Queen of Cups

Element: Water

Imagery: A serene figure gazes into a decorated cup by the sea.

General Themes: Emotional depth, intuition, compassion, sensitivity, inner wisdom.

The Queen of Cups Upright

The Queen of Cups, like the King of Cups, teaches us how to be one with our emotions, not ruled by them. Notice the sea pooling around her and her throne firmly planted in the sand. This symbolizes the fact that emotions, like the waves lapping at her feet, come and go. She allows them to come, never suppressing the tide, but also never getting swallowed up in it. Her throne reflects the stability of her emotional maturity here.

This queen invites you to trust your intuitive gifts and your empathy for yourself and others. It’s easy to dismiss the power of emotions or relegate them to the sidelines when making decisions. In reality, however, our gut reactions can tell us a lot about a situation, which is why it is always important to honor that inner wisdom.

At the same time, you want to make sure you aren’t getting carried away by your emotions by cultivating healthy emotional boundaries. Remember, she feels everything and lets it wash over her, but she doesn’t drown in emotion. This includes not taking on other people’s heavy emotions. When you are more sensitive, it’s easy to absorb other people’s feelings, so this card welcomes empathy with a strong sense of compassionate limits.

The Queen of Cups Reversed

When this card appears reversed, it invites you to go inward and tend your inner life. You might have been giving too much of yourself, helping others process their emotions, or you might be struggling to process your own after something has shaken you up.

This card appears to remind you that you will find that sense of balance again—just give it time. Taking time out for self-care likewise can be a gentle way to reinforce healthy boundaries. It lets others know you don’t have unlimited energy and need your own time to recharge.

At the same time, the Queen of Cups reversed can come to you when you are avoiding feeling altogether. That’s not healthy, and she offers gentle support to let go, open up, and feel what you need to. If you don’t, your feelings will consume you. If you take her support and allow the wave of emotion to wash over you, it can heal you.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Queen of Wands

Element: Fire

Imagery: A confident figure sits with a wand and a sunflower, often with a black cat nearby.

General Themes: Confidence, charisma, creativity, courage, vibrant leadership.

The Queen of Wands Upright

Ahhhh…I love this card. If there were one card in the tarot deck that consistently speaks to me, it would be the Queen of Wands. She first came to me at the start of the pandemic, giving me hope and whimsy in an otherwise dark time. This queen wants you to fearlessly walk your own path. She certainly does, with her wand, host of sunflowers**,** and a canonical black cat at her side (I have two). 

She is all sunshine—the sunflowers—who isn’t afraid of the dark—that black cat, which is just another way of looking at befriending your shadow and what the rest of the world might call bad luck. Enjoy the things that make life magical. She is a figure who delights in whimsy and enchantments, often finding them in the ordinary.

The Queen of Wands invites you to cultivate optimism. It’s easy to go dark and see only the bad in people and situations…but there is always room for hope, growth, and understanding. This isn’t about sugar-coating legitimately toxic spaces or relationships, but rather, it’s a way of looking at the world that invites connection and a generosity of spirit that generates meaningful collaborations and relationships. She might walk her own path, but this queen is always admired and has many collaborators. She is a reminder that you can be your delightfully weird self and still feel part of things.

The Queen of Wands Reversed

This card often appears reversed when you need to reclaim your sense of self. Self-doubt has probably kicked in or you’ve gotten lost in conformity and groupthink. It’s okay to be your own unique self. Stop dimming your light to fit in.

This card calls you back to yourself. You don’t have to over-do it in order to relate to others or otherwise compare yourself to others. You can be whimsical and delightfully strange, like this queen, and still feel a part of things. Likewise, you don’t have to follow other people’s timelines, expectations, paths, or values. The Queen of Wands always goes her own way and never feels guilty about it.

To get back to yourself, step back from groups and enjoy some quiet time—you’ll be surprised at all the inspiration that will come flooding back when you do. Likewise, remember how hard you once had to work to find your sense of self. Why throw it away now? You should be celebrating your hard-won confidence.

And remember, whenever the Queen of Wands appears, she welcomes innovation, whimsy, and a unique way of going about life. So shake off self-doubt and apply your energies to imagining a more exciting way of going about life.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Queen of Swords

Element: Air

Imagery: A regal figure sits on a throne with a sword raised, clouds and wind around her.

General Themes: Clarity, truth, discernment, independence, intellectual strength.

The Queen of Swords Upright

This card is fiery, especially since the feminine is often considered more emotional or—dare I say it?—hysterical. The Queen of Swords is a figure of sharp wit and insight. She is known for her intellectual strength and discernment. She is a queen who knows her own mind, so when she appears, she wants you to trust your mental clarity. Sometimes, this card even appears when your intellectual instincts are being undermined to remind you to stay strong.

