Dear Oracle,
For many years now, I’ve toyed with the idea of running for office. Of course, when I was much younger, I had very grand ambitions (President) but as I’ve aged, I thought about doing something on the local or state level. However, I don’t know what that would entail financially, what it would take to run a successful campaign, or whether I could even make it. I want to help people and make a meaningful difference, but I don’t know if that means politics or something else. What do the cards say?—Poli-curious
Cards: The Hermit, Nine of Cups (reversed), Nine of Swords, The Chariot
Dear Poli,
While we have two Major Arcana cards in this spread, I actually want to start with the pair of nines, because I think they speak to why you’ve toyed with this idea for such a long time.
The Nine of Cups, as I’ve written before, can be both a card of wish fulfillment and projection. Often, it can be viewing a situation with rose-colored glasses. But sometimes the Nine of Cups appears when we are afraid to name what it is that we truly desire. “What do you want in life?” might seem like an easy enough question, but when you get below the surface, it can be hard to figure out.
Because to answer truthfully, you have to be quite vulnerable with yourself, and many of us aren’t prepared to do that. So much so that we talk ourselves out of our desires by reminding ourselves of all the ways it could go wrong.
The Nine of Swords can be a card not only of anxiety but of spiraling thoughts—the kind that you can’t really break out of. In a sort of perverse way, it can act as self-preservation: if you never allow yourself to go after what you desire, you won’t fail at getting it. You still, of course, won’t have it, but it takes out the possible cruel variable of hope.
However, my dear, I think you know what you want. The Hermit knows themselves, knows their place in the universe, and hears their calling. They step out to meet life as it unfolds.
The Chariot, too, is someone who goes after what they want. They have the force and drive to get there. With these two combined, I think you know exactly what you want. I think you do know what it would take to get there.
There are plenty of reasons to be hesitant about a political career (money, lack of privacy, combative coworkers), but it’s not an impossible dream to obtain. The past 10 years have shown that outsiders can land on a national stage with nothing but a shoestring budget and a snappy social media account. If you look, there are playbooks to study.
Take your desires seriously, my dear. See what unfolds from there.
Send your questions to oracle@cltampa.com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram. See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.
Dear Oracle,
My boyfriend of a year and I broke up a month ago. It was his decision, and I’m left devastated. What feels worse is that my ex was embraced by my group of friends, and they still invite him around. We’re sort of “sharing custody” of them (I’ll agree to leave a party at a certain time so he can come), but I hate it. I know I can’t ask them to stop being friends with him, but it’s so hard when I’m still so sad! How should I handle this?
—Misery in company
Cards: Three of Swords (reversed), Eight of Wands (reversed), Five of Cups (reversed), King of Pentacles
Dear Misery,
I am so, so sorry. That situation sounds truly miserable, and I understand your predicament. I’ve been there, and while I said the mature thing of “I would never ask you to stop being friends with X,” what I really wanted was for my friends to consider X dead to them. Is that a healthy or reasonable wish? No. But sometimes, a little fucking loyalty would be nice. I hope that your friends eventually drop your ex, but until then, there are ways to cope.
The first thing to tend to, though, is your heart. You are deep in mourning right now. The Three of Swords is the card of heartsickness, the Eight of Wands of being overwhelmed, and the Five of Cups as the breakdown of a relationship. Things are rough right now, and with all three of these cards reversed, I think they might be rough for a few months. What you need to do first is simply heal.
Grief is a process. It is something you have to feel and process. It’s very difficult to do if the fucker is still around—and that grief might feel compounded if you feel like you’re also losing your friends—but this might be a time where you need space and one-on-one time with friends. Big group parties might have to be shelved for a bit unless you know your ex is not going to be there. (And none of this arriving/leaving at a certain time. That sounds so anxiety-inducing!)
Eventually, like the King of Pentacles, I think you’ll see a way through. This king is a provider, and I think it’s about you providing yourself with what you need. This might mean you become the social coordinator, inviting people out for drinks, hosting parties, etc. This might mean you are open with your boundaries and saying no to events if you know he’ll be there. This might mean, down the line, getting professional help to figure out how to handle situations where you two might have to be in close proximity (like a mutual friend’s wedding). Whatever it is, you will eventually figure out how to take care of yourself.
But for now, I think what you need to provide for yourself is the grace to grieve this loss. How can you take care of yourself in this moment? What is it that you need? It can be hard to see when we’re in the thick of it, but give yourself time and space. Eventually, you’ll come out the other side.
Take care, my dear.
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This article appears in Sept. 03 – 09, 2026.
