The Bruja's Guide to Tarot

Ace of Cups

January 20, 2025

Ace of Cups Upright

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The cups are all about feelings and intuition. The Ace of Cups is a gentle celebration of new relationships or the revelation of new feelings. As an Ace, this card points to the potential for a new relationship or a breakthrough in your relational energy. It can even signal an inner opening to self. Love is all around you when The Ace of Cups appears. As with all Cup cards, it is important to honor your feelings here.

You’re brimming with creativity! It should come as no surprise that emotions are deeply tied to our creative, generative selves. This card celebrates inspiration—it is everywhere, within and without. Keep nourishing it and see what magic comes from your openness.

Ace of Cups Reversed

The Ace of Cups Reversed is much like the Ace of Wands Reversed. It speaks of new possibilities emerging, this time in relational matters. You’re not quite ready to bring these feelings into the world yet. They need to be tended in the quiet of your own heart and nourished with your time and attention. Think of this as self-love and self-care time. You can’t bring love into your life if you don’t first love and tend to yourself.

Conversely, the reversal of this card can indicate that you are emotionally blocked. What emotions are you suppressing? What difficult feelings are you avoiding? Nothing good comes from ignoring your fears or anxieties. Be gentle with yourself as you explore and remove blockages.

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.

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Ace of Wands

January 20, 2025

Ace of Wands Upright

The Ace of Wands, in its upright form, is an energetic card as are all Wand cards. It speaks to a new influx of energy that feels exciting and a little wild. The best way to utilize this energy is to stay spontaneous and get moving. This card is all about building that momentum and taking advantage of this vital force encouraging you to make your dreams come true.

Nourish that spark of inspiration so the flame doesn’t go out. It matters less here where you go as long as you get moving. Don’t waste the potential of this Ace energy. Forward movement is more important than the destination. Pay special attention to the things that ignite your passions and excite your senses.

It’s time for a delicious transformation!

Ace of Wands Reversed

Reversed, The Ace of Wands is still energetic but signals a slower-moving transformation. New possibilities are emerging, but it is too soon to tell which direction you should move in. Protect this incubation period, as it will lead to a more fertile project when you are ready to bring it into the world.

Work slowly and quietly on these new developments. Talking about them right now would take away from your ability to conjure. Then, when it is time to take action, be loud, be bold, and don’t hesitate!

Ace of Swords

January 20, 2025

Ace of Swords Upright

The Ace of Swords celebrates new insights and great ideas. The Swords are about the intellect and a clear mind, so whatever you’re thinking about, you’ve got the right idea. A bright idea, in fact!

Expect a creative breakthrough, a chance to turn a bright idea into a reality, or an unexpected insight that changes your perspective on a tricky situation. This card is all about mental clarity—trust what your mind is telling you here, not your heart.

Lastly, The Ace of Swords Upright asks you to have faith in your abilities. You might not feel quite confident yet, but an Ace is always a promise to trust your ideas as they will bear fruit. It’s easy to second-guess yourself or overthink a situation to death. Trust yourself.

Ace of Swords Reversed

When this card appears reversed, it invites you to take a step back and clear your head. You might be too close to a situation to see it clearly or your emotions are clouding your judgement. Take your time and be deliberate about your next step. If something about this situation makes you feel rushed, walk away.

Another way to read this reversal is that you have new ideas percolating. You might not be ready to voice them yet or birth them into the world, but they’re definitely worth looking at. Nurture and protect them during this gestation period. You’ll know when it’s time to take action.

The Aces

July 10, 2024

The Aces are the first in the number series of the Minor Arcana. They can be read as number one in the tarot. As such, the Aces represent raw potential and possibility. They are the new beginning, the open road, the promise of a new story.

Yet, with most possibilities, it is about taking action once you know the energy for something is there. If you don’t nourish it or make the move, the potential will dissipate. So when the Aces appear in a reading, it is always a positive sign, so long as you’re willing to act on that energy.

The Kings

June 12, 2024

The Kings represent the full maturation of the Knights and rule alongside the Queens as equals of their different realms. Where the Queens reign over the inner world, the Kings rule over the outer world. They represent maturity and authority, a strong leader who protects and supports those under his care. The Kings are the epitome of healthy masculinity (again, regardless of gender, as we all have masculine aspects to our nature).

