ARIES: The Seven of Swords — like all sevens — speaks of difficult choices and moral dilemmas. There are temptations disguised as opportunities, which could turn out to be more than you bargained for in the end.

In this rendition, we see a raven perched before the light of a full moon, a glowing sun time-piece dangling from his beak. A legend is told in Native American traditions of a snow white bird who steals the sun and moon and places them in the night sky. The sun is so hot that it chars his white feathers, rendering them permanently black.

There are four swords piercing the moon and three penetrating the earth below it. As the moon represents mystery, illusion and the depths of the human psyche, we can see this as a need to penetrate the veil that obscures our motivations.  We’re reminded that all that glitters is not gold, that there are consequences for our actions. The concept of time is also relevant here, as in keeping track of time, not wasting time, and making time for things that are most important.

There are elements of mischief, trickery and even thievery in this card, You may be tempted to engage in practices that are not aligned with your principles. Or you may be the recipient of someone else’s duplicity. But these same elements can be used to your benefit. The seven of swords represents skill and ingenuity as well. You must have a sharp mind and a vigilant approach if you’re to navigate through some of the obstacles before you. Opportunities come your way, but there’s always a catch. Just like the raven whose cunning and prowess has rewarded him with the fiery sun, but whose feathers have become permanently charred in the process.

TAURUS: You’re going to be more aligned with the inner-workings of your psyche this month, and that means more sensitive, more intuitive and more aware of psychic or esoteric phenomenon. While that may be a bit unnerving for you at first — as you tend to prefer the safety and comfort of a 5-senses reality — it can open up doors for you that you never dreamed possible.

The High Priestess is a strong feminine energy — regardless of your gender. It is not a weak energy: it speaks of feminine strength and wisdom, and all the secrets of the universe unveiled.

We see the Priestess in this card standing before the esoteric symbols of an astrological chart, with the glowing orb of the full moon at before her. It appears to be hovering in mid-air while she gazes into it, divining her / your / our future. She is both young and old, embodying both innocence and wisdom at once. A lunar goddess rests in the crescent of another moon — the crescent new moon — behind her.

You may be getting more in touch with your own intuition, or delving into the mystery schools — learning tarot, astrology, numerology, etc. Or you may find yourself experiencing profound instances or deja vu or synchronicity. You may also be experiencing astral travel or vivid lucid dreams. Another possibility, one that comes unexpectedly, is a sudden onset of clairvoyance or psychic impressions.

It’s important to embrace these visions and try to understand them, rather than shying away from them. They can bring incredible insights into not only your own personal choices, but into the the direction you need to be heading to achieve what you want out of this next chapter in your life.

GEMINI: You may be at a cross-roads in your relationship. The four of cups speaks of discontent and dissatisfaction in affairs of the heart — whether you’re the one experiencing these things or are on the receiving end of someone else’s discontent.

The woman in this card seems to be looking down forlornly, seemingly oblivious to the wine that has spilled from the goblets before her. The spilled wine is actually reminiscent of blood droplets in some areas of the card. And this is the essence of this card: hurt, sadness, loss, and regret.

There are also elements of ambivalence or indifference associated with this card. This is what happens when the state of limerence has lifted and the lovers are left feeling bored. You may be involved in a perfectly functional relationship that lacks the thrill and excitement of something new. In this respect there’s a sense of being “comfortably numb.” You’re more likely to see the goblets as half empty than half full under the authority of this card.

If you’re not currently in a relationship, your single status may be at the root of your dissatisfaction. But you’ll also have to ask yourself what you bring to the table too — as you’re unlikely to attract a partner if you’re projecting a laissez faire attitude. You can’t go looking for someone to alleviate your boredom. You’ll have to take care of that yourself.

One of the greater benefits of the four of cups is that it reveals to you exactly what is “wrong with this picture” and affords you the opportunity to make it right. You don”t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but you also don’t want to squander that opportunity.

CANCER: You may be coming to the end of very difficult cycle. It may seem like it’s been all work and no play, or you may feel like you’ve been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders for far too long. And chances are good you have. You might experience this first hand on the job or in a stressful relationship or even in your own head. If you’ve been giving — of your time, energy, money or affection — until you find that you have nothing left to give, that is the essence of the 10 of wands.

In this version of the card, we see that the wands are in fact spears with skulls placed at their tips, all of them dripping blood. Ancient traditions tell us that these are placed as warnings to those who dare trespass on sacred grounds. A raging fire burns in the background, casting an orange glow onto the autumn moon. There’s also a tribal element to this rendition, with the feathered head-dresses and ceremonial colors.

As foreboding and ominous as this may seem, the 10 of wands marks an end of an arduous journey — and the end of hardship and adversity. At least with respect to this specific endeavor. Look at where you’ve been working yourself to death, or giving all that you’ve got and seeing no progress, or carrying all of the load to the point of exhaustion, and ask yourself if you need to just put it to rest? The death and destruction images in this card are saying that it’s time to accept defeat and let it go.

