Ask the Tarot: Workplace Romances, a Conservative Baby Daddy & Getting Sober

In this week's Ask the Tarot, we pull cards for querents who want to know: if they should sleep with their boss, leave their conservative baby daddy, get sober, and more. Tune in to hear what the tarot — and Michelle Tea — have to say! This is a recording of a live Greenroom show from Wednesday, September 15, hosted by Michelle Tea. Listen to her live every week on Greenroom, Wednesdays at 5pm PT/8pm ET. Follow @michelletea over on Spotify Greenroom and get notified when she goes live!

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Raven Yamamoto: Hey guys, it's Raven, assistant producer at Your Magic, and welcome back to Ask the Tarot. This is a recording of a live Greenroom show from Wednesday, September 15th, hosted by the one and only Michelle Tea, and if you enjoy it, you can come and listen to her do it again live every week on the Spotify Greenroom app, Wednesdays at 5 p.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Eastern. Make sure you're following Michelle over on the Spotify greenroom app to get notified whenever she goes live and go get your cards read. 

But speaking of live shows, you guys. Our next live, in-person show is this Sunday, September 26. We're going to be a Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles for a three o'clock matinee, hosted by Michelle Tea, along with some very special guests. We've got famous musician Perfume Genius, writers Grace Lavery and Morgan Parker, meme producer Catpowerman 5k, tour guide Karie Bible of the infamous Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and the iconic actress and tarot creator Rachel True. Michelle will also be pulling cards for audience members throughout the show, so you won't want to miss it. Get your tickets before they're gone at dynastytypewriter.com before it's too late. Proof of vaccination will be required to enter. So be sure to bring your little card with you and we'll see you there. 

All right. Here's last week's Greenroom show. 

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Michelle Tea: Hello, you guys, it's me, Michelle Tea. Welcome to Ask the Tarot. It's time for another hour of tarot, fun, learning, enjoyment, voyeurism, all of it. Listen, this is really cute. Those of you who tuned in last Wednesday might remember we had a question from somebody who revealed that they had a really bad debt problem and that they were keeping it secret from their partner and the tarot really encouraged them to get honest about that. Well, look at what came into my mailbox today. It says: "Thank you for such a clear and insightful reading on Wednesday. I came clean. It took a few drinks and a dimly lit bar" — as so much honesty often does, am I right? "But it actually turned out to be a really generative conversation. That Queen of Cups works in mysterious ways." That is so funny. I think she's saying that the Queen of Cups was her maybe having a few drinks, which y'know, why not? 

Oh my gosh, you guys, we've got really interesting questions today. And of course, I'm going to be taking questions from you guys who are listening. If anybody wants me to pull a tarot card from them, just hit that little request button, raise your hand, OK? And I'll bring you up on stage and you can share with us what's going on for you. If you do have something going on and you don't want to be quite so public about it, you can always find me on Instagram @michelleteaz, T-E-A-Z and you can just slide into my DMs and I can read your question next week quietly without — keeping your anonymity. 

So, OK, I got one of those questions right now. It's a real simple one, but I'm just going to let you know, I picked earlier I did a little prep work so I could ideally get some more people answered today. There's always way more questions than I have time for. 

This is a simple one: "Hello, Michelle. I'm wanting to move to Orlando, Florida, and I'm wondering if this will be the right move for me." 

I mean, Orlando, Florida, who doesn't want to be close to the Magic Kingdom, right? The King of Wands. That's what came up for that, that's saying to me, this is a little impulsive. I mean, sometimes it's really fun to be impulsive, right? But sometimes it's a little destructive to be impulsive. So to manage it, to kind of balance it out, I also picked another card. What does it look like if this querent does not move to Orlando, Florida? Because, listen, you're in Florida, am I right? All the love to the people of Florida, all the love to them. It's actually one of my favorite states to visit. But, man, there's a lot going on there right now, right? So if you don't go to Florida, querent, you've got the Six of Cups, which is basically called Pleasure in the Thoth deck. It looks like maybe it's actually a lot more ultimately fulfilling to you to not do this. Maybe Orlando is one of those places you want to visit a lot, but you don't want to live. Like vacation vibes, you know? Anyway, that's what came up with the tarot. 

Let me see. Do I got any requests? Anyone want to jump up here? OK, Amanda Duran, you're on. How can I help you? 

Querent: Hi. Can you hear me? 

Michelle Tea: Yes, I can hear you. Hello. 

Querent: Hi. How are you? 

Michelle Tea: I'm good. How are you? 

Querent: Good. So what I wanted to ask... I've had a rocky relationship with alcohol lately. I'm toying with the idea of complete sobriety or really just taking a little break and seeing where that takes me. So I guess I just want to ask the cards that. 

Michelle Tea: All right, cool. Picking cards first. What does it look like for you to stare into the barrel of complete sobriety? What does that look like for you? I say this as a — I'm a sober person myself. So what does that look like for you? And, you know, I just want to say, really, kudos. It's so goofy, is it not? But kudos for - for even facing this, you know? A lot of people I mean, there's a lot of denial around that that can happen when you got a problem with alcohol. And I just think it's super cool that you're looking at it and asking these questions. Yeah, you're welcome. It's very brave. It's very, it's really cool. OK, now pulling cards, what does it look like if I mean, what's the alternative? You do like a sober - a sober October or... 

Querent: Yeah, something like that. 

Michelle Tea: Yeah. See if there's - see if there's some way that you can still perhaps drink in a way that feels healthy and moderate, see if there's any - any last resorts in that direction. What does that look like for you? All right. So complete sobriety. What does that look like for you? Oof! We got the Chariot. We've got Disappointment and we've got Science, Six of Wands. So that Disappointment card is the Five of Cups and Science is the Six of Swords. I'm just going to say that the Disappointment card, like getting sober is really, really rough. It's like - it's - when I got sober — not to make it all about me — but when I got sober, I couldn't believe how much of my identity was wrapped up in my self-image of myself as somebody who like partied. You know, I'm not saying that's - that's your experience, but the ways in which we relate to alcohol, it's so insidious. 

Querent: Totally. 

