choice	Doubt, mismatched values	Sometimes
Knight of Wands	Bold, fast interest	Interest that fizzles	Often in practice
The Sun	Openly happy with you	“The same in a lesser sense”	Almost never
Nine of Cups	Enjoys your company	Wanting what feels out of reach	Rarely
Six of Cups	Fondness, shared past	Looking ahead or letting go of the past	Depends on the question
Page of Wands	Curious, flirty	Indecision, mixed signals	Often a shrug

Combinations that change the answer

Neighbouring cards often matter more than whether a single card is reversed. These pairings come up a lot in “do they like me” spreads.

Combination	What it suggests
Two of Cups + The Lovers	The strongest romantic yes in the deck
Knight of Cups + Ace of Cups	A confession or invitation is coming
Page of Cups + The Sun	A crush they’re happy about and close to showing
Page of Wands, then Page of Cups	Waite’s “dangerous rival”: check for a third person
The Sun + Three of Cups	Warm friendship more than romance
The Lovers + Two of Swords	They feel it and are avoiding the decision
Knight of Wands + Eight of Cups	Attraction, then walking away
Six of Cups + Judgement	An ex reconsidering the past
Two of Cups + The Devil	Intense chemistry with a possessive edge
Nine of Cups + Four of Cups	They enjoy you but are emotionally checked out

What the cards mean in your situation

The same card says different things depending on who you’re asking about. Here’s how to read the strongest signals in five common situations.

A crush who doesn’t know yet

For a crush, the Page of Cups and the Ace of Cups are the cards to hope for, because they describe early feeling that hasn’t been spoken. The Two of Cups means the attraction is probably mutual already. The best next step is a small invitation that’s easy to say yes or no to, not a big confession.

Someone new, a date or an app match

Here action cards matter most. The Knight of Cups means they’re actively courting you. The Page of Wands means curiosity that hasn’t become anything more yet. The Knight of Wands means strong early chemistry, but remember Waite’s “departure”: watch whether they follow through after the second date.

A partner you’re already with

In an existing relationship, the question is usually whether the feeling is still there. The Two of Cups, The Sun and the Nine of Cups all say yes. The Four of Cups (Waite: “weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations”) means boredom or distance, not necessarily lost love. A talk works better than another reading.

An ex

With an ex, the Six of Cups is the classic sign they’re thinking about you, and Judgement suggests they’re re-evaluating the past. A reversed Two of Cups means the feeling exists but something still blocks it. Reading for a return is a separate question with its own cards, covered in the guide to tarot cards for reconciliation. The Five of Cups and Eight of Cups tell you to grieve and move on.

A decision: should you tell them?

When you’re deciding whether to act, The Lovers and the Knight of Cups both favour honesty. The Two of Swords means you, or they, are avoiding the question. If the cards are warm but your gut says no, trust your values over the spread. The Lovers is a card about choosing.

Attraction or friendship? How to tell

Several cards on this list also describe platonic warmth. The deciding factor is usually the suit and court cards around them.

Signs of romantic attraction:

• Cups court cards (Page or Knight) next to The Lovers or The Star
• The Two of Cups or Ace of Cups in the feelings position
• Wands cards suggesting physical pull, especially the Knight
• The Star in the “how they see you” position, meaning admiration. Waite’s own reading of The Star was mixed: “loss, theft, privation, abandonment; another reading says hope and bright prospects.” So the star card upright reversed distinction matters. Upright now reads as admiration and hope. Reversed reads as admiration tangled with doubt.

Signs of friendship or neutral feeling:

• The Three of Cups, Three of Pentacles or Ten of Pentacles with no Cups court cards nearby
• Pentacles-heavy spreads, which describe respect and reliability more than desire
• The Hermit, which shows someone pulling inward who isn’t emotionally available right now

A note on The Devil. Waite gave it “ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality”. The Golden Dawn assigned it to Capricorn. Read as devil as someone sees you, it usually means intense physical attraction, sometimes obsessive. They want you. That isn’t the same as liking you in the warm sense this list covers.

What Swords cards mean when they appear

Swords are about thinking, and someone can think about you a great deal while liking you a lot. Seeing one in a feelings position isn’t automatically bad news.