Their dark side would include being overly authoritarian or, like the Swords, so logical that they ignore important wisdom of the imaginative or emotional realms, which is what makes the Queens a good balance force for them (and vice versa).

In general, however, these court cards more often represent the quiet assurance of someone who had learned their life lessons the hard way: through experience, aging, and making mistakes. As a result, they have the impenetrable confidence of someone who doesn’t need to explain themselves or prove anything—an admirable quality, especially if imposter syndrome is something you struggle with.

The Kings are all about owning your power and learning to use it wisely.

The King of Pentacles

The King of Swords

The King of Wands

The King of Cups

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The Queens

June 12, 2024

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

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The Knights

June 12, 2024

If the Pages are the messengers of the court cards, inviting new energy and change, then the Knights are the action-oriented cards telling you to get moving! It’s one thing to heed the call or the message of the Pages and quite another to go head-long into the direction they want you to move in.

The Knights are more mature than the Pages, as they are no longer youths and have more experience under their belts. That said, they can still be rash, and their dark side is rushing into things or pushing too hard to get things done. They are so action-oriented that they sometimes forget to slow down, read the signs, and see stillness as a necessary part of moving forward. They have yet to grow into the wisdom and maturity of the Queens and the Kings.

The Knights know how to get stuff done, and they won’t wait around for life to happen. That’s great energy to have if you’ve been feeling stagnant or stuck. Just temper it with the knowledge that sheer force won’t always win the day.

The Knights, at their best, are guardians of the open road, encouraging you to get moving, even if you don't have all the answers. You can learn as you go, and ultimately, there’s something to be said for just going for it! How often would we take a risk or try something new if we had all the facts before us? And, knowing what we now know, what wonderful things would we also miss out on if we didn’t do the thing we weren’t quite prepared for?

The Knight of Pentacles

The Knight of Swords

The Knight of Wands

The Knight of Cups

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The Pages

June 12, 2024

The Pages are the young messengers of the court cards. They often come bearing messages of growth, opportunities, and exciting new directions. Of course, like the Aces, the Pages offer only the potential or the knowledge that the energy for growth is there. You still have to act on it to make it happen.

Like an exuberant youth, this card is full of energy and excitement, so much so that its potential downside is tons of inspiration with no follow-through. The page can be immature or unfocused, but more often than not is seen as representative of your inner child. The best way to get the most out of this card is to take action and utilize the potential of this card without over thinking things.

On the flip side, a more positive reading of the Page is someone who is young at heart and sees the world as a place filled with wonder and opportunity. Every setback is a message from the Universe, redirecting your focus and putting you on the right path with the Pages. Every day welcomes a new adventure that can take you wherever you want to go. In this way, the Pages are much like the Fool.

Consider the Pages as the messengers, inviting you to put your energy toward conjuring good things. This card is brimming with excitement, so have fun imagining new ways of being for yourself, and then get to work making it happen!

The Page of Pentacles

The Page of Swords

The Page of Wands

The Page of Cups

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The Court Cards

June 12, 2024

The court cards are part of the Minor Arcana represent personalities, people, and ways of being in the world. They can also represent levels of maturity or stages of life, the Pages being the least mature and most youthful, and the Kings representing maturity and the gravitas that comes with experience.

Although these cards often represent people, they aren’t necessarily gender specific. For example, you might run into someone who has big Knight of Cups energy, but that person could be of any gender.

That said, sometimes they represent parts of ourselves or times in our lives and show up when we need to invoke the energy of their specific court card medicine. The Pages typically show up when you need to look at the world through the eyes of a novice or innocent, much like The Fool. The Knights show up when you need to be assertive and action-oriented, like a young warrior. The Queens usher in abundance and nurturing energy. The Kings reflect authority, discipline, and strength.

Follow your intuition when you draw the cards as it will tell you if you should read these cards as people in your life, aspects of yourself, or an energy you need to tap into.

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The Wands

May 20, 2024

The Wands are the fire element of the suits. They represent spirit and the healthy masculine energy it takes to assert yourself in the world, regardless of your gender identity (I often think of this suit as “Big Wand Energy” as it SO phallic).

This suit is all about passion, inspiration, and taking charge. The Wands want you to act, get moving, and generally dive right in! Of course, as with all suits, this one has its downsides. It’s okay to be fiery, but don’t burn too hot or be too reckless. When your Wand energy feels too hot, this suit will speak to you of slowing down and being more methodical.