Michelle Tea: You know, it really took me getting sober to see how deeply it was, it was like woven all throughout my - my sense of self, my life, all of it. So I just don't think that you're going to be able to get a reading about sobriety that doesn't have a difficult card in it. And I don't want you to see that as necessarily being like, "Oh, you're going to be disappointed by sobriety." Guess what? Sobriety is a little disappointing. It's a whole new way of life. And there's a mourning period that you have to go through where you're like, "Wow, this was  - this was a lot for me drinking. It was it was social. It was a coping mechanism. It was all these things and now it's gone." And there is a little bit of a lack — or a lot of lack — there, the disappointment. So I don't want to dwell on it too hard, but I do want to say it's there. And I don't think that it means this is a bad path. Your other two cards are rad. The Chariot. The Chariot is fantastic. It's like taking control, taking control of your life, choosing a path that is a little bit rough. But it's fucking triumphant, right? It's like - it's the chariot of war. There's some bumps in that road. But I'm looking at this card. The guy is wearing this gorgeous golden armor. He looks like Lil Nás X at the Met gala. He's gorgeous. He's holding an amethyst bowl of blood, which means he's making an enormous sacrifice. And this is a sacrifice. But we make sacrifices for our higher self, right? We sacrifice something that maybe our lower self can't get enough of because we want a bigger life and a bigger sense of self. So that's what the Chariot card is about. And then that Six of Swords. It's really beautiful. I mean, the swords is a rough suit. There's a lot of - those swords are more likely to like poke you in the eye than anything else. But you've got one of the best ones here. What is the essence of the Six of Swords is about using your brain, using your mind to analyze a situation accurately and protect yourself. So this is a powerful card to get for something like this, because it's basically saying that your decision — should you - should you take this decision to become sober — your analysis of the situation, your analysis of the problem and what you think the solution should be, it looks really strong. And the idea that you're doing it to kind of protect yourself, it really gets to the heart of the matter, because if you - if you are an alcoholic, it just gets worse. It gets worse. Your mind, body, and spirit. Yeah. And so it is a deeply self-protective thing to do. So I like that. 

Let's see what it looks like for you to, like, do something a little bit different. Is there something else that you can do? You know, it looks like you can do something else right now. Why don't you try it? Like there is this idea with looking at problem drinking, like, yeah. You know, go out there and experiment. How bad is it? Can you - can you curb it down? Can you pull back a little bit? For - for doing something that's like a little less, I guess, severe than full sobriety, you have the Emperor, which is a great card, it's very strong. You have the eight — he can be a little headstrong, so be a little bit like, "Huh, but wait, is he just like going on a rampage?" But then your next two cards are so balanced you have the Eight of Disks, which is Prudence. And again, that is - that - that's very similar to that - that Science card where it's a self-protective card. Right. It's Sun in Virgo. And you're like, "How can I get a system together? I need to get a plan together to protect myself because I'm really valuable. My body's valuable. My mind is valuable, my reputation is valuable." All those things that can get messed with by a drinking problem, you want to protect those things. And that - that card is saying you can do that. And then you have the Two of Swords, which is Peace. It's Moon in Libra. And it's saying that like, yeah, there is maybe a little bit of balance that you can get in there. Like you're - you know, that you've recognized you have a problem, you're recognizing you're out of balance. That Two of Swords, it does suggest being able to find that - that balance and a sense of inner peace around your drinking without having to get fully sober. 

So go for it, man. What a great path that you're on, that you're thinking about these things and that you're - you're trying out different ways to - to manage it and get more information. All of these things will give you more information about exactly what the nature of your problem is. Do you know what I mean? 

Querent: Definitely. Thank you so much. I really feel like I have a clear path right now and I'm an Aries, so I'm really not surprised about that Emperor card. 

Michelle Tea: For sure. 

Querent: Thank you so much. I so appreciate it. 

Michelle Tea: I'm really - I'm very happy to help you out. Take care and good luck to you. 

Querent: Thank you, you too. 

Michelle Tea: That's such a - it's a really huge path to get sober. I mean, I think it's such a great path. But I guess it's true that if I could have figured out a way to, quote, drink like a lady, as we say in the 12 step program, I probably would have done it. 

All right. So listen, we got a great question here that came in, and I've already pulled the cards on it. But let me read you the question, OK? 

It says: "Almost two years ago, a figure came into my life. He saw my talent and offered me work opportunities that have changed my life. At first, there was a lot of sexual tension. But in the midst of business, my monogamous partnership and a global pandemic, the tension has gone mellow. But our time together has increased. He and I have followed a trail of environmental problem solving and in the spring of last year have started to collaborate on a business venture. Months later, I started to work with him full-time. My life is difficult as I am climbing out of poverty, helping others, and dedicating time to trauma healing. And he has become a super supportive character. Even so, my instincts feel unclear of his role in my life." So she wants cards pulled on that. "And then secondly, our business venture has - had been slow and rocky. I'm wondering if it's time to walk away.". 

OK, looking at this, I got to say something - something jumped out at me, which is my monogamous partnership that was not referred to again months later. I'm guessing - I'm guessing, querent, you're still in your monogamous partnership. So I don't know. I don't know what's going on with that. Maybe you're thinking about a polyamorous partnership. Maybe you're trying to jump ship. I don't know. But I did shuffle and I picked three cards on what is the energy of the person in your life? Like, what are they bringing to your life? What's the vibe? And I got to say, this person is incredibly powerful in your life. You've got three major arcana cards and they're really good cards. 

OK, the first one, the High Priestess. I was seeing this person as a mentor figure in your life in the High Priestess to me really does represent mentors. And, you know, the Hierophant can represent a mentor, too, especially in the business world. The High Priestess, it's almost like a spiritual or psychological mentor. And I know you guys are working together with business, but it sounds like you're also doing a lot of stuff like intense stuff, climbing out of poverty, trauma, healing, helping others, these are all things that fall under the High Priestess because they're sort of our really deep, intimate lifework, right? So he's there in that. He's there supporting you in that. And then The Sun. The Sun is a really great card. Is it romantic? Yes, it's romantic. It's - it's Leo. I mean, very romantic. Also very playful. Lots of opportunity. You know, we - we exist in a world with sun sign astrology right where we see the sun. I'm an Aquarius. I say I am an Aquarius because my sun is in Aquarius. So that's this idea that the sun shows us what our real essence is, right? So there's something about him helping you with your own essence and then your final card here. I mean, not to be like so on the nose, but it's The Lovers. 

