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This is the first year that I have ever felt so inspired by all of the messages I’ve received, and I am here for them all. They all point toward everything that I want. One of those messages is the Eight of Cups. This is my energy for the year, and it was pulled during my year ahead spread with SunStar. I literally groaned when I saw it, but the deck he used has a beautiful depiction of a femme on a path heading out toward new heights. It’s not dark and angsty like most depictions. It’s bright and hopeful, despite the fact that new paths can be very scary.
While my first reaction was to groan at this card, I can already see how and where it will play out. Am I seeing everything? No, and I can’t wait to see all of the side quests there are to take! Part of that is thanks to my release of fear and the unknown.
I have always thought of the 8 of Cups as a very emotional card that I had no interest in dealing with. It is usually depicted at night, which makes it have the same type of energy as the 6 of Swords, which is an escape from a desperate situation. Understanding that the moon and night represents the processing and passage of hard feelings, I still have never really been drawn to this card. I already have a hard time with change and inconsistency. Why would I want emotional inconsistency on top of everything else?
Now, especially in light of my new understanding of The Hanged One, I am understanding what this card is. It is an embrace of the unknown, the faith and trust in yourself (and The Universe) to be okay on a new journey, a new path. It is the release of the old hurts and traumas so we can walk out more confidently and assuredly.
My hopes and dreams and goals matter. I can put them and myself first. I can do it without the guilt, shame, and judgment thrust upon me by everyone else and in turn myself.
One of the reasons I chose this particular card is because the flamingo is looking towards 8 new opportunities, rather than walking away from the old. I think that both things must happen. We must release and look forward. I think the hard part about the 8 of Cups is that there is so much emphasis on the goodbye, and the background is the new, but it’s still very much in the background.
Can we move on without releasing? Yes. Are we going to be successful? Probably not. There is a new for balance here, and it’s the balance of not getting lost in the grief of the past and not getting lost in the idealization of the future.
So what am I leaving behind?
One-sided relationships
Codependency (in stages… let’s be real)
Environments and situations that feel soul sucking
Self Doubt/Fear of Failure (I’m going to try anyway!)
Dependence on others in order to experience new things (Just do it!)
Doom scrolling (I truly am hoping to kick the scrolling to numb)
Isolating away from Nature (Seriously, go outside. Stop hiding. The trees love you.)
Emotional Spending (hi, yes, I have an impulse control issue at Home Goods)
I think all of these can be possible though in differing stages and level of progression, and I think that the combination of The Hanged One and the Eight of Cups is a powerful one. In order to move on, we must cut that which entraps us, and then look through a new lens so we don’t get snared in the same trap once again.
I want to once again thank you for being here on this journey with me. Writing was one of those things I had to develop a new relationship and lens with in 2023. It’s a skill that I want to continue to practice in 2024. I know that my writing is very journal-like, and I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. So thank you!
What are you leaving behind in 2023? What are you carrying through to 2024? What new projects or ideas are you hoping to work on and maybe even accomplish? What will you need to be successful in those?
Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.
With love,
Aventurine ✨