Aries: Page of Wands

You should be in your element this month, now that Mars (your ruling planet) is back in your sign. With Mars in Aries, you’re going to be feeling more dynamic, energetic and alive.

This card is about racing toward your goals with the sort of fierce determination that propels you toward the finish line. There’s no conserving energy or plodding along methodically when it comes to the Page of Wands. It’s all go go go and get it done now!

The Page of Wands — this version from the Mythic Tarot — combines the fearlessness and impulsivity of the Page with the drive and passion associated with the Wands (or Fire) element.

You may be rushing toward a deadline, scrambling to outsmart your competitors or planning an adventure — but even in that case there’s little planning involved. It’s more about chasing after your goals and striking while the iron is hot.

This card represents the urge to get the ball rolling, make things happen, and fearlessly go after your goals without worrying about consequences or pitfalls. It could indicate someone in your life — generally an eager, enthusiastic, free-spirited young warrior who’s full of life and has boundless energy — or it can represent a part of you that’s ready to come to life.

Either way, the Page of Wands — much like Mars in Aries — encourages you to muster up the courage and confidence to go after what you truly want and to not let anyone stand in your way.

TAURUS: Six of Swords

You may be on the verge of making important changes in your life, and in doing so will have to think about what you’re taking with you and what you need to leave behind.

This doesn’t necessarily mean material things; in fact that’s rarely what it means. It’s more about attitudes and belief systems, as well as a life you may have built and dreams you may have dreamed that are no longer capable of sustaining you.

The Six of Swords — this version from the Prisma Visions  Tarot — is a card of transition and change. Moving from one “place” to another, if only in your mind. You may be mourning the loss of previous plans and expectations, or you may be  reflecting on the decision you made to leave something behind.

You’ll have to put your faith in the unknown as you cross the bridge that leads to the other side. This is the message behind the Six of Swords. You may not be where you want to be just yet, but you’re moving in the right direction.

The Six of Swords reminds us that we’re not alone. We don’t get to the other side without assistance from someone, even when that “assistance” comes in the form of a setback that forces us to change direction.

It also provides clarity and perspective. We may see things we don’t want to see — or admit to ourselves — but it’s that kind of clarity that motivates us toward change. Take some time this month to reflect on where you are and where you want to be heading. This is the first step, courtesy of the Six of Swords, toward manifesting your goals.

GEMINI: Two of Pentacles

With Venus in your sign this month and your ruling planet (Mercury) moving through three different signs, you may find yourself weighing different options and juggling responsibilities.

These transits can drive home the importance of bringing your external goals and responsibilities into alignment with your personal relationships.

The Two of Pentacles — this version from the Light Seer’s Tarot —  sees this as a precarious balancing act, where you have to be careful not to let one set of priorities outweigh the other, even if you find yourself pulled in several different directions.

The Two of Pentacles reminds us of the need to remain centered, despite all the changes that are taking place all around us. It asks us to attend to one set of interests without neglecting another. And it reminds us to balance priorities by devoting as much time to the meaningful areas in our lives (friends, family, spiritual fulfilment, etc.) as we do to those that require our attention.

You may find yourself needing to weigh your options and bring all the disparate areas of your life into harmony. Whether that means responsibilities vs. pleasure and play, or relationships vs. autonomy or up time (productivity) vs. down time (rest), it will be up to you to find ways to answer the call of each. Giving into one desire without neglecting another should be foremost on your list.

Cancer: Ace of Cups

Your card this month — the Ace of Cups from the Sun and Moon Tarot — is all about romance, affection, flirtation, intimacy, communion and most of all love.

Aces represent new and unformed energy. As Cups refer to emotions, intuition and feelings, it’s likely to manifest on one of these levels.

It’s all about seeing your capacity to love and express feelings mirrored right back to you — through a new love interest, a friend or family member, or the eyes of a child.

You may be starting a new relationship or expressing yourself romantically — whether or not a serious relationship develops from that flirtation. As with all Aces, the energy is so new and so unformed that a myriad of possibilities is within your reach.

The process of falling in love reveals to you your purest, most perfect potential. It’s when you put your best foot forward and reveal what you’re capable of, and the Universe responds in kind.

All Aces are related to new and unformed energy. So even if it does manifest as something material — a new love interest or some form of external validation for example — the bottom line is that it creates a “feel good” energy which reverberates throughout your very being.

As this is the Ace of Cups, and Cups refer to emotions, intuition and feelings, it’s likely to manifest on one of these levels. Love and romance for starters. But also affection, intimacy, sharing, closeness and the expression of feelings. The Ace of Cups is ripe with potential and opportunity for all of these things. What you do with them — and how open you are to the possibilities before you — is entirely up to you.