So I don't know - I don't know what's going on with your monogamous partnership. It looks like this person is really important to you, really powerful to you. Are you supposed to be lovers? Maybe it's not the answer I would have given. I'm not going to lie. But this - you're here to ask the tarot. Now, as far as whether you walk away or not, it does look like you need to make that decision. And it's almost like either way, it's great. You got good cards either way and you've got each - each pull has a major arcana and two pretty good minor arcana. So if you walk away, it's the Fool. So that is suggesting I mean, I love the Fool, don't get me wrong. But it seems like maybe you walking away is a little bit - it'll be a little unexpected. Maybe your mentor doesn't realize that you are looking at that as a possibility. You got the Fool and then you have the Three of Pentacles, which is interesting because that's a work card, that Three of Pentacles. Mars in Capricorn and then you have the Nine of Cups, which is Happiness. So it looks like it would be a little impulsive, but you could maybe be happier with work that you find elsewhere and maybe, just maybe getting away from your work collaboration with this figure would make it more clear if you guys are supposed to be together romantically, right? 

But listen, staying in it, here's what you get for staying in it. It's really good. Strength. So Strength is asking us to sort of I mean, it's another Leo card. And I always see the Strength card as sort of like putting on your big kid pants, like reaching deep into whatever your reserves are, your personal strengths. So it's like, yeah, you might have to rise to the occasion. It's rocky. What can you do to make it easier on you that you are sticking it out in a rocky business situation? You have the Four of Swords that is called Truce, which means you make your peace with the fact that it's rocky and you're like, OK, all right, I've made my peace with it and I'm sticking with it. And then you get the Eight of Pentacles, that Eight of Pentacles again, which is about growth. It's Sun in Virgo. Things grow in Virgo. They're the sign of the green thumb. So we love that as a metaphor for - for work and resources and cash. I'm looking at the next - the Next World Tarot is the deck I'm using right now. You guys, if you're looking for a tarot deck with tons of people of color, with all different body sizes and a very queer and punk rock scene going on inside of it, please check out the Next World Tarot. It's really great. So the Eight of Pentacles here is called Creations. 

So I think that this business and your relationship with this person, they both seem really crucial and really important and even though — if you do take off and find different work. There's happiness there for you. It seems like sticking it out is going to —  it seems like it resonates a little bit more with your life. So that's my - that's my takeaway, is that you should stick with the job unless you guys are going to partner up and then maybe you want to get out of the job so that, you know, you're not just living one hundred percent in this person's world. You know, you got to have some space for yourself. 

I hope that was helpful. At least I hope it validates that - that there is some serious vibrations going on between you guys. OK, now let me see who has their hand up that would like some cards. Gian Nina, are you around? Gian Nina? 

Querent: Hey.

Michelle Tea: Hi. 

Querent: Hi. Oh, my God. This is so crazy. 

Michelle Tea: Thanks. How may I help you? 

Querent: OK. So I have a money career question. One is dealing with the money. I feel like stuck and I just don't know what's happening. I filed for wage - wage theft against my previous employer back in July last year and they told me it's going to be like 13 months. We're now in September. So I'm just going to like, is it coming? Should I just forget about that money. I know covid slowed down a bunch of stuff, so I'm just like, really needing that money. Yeah. So that's one of the questions. And my other question is, OK, and the other question I have is I started a clothing line in hopes that it's going to pay all my bills. Unfortunately, it has not. I still have tons of hope that this is the path for me because I just don't know what else to do other than create. But I don't want to freak out. I am living off my savings right now. So - I - my question would be, should I just be patient and keep investing time and money in the hopes that it will make right for me? Or should I just focus all my attention and finding a nine to five in my field? Because maybe my future employer is out there waiting for me. 

Michelle Tea: All right, all right, I'm doing my last little shuffle right now, asking, what does it look like for you to put fashion aside for now? Not necessarily forever and get a nine to five just to help, you know, get some more money offers. You know, I don't - I don't think we need to put off any creative dreams, but everything is timing and sometimes you need to make compromises right? So, OK, so let me see. So first of all, what's up with that money that's coming to you if — you're going to get it. It is - it is definitely delayed. The cards that came up for that are the Sun, which is beautiful. It's yes, yes, yes, yes. It's raining, raining cash. Also Victory, another you know... Victory. I mean, it's like. 

Querent: Awesome. 

Michelle Tea: Listen, in the middle you have the Ten of Swords, which is a hard card. So I think it's saying - it's just validating, like, yeah, this is taking too long because of covid and it stinks that it's taking so long and may take a little longer. But you are going to get this money. 

Querent: OK, cool. 

Michelle Tea: That seems real soothing. 

Querent: Yay, I'm glad. 

Michelle Tea: OK, listen, does — your fashion is so your passion. I didn't mean to rhyme it like that, but it's just really hard for you right now. It looks like it's giving you a ton of anxiety. I mean, your center card for fashion is the anxiety card, the Knight of Swords. In the Thoth deck, it's called Cruelty. I really think it just needs to be called anxiety, though, because that's what it is. It's that — 

Querent: Absolutely, yeah. 

Michelle Tea: And on either side of that, you have the Queen of Wands. She can endure anything. She is so tough. She is just resilience and she's already been through it. So she knows what she can handle. And it just seems like you're a fighter. You're a tough one. On the other side, you got the Chariot, which, you know, that came up a moment ago. And so the Chariot, it's like you're in it for the long haul and you're a fighter and it is the chariot of war. So it's a bumpy ride, but you stick to it. So here's the thing. At the same time, over - over in your nine to five pulls, you got the Hermit, Happiness, and the Emperor. So it looks like it's a little of both for you. Like, yeah, you should probably find a job. It would maybe help you with that Cruelty card. It would help chill it out a little bit. I mean, the Hermit just takes care of business, right? The Hermit is like - to get the Hermit on a like, "Should I get a nine to five job," which then like positive cards, it just seems like it's really to me, the Virgo essence of the Hermit, which is it's first sign. It's about like systems and getting organized. It's about getting your finances organized. Happiness, you know, like for sticking only with your fashion. You have a Nine and it's in the swords and it's cruelty. For getting work, a nine to five, you have another nine. But it's in cups. It's happiness. So it really looks to me like it really transforms that anxiety and it really chills you out to know you have some money coming in and then you have the Emperor, which makes me think like even though I feel like you still should stick — you should figure out some way in which you can keep - you can keep producing fashion in a way that doesn't totally burn you out to have a job and do that. But it looks like with the Emperor card, like you might actually — is it possible you could find yourself a job like a nine to five that is in fashion and then you do become a total baller because that's the Emperor, you know? 

