ace of cups // creative prompts

hello, friends. this month we've been exploring the first card in the story of water: the ace of cups. this is overflow, source, a tender beginning, a vulnerable start — and in many ways, this is a wildly personal card to be working with.

what the ace of cups means to you, what it brings up, what it nourishes and waters, depends entirely on where you are, what you're dreaming about, and which path you might find yourself on.

i've written two essays and a new tarot spread for this card, so to conclude our work with the ace of cups for january, i want to offer some gentle but potent questions and prompts for you to explore on your own time, in your own way. these are great reflection questions to use for journaling, meditation, conversation, or other kinds of self-discovery and introspection, but you can also use them as jumping off points for character creation, world building, playlists, mood boards, spells, archetype work, movement, or any other kind of creative expression. the sky is the limit, the water is bottomless — see where these ideas take you, which questions resonate, which prompts activate a sense of wonder or curiosity.

what is your understanding of the element of water? is water something that resonates with you, that you find yourself drawn to? or is water something strange, unfamiliar, or uncomfortable? does water make you feel at peace, or activated? how do you think about water within the context of your own life, and how might that impact your understanding of the suit of cups in the tarot?

when do you notice your own feelings and emotions, and what does that mean to you? how do heart-truths or intuitive insights bubble up within you? what emotions come up for you when you consider the ace of cups?

how do you interpret beginnings? does starting something new feel exciting and brimming with possibility, or do you feel some more complicated emotions around starting a new project or journey? what does an emotional journey look like to you, and what might it mean to imagine yourself at a watery start of some kind? does the ace of cups mean something specific to you in terms of beginnings? where did that definition come from, and how has it been relevant in your readings or studies with this card?

what kind of story might the ace of cups kick off? what kind of character might embody the ace of cups? what kinds of songs, colors, flavors, movements, scents, textures, or environments remind you of the ace of cups? if you were to step into the energy of this card, what would that feel like? if you were to choose a musical genre for the ace of cups, what would you pick?

what kind of medicine does the ace of cups offer? when does this card feel like exactly what you're craving? alternatively, what kind of advice does this card provide? how might this card encourage you to make a specific choice, take a certain action, or move in a particular way? how is this card supportive, and when is it a call-out or a call-in? how might it push you to do something new or different?

when have you experienced ace of cups energy in your life? when you connect this card to your own history, past, experiences, or dreams, what comes up first? how do you understand this card in a lived kind of way? and what might the ace of cups have to offer to you right now, in january of 2026? what kind of journey could this card initiate or invite in, and is that the kind of journey that you want to take?

wishing you a beautiful rest of the month, and i'll be back soon with an essay on our next card in the suit, the two of cups.

remember that if you love questions like this, if you're eager for more ways to use journaling and reflection to create personal tarot meanings that resonate for you, you might really love the 3am.tarot conservatory membership, which includes resources and prompts designed to help you transform your tarot practice. check it out here. and if you'd like to dive more specifically into grief, with tarot and community support, river styx is officially open for enrollment.