Ace of Cups

Element: Water (Blood); vampires

+ My cup overflows with adoration; sex and love; home is where the heart is

– Denial; putting up walls to emotional connections; lack of a place to call one’s own, unstable

Vampires have been stalking the halls of our imagination for centuries. They are monsters who indulge in the hunt for food and sex, passionately consuming what they will for as long as they can avoid a stake to the heart. Like all monster myths they reflect what we fear the most—which I argue is a repackaged version of our own darkest impulses and desires. Our base instinct is to fear death but eternal life becomes its own punishment. 

Over time the vampire myth has exposed our fear of disease and foreign customs. Now the vampire is a Byronic hero of our current age, a brooding sexpot that allows us to embrace some version of sexual kink.

As a baby goth, the vampire was the brooding loner that I aspired to be—brimming with misunderstood creativity and emotions. They seemed to openly feel things so deeply but also remain powerful and in control —my teenaged self was incredibly jealous. Growing up in then rural Virginia, emotional honesty was rewarded with ridicule. Showing interest in things outside of narrowly defined parameters simply made you a target. Seeing the few brave openly gay people in my school go through harassment from students and teachers alike, I learned to hide my still unexamined queerness with great effectiveness. Taking the hiding to the extreme, I managed to be missing from at least three out of four high school year books, opting to jump through only the most mandatory hoops required to get out of town and never come back. It was the Doom and Gloom night as the local gay club that saved me while I still lived at home. Meeting people, who were doing their own hiding, come out once a week to just be ourselves and jump around on the dance floor was the community I needed. 

These vampires are a sensitive and sensual lot and this suit captures their unabashed passion and creativity.

Two of Cups

Pronouns: She, her (both)

+ That first crush or infatuation; a flirt; tenderness and togetherness 

– Bickering and fighting

Should I ever put pen to paper and craft a retelling of Dracula it would be Lucy and Mina together against Bram Stoker’s monster. Apologies to Jonathan Harker but his storyline was just a way into the Transylvanian castle. 

Lucy and Mina as the two of cups balance one another’s personalities and share an enviable bond. It’s this relationship that needs to be explored further. Their chemistry is especially evident in the 1992 film adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola.  Lucy is a bawdy flirt who brings out the good humor in shy and reserved Mina. They look over a book of what appears to be the Kamasutra (introduced to Victorian England in 1883) and tease each other about sex while preening. When Lucy becomes ill it’s Mina who stays by her side until being pulled into battle the vampire who targeted them. 

Mina is depicted here as a vampire with Lucy as her trusted blood donor.

Three of Cups

Pronouns: She, her

+ Joy; mission accomplished; orgasm

– Distracted; too many outside opinions

While company can be nice, there is a pleasure in entertaining oneself. Solitude is not always a punishment. 

This card celebrates when all the right ingredients come together and we are allowed to celebrate  life’s simple pleasures. Enjoying the little victories is arguably the key to enjoying daily living. 

While the vampire myth was born from fear and an obsession with death, the stories have evolved into ones about indulgence and romance. Our supine figure is blissed out and in repose but a new fire has been started—a loving relationship with the self.

The vampire myth has branched out and evolved beyond tales of fear and death to become a new genre of paranormal romance. I can’t help be see that as an embrace of what used to be cast out as “other” and is now a celebration of “us”.

Four of Cups

Pronouns: She, her

+ Copious amounts of sex or pleasure

– When too much of a good thing numbs you out; obsessed with the material and ignoring the emotional

The Four of  Cups reaches for the cup that’s spilling over for another drop while still experiencing the ecstasy of the last sip. For the figure in this card there is so much more left to be enjoyed and she is soaking it up. Her tattoo reads, Delicious as Hell.  

Like anything, it can’t last forever but while it’s here try and revel in it. Why not? Unlike the vampires of this suit, we don’t get to live forever. At times the existential pressure of this life and its fleeting nature can be such a bummer. This card can be a reminder that for every valley there is another hill to climb.

Five of Cups

Pronouns: He, him

+ Loss of life; mourning a passing; empathy for those who are suffering

– While time can heal the body doesn’t forget; living with past trauma; transgenerational trauma 

The five of cups features a brooding Byronic hero as vampire. The five cards mourns a loss or reversal of fortune and the Five of Cups marks that emotional toll. 

Vampires live forever and because they do not appear to age they carry the marks of loss somewhere deeper. As humans we carry a similar burden that is only now emerging in the social conscious—the legacy of transgenerational trauma. The study of this topic is still quite new but art (the release valve of fear and trauma across time) has been made about this throughout history. The path we are on was carved by those who tread before us and it isn’t a stretch to think this same path leaves an impression on the traveler. 

Six of Cups

Pronouns: She, her

+ Thinking of the past through rose colored glasses; holding on to nostalgia; satisfied

– A warning to not rest on your laurels

This young vampire is pulled directly from True Blood where newly turned “baby vamps” are all energy with a sever lack of foresight. 