Querent: Right. I mean, that's - that's what I did before COVID. I was doing a nine to five and fashion I was just doing a little thing on my side. And if I didn't sell anything, it's fine because I did my forty hours. But I'm - just start thinking, OK, am I going to get burned out? Because that's what happened like all day working in fashion and I want to go home and I don't want to look at anything. So it just makes me feel like, oh man, I don't want to get stuck like that again. But I don't know. 

Michelle Tea: Listen, I think that it wouldn't hurt you to just, like, dive back into the industry and a nine to five sort of way get — just relieve yourself of some of the stress, your money stress. It's not forever, but maybe what you want to do while you're there instead of like - like maybe there's a way to sort of more carefully plan your exit, you know what I mean? I don't know. Maybe - maybe you planned your exit in a really planned out way before, but is there a way to get, like, I don't know, a business plan or like really take what you can get from this, from the education and the resources you can get from your nine to five job because you should still do your fashion. But I get what you're saying about the burnout is real and that's going to be up to you to figure out that - what that balance is. But, you know, I keep picking up my deck of cards here to get a little bit more information about - especially about the burnout and about doing both. And I keep picking the Ace of Wands, which is saying to me like it's possible that you can do this in a different way, like it's going to be a different experience this time around. And that might be because who knows what your next job is going to be. So more will be revealed and it might be something like, my gosh, what if you find a job that actually supports you doing your side work, you know? Could that give you less burnout? 

Querent: Yeah, absolutely. I just I don't know. I've always had, like, the luck of finding that job in the field, but never getting the compensation. So it - it's that struggle, OK, I'm going to just try to... got to get that job. I mean, nine to five right now just so I could cover...

Michelle Tea: And then see like at what scale are you a — go back into your own stuff slowly and see what scale you're able to do it at. 

Querent: Well, thank you so much. 

Michelle Tea: Well, you're so welcome. Good luck to you. Oh, my God. Be so fun to be able to make fashion. I love clothes so much, but, you know, I'm bad at math. And guess what? You get to be good at math to make fashion. I don't know, fight me. That's what it seems like to me. 

OK, you guys, this is a really - we got a really wild question here, and I got my own opinion about it, but we'll see what the tarot has to say. 

OK, here we go: "Back in March, I started a new job. One of my supervisors and I have hit it off very well." We got like a theme going on here today of, like, mentors and superiors. "I feel like we have this pull to one another, but neither of us acted on it since we were both in relationships. I recently broke up with my boyfriend and since then, things between my supervisor and I have been getting more interesting. I've even had dreams about him which felt so real and caused me to check in on him and tell him about it. He told me my dreams weren't far off and he was going through a tough time. He's made comments which led me to believe he's not the happiest with his lady." Ugh, judging this guy so hard. You guys, I'm just, I'm judging him but I'm trying not to. OK. "The other day he told me he wanted badly to say something to me, but couldn't. I texted him later that day and he told me he still couldn't tell me yet with a bunch of smiley faces. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what it could be about. Is it work-related or is he also started to feel more toward me as well. He refers to me as a light of my life when he has to ask me questions at work and has joked about getting jealous if I sit by other guys." Ugh, judging, I'm judging. You guys can hear me. OK. "The same day he said he had to tell me something. He had to tell me something. He came up to me later and just stared into my eyes. I thought he wanted to have some weird staring contest, but then he started talking about all the colors in my eyes and how pretty they are. Anyway, enough rambling note that." Thank you for that ramble. Thanks for the rambles. I want all - all the details. "Could you give me some guidance on this situation? Because I cannot stop thinking about it. I figure since it's a work crush situation which is typically frowned upon, it would be interesting and spicy to see what's really going on. Again, any guidance would be greatly appreciated.". 

Oh, guys, listen, one girl's sexual harassment suit is another girl's spicy workplace entry - intrigue. Am I right? Am I right? All right. So let's see. Well, I think we know what's really going on. Right. But like, you know, this is - this is - these are the cards I'm going to pick. What does it look like for you, querent, to go towards this guy? Right. And put this - put energy into him, even though it seems like he has a wife? I mean, these things, you know, I don't know. I watch TV. These things don't turn out well, do they? But what does it look like for you? Like maybe you guys are soul mates? I don't know. You know, the tarot. We're going to ask the tarot. What does it look like for you to just go towards this guy who sees how pretty your eyes are? And I'm sure your eyes are beautiful. Three cards. Here we go. And now what if you actually pack your bags and run? What if you immediately quit and talk to human resources? No, I'm kidding. What if you don't put your energy towards this person? Because let's be real. He could just be interesting with you. He might have no desire to leave his wife, et cetera, et cetera. You know, he could just be getting workplace jollies. And meanwhile, you're all, you know, getting tons of dopamine off of this guy who's jealous of some other guy sits near you. Maybe - maybe you're soul mates sitting next to you and you're not even seeing them because you're drooling over your supervisor. OK, here we go. Three cards for get away from this person. 

OK, so what does it look like? It doesn't - it doesn't look very good for you to go towards this guy, OK? For getting away from this guy. Jeez. Yeah. It looks really - it looks good for you to get away from him. But also it looks hard. It looks like he's got his hooks in you. You have been very receptive to his attentions, you know, attentions are great. I mean, flirting makes life worth living. But you've got to look at OK, let me just tell you what we got here. We got the Adjustment card, OK? We got Adjustment, Ace of Disks, and Strife. So it's interesting that the Ace of Disks is here to me that is saying that, you know, you can actualize this relationship. Right? There is a path. The Ace of Disks is just showing that there's a path to actualize this relationship. To get it on with your supervisor. Is you going to leave his wife? I kind of don't think so. But, you know, is what he wants to text you, that he wants to see a little bit more of those pretty eyes. Yeah, that's what it is. So - so it's real, right. But on either side of it is Adjustment, which is Justice, OK, and Strife. So Adjustment, first of all, it's about like having to make choices sort of between right and wrong, like not to be super moral I know people's love lives are hella complicated. Mine have been, right? But there's just something maybe a little creepy about him telling you that he's not happy with his wife, like is he telling his wife he's not happy with her, telling a couple's counselor? I mean, it's just feels a little bit like it's a - it's a red flag for me. You know, the Adjustment card is Justice. And it's also Libra, which is about partnerships and you want to start a partnership in a way where, like, you want to start it on a nice foundation, right? You don't want to start it on a foundation of, you know, deceit, which it seems that there's some deceit going on here. You know, this kind of behavior between a superior and their employee is, you know, probably against the law at your company. So it's just got a bad foundation. And I think that the Justice card is coming up to say that that's going to be an issue. And then you get the Strife card, which is the Five of Wands. It's like your wands - wands is your - it's like all that stuff that gets lit up when you're on a crush. That's wands energy. That's fire, right? And so here is all of your fire, all your passion, and it's thwarted. It's like not really able to find the outlet that it could find. It's Leo, it's Saturn in Leo. So Saturn — I mean, Leo is like, hubba hubba. Don't ask me what's right or wrong. Like, I feel dizzy in this person's presence. This is very sexy. Saturn is like, oh, really? Here's the consequences for your sexy. OK, so when Saturn shows up, there's limitations and consequences. So if you pursue him, that's what's going on. 