Act with clarity and compassion. This queen often has a reputation for being cold, cruel, or remote, but she is actually focused on the greater good. She evaluates things fairly and is often a type of warrior, seeking balance and justice in all things. She is also highly independent, not afraid to think differently than others, so she may appear to remind you not to get lost in the mindless collective.

At her best, this queen wants you to maintain healthy boundaries with gentle awareness. This isn’t a card that asks you to charge ahead into battle, as the Knight of Swords might, but to hold the boundary in your mind and let your inner awareness be the protection you need.

The Queen of Swords Reversed

Reversed, this card is a clear caution not to let self-doubt cloud your judgment. It can be like a slow-working poison and slowly distort your vision. Often, the best way forward when old wounds open is to look for the cause. Deal with that, and the self-doubt fades.

Trust your vision. Some readers see this reversal as the Queen being cruel or overly cold and cerebral. But, in my experience, she appears when you’re being rigid and judgmental with yourself—which tends to color the world around you. Don’t use your sharp mind to torture yourself. Instead, come up with bright ideas and big thoughts to help you through your current angst. Only then will your mental clarity return.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

Queen of Pentacles

Element: Earth

Imagery: A nurturing figure seated on a throne in a lush garden, holding a pentacle.

General Themes: Grounded abundance, nurturing, practicality, stability, care for self and others.

The Queen of Pentacles Upright

This card has a lot of joy to it. It’s about female empowerment, regardless of your gender. Your inner feminine is prosperous and nourished. Sometimes referred to as the working mom card of the deck, the Queen of Pentacles is about knowing your worth and honoring the life experience and skills that brought you to this abundant paradise.

Enjoy tending your proverbial garden every day. As I always say when pentacles appear in a reading, abundance comes from hard work—manifestation is just another word for putting in the hours and focusing your energy on creating the life you want. It’s that simple, and that hard, which is why prosperity feels all the sweeter once you earn it.

This card is also about staying down to earth. Notice the queen in the card. She is regal, yes, but her feet are firmly planted on the ground, and her throne is made of stone. There is no rush here, only stability and fertility (notice the bunny in the corner of the card). Good things come from a steady hand and a sense of earned empowerment. Nothing has been handed to this queen, so she knows the value of honest labor. What’s more, she cares for herself and others, never feeling the need to hoard her wealth. When this card shows up in a reading, it’s a sign that you are capable of grounded abundance and might even be celebrating what your practical accomplishments have generated for you and yours.

The Queen of Pentacles Reversed

This queen gives out a lot—she cares for a whole kingdom! So when The Queen of Pentacles appears reversed, it is asking you to make sure you are investing in self-care as much as you are caring for others.

Likewise, focus on nourishing what you love. You are past the days of having to prove yourself or invest in things from the ground up. You can pick and choose where you put your energy, so apply yourself to where it matters most. This goes for people, too. Give your time and energy to the loved ones who make your world brighter. Everyone else is secondary.

Reversed, this card invites you to rein in your energy a bit and focus on nurturing your proverbial garden. No need to seek other pastures.

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!

The Queens

The Queens are the rulers of the imaginative realms. They embody empowerment through creativity, the dream world, and honoring your intuition. Although the Queens embody deeply feminine attributes, they can speak to all genders (as can all court cards, regardless of the gender of the figures in the images). 

The Queens are the court cards that are at one with the Universe because they operate from the inside out. They embody the old occult saying, “As Within, So Without.” In other words, they manifest by energetic alignment, nurturing their internal life, and being in harmony with themselves. 

They are the nurturers and the mother figures of the tarot, inviting us to slow down and reconnect with our inner world. They know that abundance and happiness come from being true to our natures. 

Like the Cups, it’s important not to get completely lost in the realm of emotions with the Queens, although they are generally positive cards. On the whole, these are gentle cards celebrating the wisdom that comes with age and experience. 

The Queens offer messages of unity and authority through creativity and receptivity. Their power is one of openness, curiosity, and awareness, proving that softness and gentleness can be just as powerful energetically as the more masculine energy of the Knights or the Kings. 

The Queen of Pentacles

The Queen of Swords

The Queen of Wands

The Queen of Cups

Image Description: Starry background with the words, “The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot: The Queens: Nurturers, Abundance, Intuition, Inner World.”

The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

If you enjoyed what you just read and believe that true magic is in the everyday…and good conversations with the tarot, subscribe to my newsletter below for regular doses of enchantment. Want even more inspiration? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook. Here’s to a magical life!