LEO: Seven of  Cups

You may find yourself walking around in a daze at times this month, lost in thought and dreaming of a different reality. Alternately you could be fighting the urge to escape into a fog of romantic reverie.

The Seven of Cups — this version from the Morgan Greer Tarot — is a card of temptations, often fueled by irrational thoughts or fantasies. There can be too many options available, which makes it hard to decide. But it’s often a case of wishful thinking and foolish day-dreaming that can interfere with actual progress.

Seven gold chalices rise from the mist in this card, each containing treasures that are more tempting than the last. There’s a dragon, a castle, a serpent, a woman, a pile of gems, a theatrical mask and a laurel wreath. These are tied to the Seven deadly sins and in fact this card is called “Debauchery” in some decks, referring to the superficial appeal of things that most of us only think will make us happy.

This is the dilemma with the Seven of Cups. What you long for looks so appealing while what you have appears so drab. But it’s just an illusion and even if it weren’t — even if it were perfectly attainable — it’s not going to come about by sitting around daydreaming about it.

While you may think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, chances are good that when you got there you’d want nothing more than to return back home. The message behind this card is to aim for reachable goals and to participate in attaining them rather than allowing yourself to fall into the trap of wishful thinking.

VIRGO: Nine of Wands

This month you might have to muster up the courage to let someone know what you’re no longer willing to stand for. You may have to put your foot down and stand up for your rights.

The Nine of Wands — this version from Nora Huszka’s beautiful Gypsy Palace Tarot — says it’s time to gather your wits and rise up against whatever challenges you face, which means you’re also going to have to push your fears and anxieties aside.

Have you ever heard of the phrase “blowing your stack?” That’s what it looks like the woman in the card is doing. She’s gotten herself so angry and flustered that she’s blown the crown right off of the top of her head.

She’s telling someone “Get out and don’t come back!” Or maybe she’s saying “How many times do I have to tell you to get out there and mow the lawn?”

Whatever it is, it’s clear she means business. She’s standing up for her rights and is not about to take no for an answer. She’s so convincing that even the cats beside her are cowering in fear.

The Nine of Wands is all about stamina, perseverance and persistence. It invites you to mobilize your forces, stick with the program and get the job done — no matter what. It says that while you may be wary from the struggles that have brought you to this point, you’re not going to let them get the best of you or cause you to back down.

Libra: The Universe

Your card this month — the Universe from the beautiful Chinese Tarot — is all about looking at the big picture and being able to trace the steps that have brought you to where you are today.

It’s a card of fulfillment and completion; recognizing milestones that have passed and goals that have been achieved as you prepare to close the door on one chapter in your life and open another.

You may be setting new goals in place or you may be taking some time to celebrate how far you’ve come.

As the last card in the tarot, the World complete’s the Fool’s journey, with the understanding that he’s grown, evolved and matured along the way.

This card can also have you thinking about where you fit in in the world and about your contributions to humanity. It speaks of not only realizing your dreams and achieving your goals, but also becoming one with the Universe, becoming fulfilled and whole.

You may be tying up one cycle and preparing to embark on another. Whether you’re taking some time to relish the satisfaction of having achieved something, or are ready to dive back in and start again, the message behind the Universe card is best received with insight and awareness.

Ask yourself: “What is is I’ve learned in this chapter?” and “What must I now give up in order to start anew?” If you can answer those two questions with honesty and humility, you’ll be able to carry those lessons into the next chapter.

Scorpio: White Tiger Four

This month may see you feeling the need to step away from social activities and connections, prefering to be alone.

The White Tiger Four is the Feng Shui Tarot’s version of the Four of Swords. This card generally refers to a need for quiet, stillness, meditation and rest.

It can refer to a desire to retreat from all of the distractions in your life and reflect rather than “act.” It speaks of detaching from the whirlwind of activity around you and choosing to observe rather than participate.

But the emphasis here is more on restraint and self control… How easy would it be for that Tiger to leap over the bamboo fence and pounce on those sweet little songbirds? Or reach one of his mighty paws through the opening before they even knew he was there?

He may be just biding his time and waiting for the right moment. Perhaps he senses that the little birds could just as easily take flight and leave him there empty handed.

The bamboo fence is flimsy and falling apart. A portion of it is already missing. But even if it weren’t, it’s clear that it’s not strong enough to keep the Tiger at bay. Yet he watches and waits. He observes rather than reacts.

You may find yourself in a similar position this month, especially after the 18th when Mars goes retrograde. If you’re willing to wait for the right moment, exercising discipline and restraint can pay off for you in the end.

Sagittarius: Four of Pentacles

Nothing may be more important to you this month than surrounding yourself with peace, comfort, quiet and serenity.