OK, if you don't pursue him, if you kind of detach energetically from this and it looks like it's going to be freaking hard because you work there. Oh my gosh, you work there. And so now you're going to be sitting in it and dealing with this person and I hope that he is above board and a good person and that if you detach from this intrigue or pull back from it, I really hope there's not going to be like professional repercussions, because this is - this to me, seems like a person who just is a little rogue, OK? And so who knows? I don't want to be worst-case scenario-ing, but for you to pull back, you've got the Lust card. So I like that a lot. That's that Leo energy again. So you're Leo Lifeforce energy and your passion, if you're putting it towards him, it's getting tangled and thwarted. If you pull it away from him, it's yours again. Oh, what a relief. You get to be alive in the world. Find somebody who's actually, like, not - not making, like, ethically compromised decisions by telling you your eyes are pretty, who can freely enjoy your eyes and who doesn't have a partner at home that they're not being honest with. But then here's the deal. You also have the Death card and the Queen of Cups. I'm worried about you. You know, I - the Death card might mean that — it might mean a few things. It might mean that you've been getting really high off of this intrigue and I'm not even like being metaphorical. Like when we get crushes on people, if this is news to you, Google it. It's fascinating. Our bodies get flooded with these like chemicals and we do get a little high. So your crash might be - might be something that you really feel like on a physical level. It might make you feel really sad that you don't have this thing to kind of look forward to and get excited about. All of the potential is gone. That's, I think, the best-case scenario of the Death card being there. The worst-case scenario of the Death card being there might you have to find another job because this person is like just not very ethical and your workplace has now become someplace that's deeply uncomfortable for you. The final card here is Queen of Cups, and I don't like her here. She - she's super emotional and doesn't have a lot of clarity in the Thoth deck that I'm reading with. Her face is completely obscured by steam. So it really is a metaphor for not being able to see things clearly because of emotions. 

So, listen, this is what I want to say to you. If you do decide at the end of this all, whether you go towards him and you find that it's a bad situation or whether you pull away from him and you find that it's a bad situation, if you find yourself in that Queen of Cups state where you're confused and you don't know what to do, come back. Come back to Ask the Tarot, OK? And it will be time to pull more cards for you. But looks like you are in a little bit of a pickle and we are all rooting for you. 

When that came in, I was like, "Oh my gosh, what's going to happen to this person?" Who's out here? Who's out here? Eric Casina. Eric Casina, can I help you? Do you have a question for the tarot? Eric, I think you're muted. Unmute yourself. 

Querent: Hello. 

Michelle Tea: Hello. How's it going? 

Querent: Good, good. How are you? 

Michelle Tea: Good. How can I help you? 

Querent: Yeah. So I have a - my friend and I were sort of like living together during quarantine and things did not turn out so well and we're sort of like having a moment like get together and chat. I have a feeling that because the idea was sort of like we need to stop living together in order to sort of like save the friendship. And I've sort of like spent the past year thinking and reflecting and I don't actually think this is like a healthy situation. I don't think our relationship is really healthy in any way. 

Michelle Tea: So even beyond living together, you think that - that just the friendship is even — it's unhealthy even beyond just like that you guys don't make good roommates. 

Querent: Correct. Correct. I think - I think our relationship I think - I think we've had too many emotional needs for each other and I think like now being friends again, I think there's still an emotional habit that still needs to be corrected and changed and like, that's not going to happen if we just sort of like, try and go back to normal. So I don't know. I just feel like I need space and I'm still not really sure about it or how I feel. I like - it's still going to be super difficult to sort of pull away anyway. But it's one of those things where, like in my head, I know it's what needs to happen, but I don't necessarily feel that it is that easy. So I just need some - I need some guidance on what to do here. And I'm going to be moving in a couple of months too, if that will help. But yeah, I'm just I'm sure. 

Michelle Tea: Yeah. So it sounds like you know that you guys are not good roommates and you've already taken care of that. You're moving. It sounds like you know that you need space, get some space. But it sounds like what maybe you need some guidance on is like what does it look like for you to take some space and come back to the relationship and see, you know, like is there... did we just get so off track living together? But like, "is there a way that we can still have some sort of friendship and just see the best of each other," versus "this is toxic, I think I actually need to step away from this friendship." Is that right? 

Querent: Yeah. Yeah. 

Michelle Tea: All right. So right now I'm looking at like, what does it look like if you have a cooling-off period, you know, you need space, you're going to get space. Maybe it's one of those things that like, yeah, if you guys are too close, then it is a little toxic. Maybe you guys got into some really unhealthy spaces, but maybe there is a way that you can pull back, reconnect with like the best in yourself and the best in each other and see what type of friendship you could have. Maybe not best friends, but maybe in a way that you still feel joy in the things that are enjoyable about each other versus run for the hills, because this is not a friendship that is serving you anymore. You know, we certainly do grow out of friendships, sometimes dynamics that we don't even know there as we get healthier in ourselves and in our lives, we're like, "Oh, shit, this is actually like not a cool dynamic. And I don't think I want to be around this person." It's sad when that happens, but it is really legitimate. So, OK, I'm picking three cards for just cutting this friendship loose. OK, let's see for taking some space, huh. Very interesting. Taking some space looks really good, it's like you need it. But it also looks like it's sort of like, "Out of sight, out of mind." Like sure you won't, you might actually end up feeling like, "Yeah we could be friends again," because you kind of forget how bad it is if that makes sense. 