She has accomplished her mission of feeding for the evening and in fact, she’s collected more than her share. She sits back and is “having a think” while looking off into space with rose colored glasses. 

This card is about nostalgia—a word that conjures equal parts sadness and fondness for the past. While it seems harmless, holding on to things can have an affect on our present actions. In a reading this might be perception check: “Was it really that great?,” “Is this having an impact on the present?”

Seven of Cups

Pronouns: None

+ Options; many paths ahead

– Inability to commit to a choice; hesitation

The Vampire Oracle of the Seven of Cups floats before you with options. You can take a sip from any one cup before you, the choice is yours and yours alone. Once you head down that path however, you can’t go backward. The indecision can make you sweat but the Seven of Cups is patient. The truth is, you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Instead of sweating about the choice, take your time, make a pro and con list, ask for help, and realize that no matter what, you are going to learn something.

Which path will you take?

Eight of Cups

Pronouns: She, her or They, them

+ When you’ve achieved that goal you have been working towards, what comes next? 

– Love on; even love ends

As we work our way up the suit of cups the explosive energy of the hunt and lust begins to taper. The Eight of Cups get downright reflective. Once the all the item on the list have been crossed out, what is next?

This is the moving on card. After the choice of the Seven of Cups is made, the next steep is to hit the road. 

Take note of the other cards around this one when it’s chosen. It seems like a solitary card but not so when in between two very different cards. Maybe it’s time to reflect before taking the next step or your are stuck in the middle of something and this is the reminder you needed to piece out. 

Nine of Cups

Pronouns: She, her

+ A skewed perspective

– Abundant; “I have everything I need”; mature enough to understand your strengths and content

This card meaning is flipped from the traditional orientation of the card in other decks. I changed it up to address head on how hard it is to get over ourselves. When the card is reversed, the cups are emptied out and we are left with ourselves and no other distractions. Without judgment, can you be left alone with yourself? 

Upright we are distracted by what we think we should be in order to attract sex, money, and power—whatever it is we’re supposed to be craving. It could be argued our culture trains us to think of our own bodies and thoughts as a distraction. 

Whether full-blown Body Dysmorphic Disorder or something less severe, talking to someone (including a mental health professional) helps to relieve the anguish caused and normalizes conversations about these topics.

Ten of Cups

Pronouns: She, her

+ Taking your comfort; indulging in a guilty &n

Ace of Wands

Element: Fire, devils

+ A birth

– False start; disappointment

The devils of this suit are defined by impatient and vengeful traits but also a strong drive and desire to succeed. They are not entirely bad or good, instead it’s the methods that determine the level of madness. The wands themselves are impromptu weapons. Whether to bludgeon or pierce an enemy, they offered an up close and personal interaction. 

The Ace tells the story of a beginning—much like the Fool but with a far more slanted and intense energy. This beginning focus on our purpose: a vocation or a spiritual endeavor. While the Swords tell much sadder stories, Cups are emotionally complex and sexy, and the Coins are down to earth and practical, the Wands are all gas with no breaks. 

Depending on what other cards are placed around this Ace determines whether this beginning is legit and exciting or if the reader is just drunk on the feeling of newness. The deals these devils make are complicated and human ones—so always with a cost. The intention however is not to suffer. Instead, how much discomfort can we handle in order to achieve our goal. We can’t become better people without challenging ourselves.

For some people, this comes more naturally. Fort he devils of the Wands it’s an uphill battle against fear, anger, resentment, and discontent. Once those feelings are put in check, the real work can truly begin. It’s worth it to work on it.

Two of Wands

+ Looking out towards the future with a bit of hope (even if it looks kind of shitty)

– On the (barbed) fence about it; indecision

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre features a group of men and women who are prayed upon by a family of mass murdering cannibals who brutally torture the unfortunate group until only one character, (a final girl) survives. This film triggers the flight response so intensely, to this day I have a hard time watching the meat hook scene while sitting down. 

The Two of Wands references that burnt Texas landscape that holds either promise of escape or the path back to despair. 

Maybe the choice being presented in your reading is not one of “run or the cannibal is going to get you” but an analogy can be made. Escape is dangerous and extremely difficult but if a change isn’t made the other option becomes a fatal dead end.  

Three of Wands

Pronouns: He, him

+ Building experience through a shit ton of suffering (emo style!)

– Feeling deeply in order to understand, learn, and move forward

Regardless of the suit, threes tend to be cards about balance in relationships (work, love, or family—take your pick). 

This devil is experiencing an emotional awakening but hasn’t fully accepted what this means or come to terms with how his personal journey will affect his relationships with others. 