• Ace of Swords: they’ve come to a clear conclusion about you, often a positive one
• Page of Swords: curious and watchful, maybe checking your social media
• Knight of Swords: fast, direct interest, the kind that asks you out on the spot
• Two of Swords: they feel something and refuse to look at it
• Three of Swords: hurt is in the picture, theirs or yours
• Eight of Swords: they like you and feel trapped by their circumstances

The Queen and King of Swords are the hardest to read. They usually describe someone who keeps their emotions behind logic, so the surrounding cards have to tell you whether interest is there.

Cards that show interest is fading or absent

A few cards argue against attraction when they land in the feelings position:

• Four of Cups: bored, or emotionally elsewhere
• Five of Cups: focused on a loss, not on you
• Eight of Cups: walking away (Waite: “the decline of a matter”)
• Ten of Swords: finished, nothing left to restart
• The Hermit: wants solitude more than company right now
• Reversed Two of Cups or reversed Lovers, with negative neighbours: feelings that have cooled or were never mutual

None of these means you did something wrong. They show where the other person’s energy is pointed, and sometimes it isn’t at you. A clear answer saves you weeks of wondering.

A three-card “do they like me” spread

Three cards give you a feeling, an obstacle and a likely action, which is enough to know what to do. Shuffle while thinking of the person, then draw:

1. How they feel about you now. This is where you hope to see a card from this list.
2. What’s holding them back. Swords and reversed cards often land here.
3. What they’re likely to do. Knights and Aces suggest action. Pages and Sixes suggest waiting.

Worked example: Page of Cups, then Two of Swords, then Knight of Cups. They have a shy crush on you, they’re stuck trying not to think about it, and they’re likely to move once they get past that. One friendly opening from you speeds things up.

If the first card is on this list and the third is the Four of Cups or The Hanged Man, they like you and nothing will happen unless you start it. For a single-card yes or no, check the list of tarot cards for yes answers. It overlaps heavily with this one in the Cups suit.

Keep the question specific. “Does Sam like me?” gives a cleaner reading than “What’s going on with my love life?”

Your next step, and the honest limit

Tarot describes the energy around a connection. It can’t read someone’s private thoughts for certain. A tarot reader quoted in a Parade piece, syndicated on AOL, put it plainly: if you want to know how someone feels about you, ask them, not the cards.

That’s the best way to use this list. If a strong card comes up, treat it as a nudge to act: send the message, make the invitation. If a fading card comes up, take it as permission to put your energy somewhere else. Either way, the person in front of you gives the final answer.

FAQ

Which tarot card most strongly means someone likes you?

The Two of Cups. Waite’s 1911 meanings start with “love, passion, friendship, affinity, union”, and the Golden Dawn titled it the Lord of Love. The Ace of Cups is a close second and shows new feelings growing toward you.

Does the Knight of Cups mean he will ask me out?

Usually, yes, though not always quickly. Waite’s own meanings include “advances, proposition” and “invitation”, so a romantic approach is the literal reading. Reversed, Waite warns of “duplicity”, so watch whether actions match words.

Is a reversed love card a no?

Usually not. Reversed versions of the cards on this list tend to mean the interest is blocked, hidden or uncertain. Waite even reverses The Sun as “the same in a lesser sense”. Check the next card to see what’s in the way.

Can a Swords card mean someone likes me?

Yes. The Page of Swords shows curiosity, the Knight of Swords shows direct interest, and the Ace of Swords shows they’ve made up their mind about you. Swords describe thought, not a lack of feeling.

How can I tell if the cards mean friendship or romance?

Look at the suit and court cards around the main card. Cups court cards and The Lovers point to romance. The Three of Cups and Pentacles-heavy spreads lean toward friendship. The Sun is the classic in-between card, and its neighbours decide which way it goes.

What tarot cards mean someone is thinking about you?

The Six of Cups suggests someone thinking fondly about shared moments. The Page of Swords suggests someone watching and curious. The Two of Swords suggests someone who thinks about you but is trying not to. Thinking about you and acting on it are separate questions, so read the action position too.

How many cards should I pull to find out if someone likes me?

Three is enough: how they feel, what holds them back, and what they’ll likely do. One card gives a quick signal but leaves out the context that tells you how to act on it.