And here's why I say that: You have the Emperor and the Hierophant. Those are really great cards like as far as you needing to take your energy back from this person, ground into your own space and even like just like really process like and metabolize like whatever happened between you guys. I think the Emperor and the Hierophant are really helpful for that. Like the Emperor, it's all about you taking care of yourself, like being in your own space, being the king, your counsel. The Hierophant is really grounded. It's Taurus. So, again, like Taurus rules the home. So just really being able to occupy space in your home in a way that you couldn't when you were living - cohabitating with your friend. But then you get the Eight of Cups, which is called Indolence, and it's a card of emotional neglect. And so, you know, I just see that, like, the cards for actually severing the friendship are quite beautiful and powerful. So to me, it just looks like the Indolence card is sort of a toxic card. If you see it, it's like the water and it is slimy. The flowers are gross, the cups aren't cared for, they're chipped and broken and so it's just looks like, you know, taking that space is really powerful for you, but then trying to reconnect... It's like - it's almost like... The Indolence card. We're neglecting something about our emotional reality. It's like you almost need to pretend that like you're a different person or that things don't bother you that do bother you or pretend you have different values than you do. That Indolence card, I don't like it. 

Here's the cards for you being on your own. Just like the person I just read, your first card is the Lust card and it's like you get to just, you know, it's sort of like the Emperor card, but more so like you really get returns to yourself in this really vibrant, beautiful way. It's about lust for life. It's about — I just see that as like, who are your other friends? Like, make other friends, like you probably need - could really use some enriching, meaningful connections that actually you, after having dealt with this really strife-ladden connection. And then the next card that you have is the Priestess, and she - that is like — the Priestess is your higher self. She's like the part of you that, like, knows exactly what's good for you. It's psychic. It's trusting your intuition, trusting your gut, and it's change. She often represents change, though, but it's a positive change. And then your final card in that pull is the Ace of Swords, which is also about a new cycle and ending in a new beginning. So it looks really great for you to just walk away from this friendship. It looks hard to figure out what to do with that kind of slimy emotional quality that will come back into play if you guys try to be friends again. Does that make sense? 

Querent: Yeah, yeah. That's basically what I've been feeling, yeah. 

Michelle Tea: OK, well, I'm glad that it's validating. But yeah, I mean, you being on your own outside of this friendship looks so great like you're going to be very happy and very inspired and it looks like trying to make the friendship work actually is going to be quite hard. It will be hard. You'll feel the struggle of it. But being away from this person, no struggle. I don't even see you missing that. I see you really being done with this connection and like sort of wishing them well and moving into the bounty of your own life. Does that make sense? 

Querent: Yeah. Yeah. 

Michelle Tea: Cool. Well, enjoy - enjoy your new place. 

Querent: Yeah. Thank you so much. 

Michelle Tea: You're welcome. Take care. All right. Let's look at another one that came into my - my DMs. This is a doozy. OK: "My husband and I started dating at 18. I got pregnant with this baby at 19 and we got married while I was 30 weeks pregnant. He is my best friend and I truly love him so much. Overall, we have a great relationship. However, we have a lot of differences. I'm liberal. He's conservative. I'm Wiccan. He's Christian and thinks my beliefs are wacko. He wants to live in a big city. I want to live in the mountains. I love being a hippie while he claims to hate hippies." You guys, who hates hippies? This is like a cartoon, you know what I mean? Like hates hippies. OK. "Basically we have a lot of differences, big and small, and sometimes I feel like he's holding back my growth as an individual. We are both about to be twenty-four, by the way. I don't know if that matters." It actually does matter. I'm going to get into that. "I can see myself with him forever as I am so in love with him and he is an amazing father. But sometimes I wonder what life would be like if we stayed together forever versus if we separate and co-parent.". 

Wow, this person is an angel. I mean, I cannot imagine. It's - I'm so fascinated by people like this who are able to have romantic partnerships with people whose values are completely opposite. I mean, this is not that rare. This happens. You know, I'm one of those people — I could barely have a conversation with a conservative Christian. In fact, I don't know that I can at all. Who hates hippies? But she's married to them. OK, OK. Well, you know, I guess being with someone since they were 18, you get a real deep view of who this person is. I do want to say something about being twenty-four years old. You guys, you're interested in astrology, right? So everyone knows about the Saturn return, right? That's when Saturn, the planet of limitations and consequences, shows up at the end of your twenties and kicks your butt. But listen, when you're twenty-four, you have your Jupiter return and that is sort of the opposite. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, luck, and gifts. When you're twenty-four, what happens during your Jupiter return is you get these sort of opportunities. Things happen. You get to make different choices that you don't necessarily even realize necessarily is going to define maybe the rest of your life or at least the next decade or two. So this is really interesting, this sort of like crossroads this person is at. You know, if she does leave him, she's going to have a wildly different life, you know, at twenty-four making this choice. And if she stays with him, she is also committing to a path that might be a lot bigger of a path than she realizes right now, OK, so. All right. All right. I'm going to see what does it look like if they stay together forever and they're kind of like the Archie and Edith bunker of twenty - twenty-four-year-old Archie Edith bunker of 2021. Oh, my gosh. Oh, man. OK, you know, she's in love with him. Opposites attract. OK, ok. I can see it and he's a great father. That's meaningful. But I'm like, is he going to be a great father if the kid is like a pinko commie, will he be a good father to that kid? I don't know, says the pinko commie, of course. OK, what does it look like if you separate and co-parent and she's worried that her growth is being held back and again, a twenty-four with that Jupiter return, you want to be able to grow. Jupiter wants you to grow. So that's very interesting. Is her growth being held back? Who knows what kind of crazy hippie running naked in the woods under the full moon with a bunch of witches, who knows what life could be waiting for her if she leaves and co-parents with this person. OK, let's see here. My gosh, I can't imagine if I got pregnant by my boyfriend when I was 19. Oh my God, that's like... I'm such a different person. I'm just thinking, yeah, you could be a really different person. 

