Kayla Snyder

Greetings and gratitude, y’all! I hope you’ve all had a restful and restorative fall break—and if not that (hoo boy), then at least a productive one! Here’s the vibe check for the next two weeks, October 23 to November 6. I’ll explore the overall theme, discuss the main challenge and give advice on how to overcome it. Now, take a minute to close your eyes, become mindful of your breathing and sit comfortably in this moment. Read on when you feel calm and relaxed. Good? Great.

For the overall theme, I drew the Mother of Cups. I’m using the Wild Unknown deck which renamed the courts to be different family members, with the mothers corresponding to the queens in traditional decks. The suit of cups, naturally, pertains to the element of water and deals with emotions, feelings and relationships of all kinds.

Let’s talk a little bit about the court cards, of which there are four in a Tarot deck: Page, Knight, Queen and King. These courts are sometimes called different things in different decks. Daughter, son, mother, father. Novice, student, knower, master. The thing to understand is that each card represents a different mindset, a different approach to a situation, a different embodiment of the energy of that suit. It’s important to see the courts as not necessarily having a hierarchy but as different and equal aspects of the self. Traditionally, the courts are gendered and there is a patriarchal hierarchy in their structures; they are a product of the time and the culture(s) that produced and influenced them. But many modern decks, and certainly modern interpretations, have moved away from this system, making decks without any people or with people of all walks of life—beyond the female-male binary, beyond the heteronormative depictions of relationships and beyond the predominantly white, able-bodied illustrations.

Tarot is a tool of reflection and everyone who looks to it for advice should see themselves in the cards. The cards can give advice about anything and to anyone. Tarot is for everyone.

And now back to our regularly-scheduled programming. The Mother of Cups is an absolute kween. She’s reminding us to be compassionate to others and to ourselves—to nurture the relationships and people that are meaningful to us. She’s also telling you to trust your intuition, to do what feels right for you and to take care of yourself. This can look like a bunch of different things. For some, it means spending a night in instead of hanging out with friends because you’re feeling drained—FOMO be damned. For some, it means going to bed early and asking for an extension because you cannot do your best work when you are not well-rested. If your body is a temple, girl, good sleep is the central f–king pillar. For others, it means having that talk with that person, whoever they are, for whatever reason you need to, even though it’s hard, even though it’s scary. To that my mom would always say, “Yes, it’s hard and it’s scary, so feel the fear and do it anyway” (As a side note, I will always find a way to talk about my mom in literally every column I write. I will never not shout out my big-brain queen). Doing what is right for you is an act of self-love, of showing yourself the respect you deserve. You should never feel bad about doing that, ever. I think a lot of this comes during a time of recuperation from fall “break” and midterm season—and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Now is a time to be gentle with yourself, with others, to rely on your friends or family, to draw on them for comfort and support and give them the same.

For the main challenge, I drew the Two of Cups. The twos have many faces: balance, opposition, duality, choice, harmony, difference. The Two of Cups is most traditionally associated with relationships, the specific kind depending on the reading and the situation. As a challenge, this might indicate that there’s a strain in your interpersonal relationships. Perhaps you simply can’t keep ignoring this thing your roommate does that absolutely drives you up the wall. Perhaps you’re feeling hurt that someone keeps canceling on plans. Perhaps you’ve had an argument. Perhaps you’ve fallen out of touch. Perhaps things are just awkward. This challenge goes along quite fittingly with the overall theme. We’re all stretched thin right now. This is a time when we all need to show ourselves and others tenderness, but these things can get hardest when we need them to work the most. It’s kinda like couch cuddling: sometimes, even when you just want to be close to someone, it just ends up being uncomfortable and you feel cramped and your hair gets pulled and then your arm goes numb—you get the idea. The need for closeness and the general owies resulting from that closeness are in direct opposition with each other. But while a challenge can be something difficult, it can also be something we rise to—challenge yourself to reach out, to communicate openly, to be clear, to put in the work because if it is worth it, then it is worth all of it. Relationships, no matter their nature, are hard, period. Loving someone means opening yourself up to them, and that means opening yourself up to the pain that comes with closeness. But, in the end, that closeness is worth it; it will carry you through.

For the advice, I drew the Ace of Wands. The suit of wands is a fiery one. The Aces are the first cards in their respective suits—they are the seed, the spark, the inspiration. Here, this is all about taking initiative and being purposeful with the decisions you make in your life. Be like Shia LaBeouf (or Nike) and JUST DO IT. Whether it’s dedicating a night to relaxing, reaching out to a friend or having an important conversation with someone, just do it. You are the catalyst. Find your reason and follow it.

That one went a little long, but I hope it also went a long way *womp womp womp*

Love y’all, talk soon.

Peace!

Nora