Understanding our own emotions is a process. We get overwhelmed and it feels like it will never pass. Learning that no feeling lasts forever and coping appropriately can help to ride the extremes out. Next, there is learning how to relate to our friends, family members, and others going through their own emotional ordeals without trying to fix things, explain it away, or downplay the situation—but be present if possible so that they can weather the storm. It sounds so simple but it’s hardly easy. Take it in stride and know each day is another filled with opportunity to practice.

Four of Wands

Pronouns: She, her

+ Staked into place! 

– Kicked a chair leg out from underneath

The Four of Wands is scarred across her chest where the wooden wands have been staked through, nailing her to the ground. This is symbolic of putting down roots or starting a family. For some it’s the ultimate goal and a time to grow in a different direction. For others it a burden that is placed on people simply because they were born into the expectation. 

Family is not always the one we are born with. For many it’s the people we find along the way in life who scoop us up into their life raft (or vice versa). Those of the relationships we celebrate.

This “devil” has no horns because she isn’t really. It’s her resistance to the expectations to domestic life that have branded her as a devil. The joke is on them however because this label and the sentence cast upon her has awoken something inside this woman. Her eyes are red beneath those lashes.

Five of Wands

Pronouns: She, her or They, them

+ A bulldozer attitude

– Conflict; brewing intense animosity

In 2020 it’s incredibly hard to talk about the pitfalls of self-justified anger without sounding like a pious asshole. Let’s be clear: this isn’t about the real and necessary anger that fuels the important fight for equality. Instead, the anger of the Five of Wands is a biting and bickering kind of self-justified anger that serves no one—especially this devil. 

Anger is as additive as drugs or booze. The intensity of it, the extreme emotional hangover after a vicious spat—it’s dizzying and exhausting. This is the card about tantrums and the impossible battle for the last word. It’s a pride fueled bloodbath that hurts everyone including the party that’s being defended. 

Should this appear in a reading, what kind of bad blood is brewing?

Six of Wands

Pronouns: She, her

+ Celebrating being past the mid-way point

– Read the room... You are on fire and not in the good way!

The most amazing aspect about this figure’s posture is the “fuck you, go ahead and burn me” energy from it. There are times when that is just the mood of the day. 

The Six of Wands is a “mission accomplished” of sorts but what looks like a victory is really just a parade. The halfway mark has been met so maybe not count all the chickens before they hatch.

The RdD upon the stake stands for reine des démons or “queen of demons”—a reference to Lilith. One of the most fascinating character in western culture, she is a symbol of defiance and a nice compliment to her more passive counterpart. 

Seven of Wands

Pronouns: She, her

+ Keeping up the good fight; joining them to beat them

– Lack of understanding

Growing up in the Bible Belt I didn’t fully understand the impact of that environment on my character and beliefs until much later. While, my household was not religious, the region is run by Jesus and a Protestant work ethic. What is it about work exactly that determines our value as a person? It is the most difficult thing for this driven artist who loves to work but also hates to be worn down to overcome. 

We are not “viable products” or bodies to be sacrificed for the cause. This especially effects Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, combating a legacy where they are treated as expendable labor and less than. 

This card is for the people keeping up the resistance.

Eight of Wands

Pronouns: He, him or They, them

+ The only way forward is through; another kind of creative activity 

– Block; paranoia; delay

Letting go and allowing things to work themselves out is torture for the anxious controlling type. Having a hand in everything satiates the fear of the soul that is ever present.

This card will mean something different for everyone. For this illustrator, it takes me back to sleepless nights and anxious days trying to keep my head above water at university. Each day, every class, every interaction was terrifying. Nothing I did felt right and I was convinced that I was a fraud and shouldn’t be there. I stuck it out and got the diploma but the experience changed me and not all for the better. I decided to hide for a long time after that, figuring it was the best way to survive. Unfortunately it’s inauthentic. I’m tired of hiding now.

Nine of Wands

Pronouns: He, him

+ Room to grow into self

– Suppressed rage; denial of oneself

The man in the Nine of Wands is simultaneously embracing and protecting himself. It takes patience and bravery to unlearn the shit imposed on us by a culture that needs things clearly defined. The Nine of Wands doesn’t have the answers. Like the Hermit, it’s a call to protect yourself, take your time, and attempt the fight again tomorrow after a reprieve. Unlike the Hermit however, there is a warning: denial can result in anger and a rage that lurks beneath the surface.  

Ten of Wands

Pronouns: She, her

+ Overburdened; fearful; regret

– Plagued by the past; shame

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane is about delusion, abuse, and regret. The title character was once at the top of her game and the downfall—although through no fault of her own—was swift and devastating. Locked away with her successful sister whose own brilliant career was tragically cut short, the two now elderly sisters live in intense hatred of one another. Jane takes out her resentments on Blanche by torturing her with physical beatings and withholding food. Their story ends with truths being revealed and an unclear resolution to a chaotic and tragic tale.

The Nine of Wands is about holding on to more than one can carry. The cycle of abuse creates an inner burden that creates chaos and pain until wounds are addressed and healed.