Staying — oh no, staying together does not look good and leaving looks really hard. OK, this is like — this is a hard situation here and you really are at a crossroads here. You're at a big crossroads in your life. So staying is the Nine of Swords, which is Cruelty, OK, which is also anxiety which we were talking about earlier. It's also the Eight of Disks, which is Prudence. It's also The Tower. That is the — when that Tower card came down for me, I'm like, I don't care how lackluster or challenging your - your path to leave is. The path to stay just seems really frickin hard. OK, that anxiety card again. You seem pretty like, "I'm in love with him. I could stay with him forever." So it doesn't seem like the thought of being with him forever causes you anxiety. And yet it's the Cruelty card and you are with somebody who, you know, what did you say makes fun of your - makes fun of you, know - who think your beliefs are wacko. I mean, OK, but thinking that like, OK, don't get me started about how Christian beliefs are so wacko, we are just so accustomed to hearing about them that they don't strike us as bonkers fairy tales. But believe me, they - they fit that template as much as any - any myth does, right? I think that it's possible that that Cruelty might be seen for what it is and then it's hurting you. Prudence, the prudence card. Yeah. It is very prudent to stay in a relationship, right? It's a prudent thing to do. You're already in it. It's - it's easier to not make it just - to not make a big change is always easier, right? And you've already got your life together. You got your habits, you got your systems, you know each other. It is definitely the safe move and in a way that's very protective, you know, and it - and it's protective of your child right? In that way. So I see - I see that. But to The Tower, it's sort of like, "Leave now or leave later." That's how I see that. Leave now or leave later, because this just doesn't look right for you. 

Here's one caveat that I have, OK? There is in all - in the multiverse that we're living in, there's one - there's one universe in which that Tower card is your husband realizing like, "Oh, holy shit, I've got to stop telling my wife that her beliefs are wacko." Right? "I need - I have to stop saying I hate the people she identifies with, which is her. Then I'm basically saying I hate her or that I hate this important aspect of her." Like The Tower card is an eye opening in the sky. It's a revelation and when you see something that clearly you have to make a change, even if that change is kind of cataclysmic. So that's what's going on if you stay. Either at some point, you are just like, "Holy shit, this is a lot worse than I thought. This impacts me a lot more severely than I thought. And I have to do something about it." Or, best-case scenario, a little unlikely, but best-case scenario, your husband's like, "Holy shit, I've been being a bitch to my wife who only wants to worship the earth and run through the woods, like what could be sweeter? I need to really question why I'm like this." So if you just stay with him, I really hope that that's what it is. 

Now, your path to leaving, it's not all roses. I was looking for some big, happy, shiny, happy cards for you. But this is going to be hard for you. It's going to be hard for you to find your place. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't embrace the challenge of it. OK, your first card here is Futility. It's the Seven of Swords. It might feel like you actually can't believe him. That it's beyond you somehow. When the Futility card comes up, it's like we have big dreams, but we don't want to feel scared. We want to feel safe. We're going to cling to what is safe, even though we do have these — we can imagine in our head how incredible our life could be but something in us says, oh yeah, but that would be too scary to try and do that. That's not possible. So this could be you just feeling so scared at the start of your - of your departure. It could also be that maybe you set yourself up for a little bit of failure where you're like, "OK, I'm going to leave and I'm going to move to the woods." And you put together a really, really big plan and then it's actually like a little too big for you. I would say let your first steps outside of this relationship be baby steps. You've been with him since you were a baby. Eighteen is young. Twenty-four, arguably, still young. 

Your next card is the Four of Cups. It's called Luxury and with this card you get a little stability. You're like, "OK, I can do this, I can do this." But it feels so rocky. You're like, "I think I'm doing this. I'm doing this. OK, oh God though. Am I really doing it?" It's just showing me that, like, you're going to be able to do it, you're going to be able to stand on your own, but you're going to have to really build up some faith in yourself. OK, you - you really are and, you know, if you've been living with someone who tells you your beliefs are whacko, your sense of self might be a little bit weaker than you realize. 

Your - your final card for leaving is Ace of Swords. So there you are at a new beginning and you're - and it's like it's so interesting that it's the swords, because swords is how we look at life. It's our perspective. It's our outlook on life. It's our life philosophy. It's how we communicate and that's what leaving is going to give you, like the freedom to truly express yourself, to really do a deep dive into life philosophies and ways of thinking about our life here on Earth as humans that maybe you weren't fully encouraged to do and now you really are. 

So it's like a new cycle for you. It looks really nice. I wish you so much luck. If you stay then that Tower card will come in some formation. So it might just be you face - leaving sooner or later for your husband wakes up to how amazing — I mean, clearly your husband loves you. He knows you're amazing, but he's gotta stop that. He's gotta stop that, those microaggressions. OK, wishing you so much luck. 

Now, let me see. I want to peek over here at the chat. "I can't request to join stage. Is it just me?" Well, jeez, I hope it's just - I hope it's just you. Let me see, Selen. Selen I think you're actually next on the lineup. Let me see here what's going on. Yeah. Selen, you are on. Let's see. 

Querent: Hi Michelle, How are you? 

Michelle Tea: How are you? 

Querent: I'm fine, thank you so much. 

Michelle Tea: How can I help you today? 

Querent: Basically I join your - this session like a month ago and you said that my - my job experience you said something about my job experience and actually it's happened just like you did, like you said. 

Michelle Tea: Oh wow. Cool. 

Querent: Yes. You told me that - you told me that it's going to be tough. Like you have to get it. Like most of it, actually. It's like this happened like it was so hard for me. So definitely, I - I - I have a new application season, so I'm good at my job both on this upcoming months. So I'm really nervous that what's going to be looked like. So I have the - I'm really anxious about it because I'm a doctor and I want to practice medicine in the United States. 

Michelle Tea: Yes. 

Querent: It's really hard for me to... would you be able to pick a card for me?

Michelle Tea: And let's see what this next round of applications looks like for you? Is that we want to know? 

Querent: Yeah. Thank you so much. 

