nine of cups // creative prompts

hello, friends. all month long we've been exploring the nine of cups together — and today, i want to offer my usual monthly collection of prompts, questions, and creative ideas to help you engage with this card on your own terms. what i share here is just my own perspective on the tarot — you get to make your own path, your own way, your own meanings. what does the nine of cups mean to you, for you, with you?

before we dive in, a quick reminder that my ten-week collective grief program river styx opens for enrollment tomorrow — so if you've been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or isolated in your big heavy feelings, i'd love to invite you to join us for this transformative program, which begins on october 4th. tomorrow is also my totally free tarot for grief journaling event, which you can RSVP for here.

now, onto the nine of cups.

what do you feel when you see the nine of cups? what does this imagery make you think about, remind you of, or activate within you? does this card feel like an old friend, a new stranger, or something in-between?

what does this card mean to you, and why? where did your associations with it come from, and when does it tend to show up for you in readings? do you like it when this card pops up, or does it feel harder to connect with for you? what friction points or tensions emerge for you around the nine of cups, and have they always been there?

if you imagine stepping into the environment of this card, what does it feel like? is it warm, cool, dry, damp, bright, dim? is it a wide open space or something cozy and small? is it a place that you feel welcome and comfortable, or does it push you out of your comfort zone? have you been here before, or is it new to you?

what does it feel like when you intentionally embody or embrace the energy of the nine of cups? is this an easy energy for you to access, or is it challenging? when do you reach for this energy, and when does it feel less helpful?

if you imagine the nine of cups as a character or a companion, what would they sound like, look like, move like? what kind of advice might they give you, particularly around any challenges that you're facing right now? how do you think they see the world? what do they like to do, and what are they chasing after?

how is the nine of cups a response and reaction to the eight of cups? how does your understanding of the nine shift when you explore different layers of the meanings of the eight of cups? and in the same way, how does the nine of cups set up the energy of the ten of cups? what is the nine of cups shifting or expanding within this story, and how does the nine serve as a kind of ending to the cycle of water?

finally, what might the nine of cups have to offer you in this particular moment? what medicine does this card have for you right now? are there any decisions, shifts, obstacles, or ambitions that the nine of cups could support you through? what might the nine of cups empower you to accomplish, release, or celebrate? how can the nine of cups support you today?

wishing you a hopeful, expansive, forward-thinking rest of the month, friends. i'll be back in a few days with our essay on the final card in this suit, the ten of cups.

and don't forget! river styx is for tenderhearted badasses who want to believe in the future again. if you want to learn how to transmute your grief for the world into bold action and fierce hope — without drowning in overwhelm, helplessness, or fear — then this is the program for you.

this is a ten-week, self-paced, resilience-oriented community grief container that includes:

• original audio lessons (including transcripts) delivered straight to your inbox each week, based on the tried-and-true ten-step framework developed by good grief network’s laura schmidt and aimee lewis reau
• recommended tarot cards to work with alongside your lessons, along with new spreads and accessible exercises for tarot readers of any level
• journaling prompts for personal reflection, introspection, and discovery
• suggested somatic exercises to stay grounded, stable, and present
• a library of resources for creating your own personal support plan
• a private digital discord community for sharing, encouragement, and ongoing support
• accountability tools for helping you continue to show up to the work
• five live zoom meetups for checking in and practicing community building
• lifetime access to course content and our co-created grief community
• the flexibility to engage with lessons based on your own schedule and timeline, along with gentle reminders to honor your capacity and personal needs

the program costs $666 or three monthly payments of $222. a higher solidarity rate of $888 is available for participants who are in a financial position to support scholarships for marginalized students.

join the waitlist now to be notified when the program opens for enrollment on september 27th — doors close october 3rd, and river styx officially begins with the first email lesson on october 4th, 2026.

let’s tend our grieving hearts together.