More often than not, however, this suit wants you to follow your inspiration and let your spirit soar. They are an invitation to seize the moment and take advantage of the energy flowing your way, otherwise, you’ll lose an important opportunity to make magic!

The Wands represent the fire element, energy, inspiration, and action.

The Pentacles

May 20, 2024

The Pentacles are the most grounded suit of the deck, as they represent all our worldly concerns related to money, work, home, and general day-in, day-out survival. This is a suit of putting in the hours and steadily getting things done. As the suit of the earth element, its focus is on making sure you have all your bases covered.

We don’t often think of everyday magic as having anything to do with mundane tasks like paying our bills or having a roof over our heads, but the reality is that so much conjuring happens when we take care of these basic needs. I always say magic is a hard, gritty thing, meaning things won’t manifest if you aren’t putting in the effort. The universe needs to know you are willing to put in the hard work to make stuff happen.

That’s where the Pentacles come in. They encourage an abundance mindset and help you work through the times you let a scarcity mentality creep in. Abundance is all around us, this suit reminds us, simply because we have worked hard to make it so. This abundance goes beyond money, although that is VERY important! It’s about cultivating a rich life: rich in love, rich in purpose, rich in connection, and yes, rich in money (hey, those Pentacles look like coins for a reason).

When the Pentacles appear in a reading, the message is about getting grounded, or down to earth, and putting in the work to manifest what you need. If the Cups are about seeing the world through heart eyes, then the Pentacles are about seeing things as they are so that you can make a realistic plan moving forward. The dark side of this card is stagnation, overwork, and a poverty mentality.

Overall, this suit serves as a reminder that hard work pays off and that you have the power to craft the life you want. All you have to do is put the work in.

The Pentacles represent the earth element, finances, daily life, and an abundance mindset.

The Cups

May 20, 2024

The Cups represent water and all things feelings and relationships. These are the cards of passion, (self)love, romance, and healthy relationships with self and others. When they appear, they are asking you to trust and nurture your feelings over anything else in a given situation. That said, it’s important not to get swept up in your emotions with the Cups. Instead, learn how to listen to them without getting overwhelmed by them.

If there were ever a suit in the tarot that had permanent heart eyes, it would be the Cups. Sure, not all feelings are warm and fuzzy. In fact, some can be downright heavy and stressful! But the Cups are always asking you to get in touch with your feelings and feel what you need to feel. This is what will allow you to fall back in love with life (ahem, and maybe start seeing the world through this suit’s heart eyes). These cards always come up when you need to put your heart before your head (The Swords). Sure, it’s easy to get carried away—as the King of Cups reminds us, it’s important to let your feelings wash over you without getting swept up in the waves. But gut instincts and emotions can tell us a lot about a situation or person.

This suit, like romance novels, reminds us that feelings, relationships, healthy connection, are just as important to a magical life as a good job, security, and all the other concrete accomplishments we seek. Likewise, our relationship to ourselves—self-care, self-love—are an integral part of how we manifest things. Like that old witchy saying, “As within, so without,” The Cups invite us to honor our feelings and invest in healthy relationships.

The Cups represent the water element, emotions, intuition, and relationships.

The Swords

May 20, 2024

The Swords are all about our intellectual world. As the Minor Arcana suit of the air element, it deals with the stuff going on in our head, how we conjure through our thoughts in good and bad ways (hey, we are what we think). It’s also about being clear-minded in our integrity and values. The dark side of this suit is being “too in your head” at the expense of your body and heart. And, since swords are double-edged, they can serve as a reminder not to be too harsh or judgmental—with yourself or others. It’s one thing to exercise healthy judgment, but you don’t want to avoid severity or rigidity of thought.

This suit emphasizes consciousness, awareness, and intellect, especially when it comes to relationships and our engagement with the outside world. The Swords are especially useful in grounding the fiery energy of The Wands and the soft, romantic energy of The Cups. As the suit of ideas, imagination, and communication, it both balances and needs to be balanced by the relationality of The Cups, the humanity of The Wands, and the practical values of The Pentacles.

The Swords want you to think things through and find the kind of clarity that can only come with emotional distance. Observe, gather data, and make logical conclusions. People often think that logic and reason don’t have a home in the mystic, but the truth is that any metaphysical practice is built on the fundamental understanding that everything is interconnected: science and nature, mind, body, and spirit, and everything else should work in harmony.