A Tarot Reading For Thursday, April 17

Every day, Bustle’s tarot writer Carolyn Steber turns to her deck to answer readers’ questions.

Q: My new relationship feels too good to be true. Am I missing something?

A: It’s no secret that it’s rough out there in the dating world. Everyone’s profiles are a mess of ambiguous information, and even if you make it past the first few meet-ups, you could very well get ghosted.

When you find yourself actually hitting it off with someone, it’s only natural to raise a suspicious eyebrow. Are they funny, cute, and even genuinely... nice? If it seems too good to be true, you might be waiting for the red flags to start waving.

Your concerns could go into overdrive as you start getting attached, but especially if you make things official. If you’re spending all of your weekends together, talking about the future, and meeting each other’s friends, then you might worry that it’s all about to implode — or that you’re missing a major flaw. Here’s what the cards have to say.

Will Your New Relationship Go South?

The Four of Wands represents new beginnings, community, stability, and a sense of belonging, which suggests this person is a pretty nice addition to your life, and definitely not too good to be true.

While it’s OK to be wary or cautious as you get to know someone new, your relationship is likely heading in a good direction if your partner respects your boundaries, is eager to see you, communicates effectively (especially during arguments and misunderstandings), and if you’re starting to have a few fun chats about the future. Instead of feeling love-bombed, the pace of a good relationship will seem just right.

One of the best ways to tell, however, is if you feel relaxed and at ease whenever you’re around them versus anxious, overly-infatuated, or always on edge. Take it as a sign from your body and mind that they’re a good match for your nervous system — and that nothing sus is going on. Bonus points if they always text back and never leave you guessing.

How Can You Shake Your Doubts?

If you still can’t shake your stress, it won’t hurt to unpack why you feel like your relationship is too good to be true. Is it because you’re used to chaos and confusion? Do promising romantic connections always seem to fall apart two months in? Do you not feel worthy of this type of easy, happy love? Getting to the root of your worries might help.

With the Justice card in your reading, it’s a sign that you should be open with your partner about how you’re feeling. This card represents truth, accountability, and honesty, which means you’ll feel so much better if you get all your concerns off your chest.

Not only will your partner be able to offer reassurance that they’re equally invested, but having this type of conversation can also reveal how serious they are. If they act weird or brush off your concerns, that’s a red flag. But if they want to hear what you have to say, and then make an effort to put you at ease, this new relationship really might be as good as it seems.

For more, check out your horoscope.