This the Star Tarot’s version of the Four of Pentacles. In it, a graceful and majestic swan basks in the summer sun as she glides across the sea.

This scene is so picture perfect that it’s framed behind an ancient stone pillar (representing stability and longevity) and lights up that portion of the evening sky.

The Four of Pentacles is traditionally associated with structure and stability. It refers to preserving what you have, sometimes at the risk of shutting out opportunities.

It can refer to a poverty consciousness or a hoarding mentality that creates blockages in your life and prevents new things from coming in.

But the emphasis here seems to be more about appreciating what you have and rewarding yourself in the process.

With both your ruling planets (Jupiter and Neptune) retrograde this month, you may be able to get away. If so, think about taking a sabbatical or going on a spiritual retreat. Remember that the world (and all of your obligations and responsibilities) will be right there where you left them once you return, and make the most of the time you have.

CAPRICORN: Nine of Swords

There may be times this month where you feel like you’re having a hard time getting (or maintaining) your footing.  With your own ruler retrograde and two planets also retrograde in your sign, you may be feeling feeling a bit wobbly or unsure of yourself.

The Nine of Swords — this version from the Victorian Romantic Tarot — is often called the “nightmare” card as it relates to overblown fears and anxieties.

These are often self-created. Either the fear is real and you brought it upon yourself or the fear is unfounded and you have to own up to whatever it is inside of you that has created it.

The woman in this version of the card is seen tip-toeing along an upper ledge of a building in the dead of night. She’s still in her bedclothes. Is she sneaking into someone else’s window? Or climbing back into her own? Either way she looks terrified, and two different sets of fears are implied. The fear of falling down, and the fear of getting caught.

If you look closely you can see that she really has nothing to fear. The twin stars Castor and Pollux — patrons of guests and travellers — shine high in the night sky. And right below her — which she’d see if she bothered to look down — is a larger much sturdier ledge that would easily break her fall.

We know that hings aren’t always what they seem, and that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Not only do our fears have the capacity to paralyze us, but finding the courage to face them has the capacity to extinguish them. If we want to move forward, we’ll have to be brave enough to “take back our power” and face those fears head on.

AQUARIUS: The High Priestess

With Saturn having left your sign and retrograded back into Capricorn (and your 12th house) you may feel the need to step away from all the hustle and bustle of the outside world this month, and retreat to your own private sanctuary.

The High Priestess — this version from the Aya Takano Tarot — represents intuition, serenity and wisdom. She encourages you to seek guidance from within and to heed your inner voice. In this respect you may need to find your place of quiet and solitude in order to best access her messages.

The High Priestess in this card steps out under the night sky from behind a veiled canopy. She stands between the moon and stars to commune with the magical creatures and night-blooming lilies in her garden.

Notice how she strains to extract the symbols from the ethers around her. The impressions she receives are not always be easy to decipher. The High Priestess is wise and perceptive but even she has to make sense of all the messages she receives.

Like the High Priestess in this card, you may need to make time for quiet reflection and introspection. Getting away and communing with nature or going on a spiritual retreat are both good options. But just taking time to quiet your mind can also help you to satisfy these leanings.

Pay attention to messages you receive and synchronicities you notice during this time. You can unlock mysteries that you struggle with analytically just by learning to trust your intuition.

Pisces: Seven of Pentacles

You may be frustrated at times this month over something that’s taking longer to manifest than you’d hoped for. While the urge to push ahead anyway and move things at a faster pace will be strong, the Seven of Pentacles encourages you to do otherwise.

It says it’s time to step back, test the waters, and assess the progress you’ve already made before you plan your next move.

It’s about getting your ducks in a row and taking the time to finesse your plans. even if you’re tempted to push forward prematurely.

In this version of the card — from the Deviant Moon Tarot — we see a little witch figure standing before a tree under the light of a New Moon. Perhaps she needs some of the tree’s life essence to cast a spell. But she pokes at it with her wand and draws blood.

We can see all seven pentacles growing on the limbs of the tree, but there are no leaves and no flowers: they too are not quite ripe for the picking.

Think about the things in your own life that need still need time to develop and mature. It could be a promotion that feels like it’s taking too long to materialize. It could be a relationship that’s not moving forward as quickly as you’d like. Or you may be just feeling frustrated with the pace things are moving in your day to day life.

You already know that when you try to rush something to completion before its time you run the risk of losing all the momentum you’ve already gained. So for today, step back and focus on how far you’ve come rather than allowing yourself to wallow in frustration over how much is left to be done.

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This month’s tarotscopes feature some of Ask the Astrologers all time favorite cards.

We hope you like them too! 

August 2020 Tarot Scopes

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