Man, I remember the first time this “7 of Cups” thing really hit me. I’d been messing around with Tarot for a bit, just pulling cards for fun, trying to make sense of the pictures. Most cards, you get a vibe, right? Like, a sword is conflict, a cup is feelings. Simple enough. But then there was this damn 7 of Cups. Seven cups, all different stuff coming out of them, some good, some… well, not so good. And a guy just kinda standing there, looking at them. I was like, “What in the world am I supposed to do with this?”
I’d pull it in readings, and my books would say things like “choices” or “illusions” or “daydreaming.” And I’d nod along, kinda. But it never really clicked, you know? It felt so vague. Like, yeah, life has choices, so what? What do I do with that? It just felt like a card that left me more confused than before I pulled it.
Then came this period in my life, maybe five or six years back, where everything felt up in the air. Especially with my work. I was in a job that was okay, paid the bills, but I kept getting these little nudges, these ideas popping into my head. “Maybe try this side hustle,” “What if I went back to school for that?” “Should I just quit and travel?” My brain was just a constant loop of “what ifs.”
I was doing a personal spread one evening, just looking for some guidance, feeling totally overwhelmed by all these potential paths, and BAM, there it was. The 7 of Cups, right in the spot for “what I need to acknowledge.” And I stared at it. Really stared. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t just about having choices; it was about being absolutely swamped by them, maybe even paralyzed by the sheer number of options, some real, some totally fantastical. It was about my mind creating all these glittering possibilities, some of which were total BS, and me just standing there, captivated.
My Relationship with Love Readings and the 7 of Cups
After that lightbulb moment, I started seeing it everywhere, especially when friends would ask about their love lives. How many times had I seen someone stuck, paralyzed by options? You know the drill: “Should I stay with my current partner who’s good but boring?” “What about that ex who suddenly popped back up and is all charming again?” “There’s this new person at work who seems interesting, but it’s probably just a crush.” “Or maybe I should just be single forever and get a cat armada?”
When the 7 of Cups popped up in a love reading, my whole approach changed. Instead of just saying “you have choices,” I’d dig deeper. We’d talk about which of these “cups” were real, grounded opportunities and which were just wishful thinking or even unhealthy temptations. I’d ask them to really look at each cup: what’s inside? Is it a true connection or just an illusion of one? Are they seeing the person for who they are, or who they want them to be? It really forces you to differentiate between genuine desire and just plain old fantasy or distractions. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing that you’re dreaming up perfect scenarios that don’t actually exist, and it’s holding you back from seeing what’s real and good right in front of you.
Getting Down to Business: Career and the 7 of Cups
Same thing with career stuff. Man, this card just shouts “analysis paralysis” to me now in a work context. How many people get stuck scrolling through job boards, dreaming about starting that perfect business, or wishing they had a totally different career path, but never actually doing anything? They’re just gazing at all the shiny possibilities, but not picking a single one to even try to take a sip from.
When I’d pull the 7 of Cups for career questions, I’d start asking: “Okay, you have all these ideas, which one feels most tangible? Which one are you actually willing to put in the effort for? Are you just fantasizing about being a famous artist, or are you actually taking steps to learn how to paint?” It’s a huge wake-up call that maybe, just maybe, you’re getting in your own way by being too caught up in the potential and not enough in the practical steps. It often points to a need to clear the clutter, to prioritize, and to actually choose something, even if it feels a bit scary. Because, let’s be real, you can spend forever looking at all those beautiful cups, but until you reach out and pick one, nothing’s ever gonna change.
It’s become one of those cards for me that isn’t about giving you a direct answer, but making you ask the tough questions to yourself. It’s about stopping the endless daydreaming or the overwhelm of “too many good things” and forcing yourself to get real. Pick a cup. See what’s inside. And then deal with it.