Michelle Tea: You're welcome. OK, so what does this next round of applications look like for you? OK. Ummm, you know, my gosh. Selen, I just want to give you good news and I don't think it's all bad. You have the Queen of wands, which is just you. I mean, you're the Queen of Wands. You're just like in it to win it like you're committed, you know, you're taking some hits, but you're just, like, really devoted and you - you're not going to give up and you're not going to burn out. You have the Ace of Cups, which means, yes, it's a new cycle. It is a new cycle and — but then you also have this Indolence card, this Eight of Cups and I am concerned that it is talking about - so eight, the number eight, in the tarot is like the intellect and then cups. Cups are our emotions. So a negative card that's about the intellect and the emotion, to me that is anxiety. So I'm just seeing that like, what can you do? The real question here, I think you will. I think this is going to be a better - a better job cycle for you with that Ace of Cups. I really do and seeing you there as the Queen of Wands is telling me that, like, you are really resilient and like you're going to get what you want because you're not going to give up. But I'm seeing that like it's - it's like really hard that - that your process is painful and has so much anxiety. So and it's - so what I'm doing right now, I'm going to my oracle deck Vessel that I love and I'm picking some cards. I'm going to pick three cards that say - that show us what - what are some energies and some things for you to think about to help you with your anxiety while you're dealing with something that's sort of out of your control, which is this job market, this covid job market, which is also making everything extra hard, especially immigration and all of that stuff. So what can help you while you wait it out? 

OK, you've got really nice cards. The first card you got is Connect. I don't know if it's possible for you to start making inroads maybe with people who are working in your field in the United States. Can you start making those connections even before you get here just so that you can build a network and make it feel like it's more and more possible? It's just - really let you know that it is really possible that you will - it will come for you. You will have your opportunity and also connecting with the people around you, letting them know if you're stressed out, not keeping any of your anxiety inside, and that is really backed up by your next card. It's called Truth, so it's like you really want to be honest about your truth. If you're really stressing out, share it with people, don't hide it, OK? Because it does look like this next round is going to provoke that anxiety. The good thing is that it's giving you an opportunity to figure out a different way of managing it. Your final card is Spirit, and I don't know what that means to you. I don't know if you have a spiritual practice. I don't know if you have faiths or rituals that you can lean on or that you've thought about like, "Oh, maybe I - maybe I should try that out." This would be a really good cycle for you to get deeper into your own spirituality, whatever that looks like for you. It would - it will be calming for you and it will help you just kind of sit tight while the universe spins as it does and hopefully spins - spins a job in the states your way. I know you have been really trying for that. You're very welcome. 

Querent: Thank you so much. 

Michelle Tea: You're very welcome. Take care, OK? 

Querent: Do you think — is it positively like you were saying? Is it positively? 

Michelle Tea: It's really hard. It's a little tricky. I do - I think that you are going to get this and I'm a little like I know that I pulled cards a little bit on this for you before. So sometimes when you're picking cards on the same thing that you've already put cards on, it can be — what you get from the tarot can be a little funny. So remembering that I've picked cards that said it's going to be tough, but you're going to get it. That's kind of what this looks like to me. Also, that Queen of Wands is very positive. That Ace of Cups is very positive. But the Indolence card is also saying something is being neglected, though there's something else that needs to be looked at and I think what's being neglected is your emotional health. So it's like, you know, sometimes we go to the tarot because we want answers in a certain area. But the tarot tells us something else. Like you're like, "Hey, tarot, tell me if I'm going to get this job," and the tarot is like, "Actually, we're going to talk about your anxiety because that's what needs - that's what you need to address right now." Your job will come. I do believe your job will come. But this cycle, while you're applying and while you're waiting, see if you can do something different in your practice around mental health, self-care, that kind of stuff. You're so welcome. You're welcome. Take care. 

You guys. It's six o'clock. But, you know, I just want to answer one more question. OK, let me see. Let me see. Sarah Calderon, I see you there and I see that you are going through turmoil for the first time in your forty-five years of life. You have no direction. You've a good forty-five year run. You need some guidance. Well, I'm just going to stick with these cards I have here, this oracle deck called Vessel. You know, it can be really hard to work with tarot when you don't have a specific question. You know, if you're - if you're like, I need guidance because you know, what you're going to get are a bunch of pictures of like swords and chalices like what the hell does that mean? And I'm actually not psychic. I do have good intuition as a result of working with tarot for so long. But it's not psychic. So it's good to say - it's good to think like, what does it look like if I go in this direction? What does it look like if I go in that direction? Like that's how you get some really solid answers from the tarot. But I'm going to - I'm going to use this deck that will offer you nothing specific. But here's some guidance for you, OK? 

The three cards I picked for you, the first one is Structure. You need structure. What does that mean to you? I don't know what that means to you. I don't know if you are - like what your life looks like. I don't know if you're currently unemployed and you lay in bed all day and just let anxiety eat at you. I don't know if you're all over the place with too many activities, jack of all trades, master of none. Whatever it might be, there's a call for structure and order. OK, that's going to help you figure out what your - what your direction is, OK, and your guidance. 

Your next - your next card - your next two cards are actually really interesting. The first one is Light and the next - and then the next one is Fear. So I feel like — this is really interesting, actually, I'm getting an idea here. I think that the Light card is telling you like sit with yourself. What - what directions? When you think about different directions you might go in, what fills you with light, what fills you with fear? OK? I want you to kind of sit in your body and I'm thinking about the structure card. I love to make lists. OK? What are some directions that you might take? What are the things that make you feel - feel filled with light that make you feel excited, inspired? Make a list of what those things are and then, you know, for the fear, make a fears list. What are you afraid of? Because I'm also thinking that Fear card. You know, fear often dulls our light. It kind of gets in there like a shitty little light parasite and it eats away our radiance. But you want to be able to dare to dream big and fear gets in the way of that. So I want you to write down all the things that give you light, all your big dreams and then I want you to write down all your fears. What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of happening if you go after one of your big brains? I think structure might mean other things to you, too. So however it resonates with you, listen to that and go after it. But I also think that giving your inner lack of direction and your turmoil, your anxiety, giving that some structure by writing it out on the page might actually be illuminating and grounding for you. I really hope that it is. 

Anyway, you guys it's 6:04. My mother's downstairs making some shepherd's pie. I'm going to go eat it. Thank you so much for trusting me with your problems. I love reading cards for you. I'll be here next Wednesday and I want to mention if any of you are in the Los Angeles area or you're looking for a reason to have a road trip, I'm doing my Your Magic Live show live in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 26th. It's a three o'clock matinee show at a place called Dynasty Typewriter. It's going to be amazing. I'm going to pick tarot cards live for folks in the audience. Rachael True, who played Rochelle in The Craft. You guys, she made her own deck of tarot cards called Intuitive Heart Tarot. They're really beautiful. She's going to be there. She's going to pick cards, too. If you liked tarot, you're going to love the show. So check it out if you can. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you next Wednesday.