This week on The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, I’m sitting down with the Two of Cups, but not in the romanticized way we often think about with this card. Sure, this card speaks to connection, mutual care, and being seen, but in this episode, I’m more interested in what is hiding underneath all that sweet relational imagery. Inspired by a lively (and opinionated!) book club discussion inside The Symposium, I revisit Jessica Dore’s take in Tarot for Change, where she explores the Two of Cups as a mirror - one that reflects not just the other person, but all of our unconscious projections, unmet needs, and early attachment wiring. Spoiler alert: we had a lot to say about her interpretation.
I also spend time honoring Paul Quinn’s more relational lens from Tarot for Life, and some attachment theory to explore how this card hits differently when you're someone with a dismissive-avoidant style. We talk about the storylines we pick, as Esther Perel says, when we pick a partner - and how intimacy can feel like a high-stakes negotiation when we’re secretly wondering if our cup will be too heavy for someone else to hold.
There’s a big through-line in this discussion around how intimacy and autonomy often feel like opposing forces, but they don’t have to be. Eventually, I explore the Devil and Temperance cards (because of course I do) as well as ALL of the cups as a progression of this dynamic. And we end with a beautiful appearance from the Page of Cups, who offers us a gentle reminder that curiosity can be the antidote to defensiveness.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt the ache of wanting to be close to someone, but fearing what it might cost them. We talk childhood attachment wounds, projections, survival strategies, and how tarot can be a tool for navigating all of it…with softness, insight, and just the right amount of therapeutic nerdiness.
Books referenced:
Tarot for Change by Jessica Dore
Tarot for Life by Paul Quinn
Esther Perel
Join me in unpacking what it really means to offer your cup, and what it takes to believe someone might actually want to hold it.
🌙 Stay Connected With Me:
💌 Follow me on Instagram: @thetarotdiagnosis
🧠 Sign up for my newsletter at thetarotdiagnosis.com
👥 Join The Symposium — my tarot & psychology membership community
If you love The Tarot Diagnosis Podcast, please consider leaving a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a super easy and FREE way to support my work. Plus, it helps more people discover the podcast. I appreciate you all so much!
Audio Edited by Anthony DiGiacomo of Deep Resonance Sound
Contact: DeepResonanceSound@gmail.com
Music by Timmoor from Pixabay