It’s also a message to learn something from this, so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes. There’s an air of bravery and defiance also present in this card, that can carry you through to the next chapter in your life.

LEO:  This month you’ll need to think about achieving balance between the dual desires of your soul. You may be torn between expressing your passion, ferocity and hunger (as depicted by the tiger in this card) and the gentler, softer, calmer part of your psyche (depicted by the lamb). The Temperance card says that you can express them both as long as you find a middle ground and come from a place of centeredness.

We see an angel in this card, youthful, graceful and innocent, tending equally to both of her charges. Her manner of tending though is different for each. She keeps a cautious hand above the tiger at all times while watching over the docile lamb. Ask yourself in what ways taming the inner beast and activating the inner lamb can most benefit you now?

This card is so fitting for Leo this month, with Mars having just moved into your sign. Although Mars tends to be very happy in Leo, Leo’s aren’t always so happy when dealing with Mars. The Martian energy is so passionate, dynamic and driven that it’s sometimes hard to contain. When left to its own devices, it can manifest as anger, aggression and impatience. You’ll need to stay calm, curb your appetites and reflect on problems before reacting to them if you want to achieve the equilibrium that’s depicted in this card.

The Temperance card encourages you to harness your deepest urges and desires, and funnel them into moderation and restraint. It encourages meditation and reflection over action and aggression. It’s a good time to master mindfulness and to learn to use self-control.

VIRGO: This month you’re going to be bursting at the seams with the passion and confidence needed to put some of your biggest long-term goals in place. This card speaks of a renewed sense of purpose, clarity and motivation– the desire and willingness to “make something happen!”

You may already have a new project in the works and if so you’re probably beginning to see the fruits of your labors pay off. Or you may be on the verge of launching a new project, in which case there’s no better time than the present.

Virgos tend to be so caught up in refining and perfecting everything that it’s hard to get to the point of completion. Everything is always a work in progress — but that’s the beauty of this card! The three of wands embodies just a powerful life-force energy that it never permits itself to be “still.” It’s always improving. See how the Pegasus is deck is both watching over his shoulder (toward what has already been accomplished) and preparing to take flight. There’s a nobility associated with this card, which is befitting the majestic stance of our winged friend.

You may have recently discovered that you’ve found your life’s purpose. Or you may be just now acting on aspirations that you were too afraid to reach for in the past. Either way, this card speaks of a new burst of inspiration, a second wind, and the confidence with which to see it through.

The New Moon takes place in your sign this month (on the 5th), joining the Sun and Mercury. From that point forward, you’ll have opportunities to expand your horizons. Whether that means through travel, enterprise, education or career, now is the time to spread your wings and fly!

LIBRA: You’re  starting to manifest more abundance and prosperity into your life.

The Ace of Pentacles — like all Aces — represents the start of something new, and in this case it happens to relate to money. As in new financial opportunities coming your way. While you probably won’t see a windfall, it’s a positive affirmation that you’re putting your energy into the right areas.

You may have recently gotten a raise, started a new job or become the benefactor of someone else’s generosity. You could also be starting to see returns on your earlier investments. Either way, you should have more opportunities and more financial resources at your disposal than you’ve had in recent months.

You may also feel that your luck is changing. As the Ace of Pentacles is associated with a change in fortune — a positive change I also see Aces as “Yes” cards — as long as the “yes” answer is a positive affirmation. It’s telling you to keep up the good work, to go after your dreams, and to see the bounty that’s coming your way as confirmation from the Universe.

In this rendition, we see scattered symbols of success and good fortune. Old coins, an ancient manuscript, an astrology chart, old time pieces, and other esoteric symbols.

You can be confident in the knowledge that fortune is smiling upon you with this month, and while that doesn’t mean you should be foolish with your money, you should have more of it than usual to work with.

SCORPIO: You may be feeling stuck or trapped in a situation that is largely of your own doing. This can be a real eye-opener for you, as it’s much easier to blame someone or something else (outside circumstances) when we find ourselves stuck in what seems like an impossible predicament.

It may seem like there’s no way out — in fact in many decks this card is shown with the bound woman wearing a blind-fold, hence the inability to “see” other options. But in this rendition, it’s only her hair that obscures her vision, while the moon in the background provides just enough light to illuminate how many options there really are.

You may feel powerless in your current circumstances and may be so caught up in blaming the people or events that have brought you to this that you’re unable to see a way out. But this card encourages you to open your eyes, change your perspective and find a solution so that you can break free.

This month, Mars and Saturn move into a square configuration, which is so fitting with this card, Mars in Leo squares Saturn in your sign (Scorpio) — exactly on the 11th, although it’s within orb for the first two weeks of the month. You may feel like you’re beating your head against a wall or like all of your efforts are being met with resistance. You may question whether the Universe is telling you to fight or to accept defeat — although neither of these is the right course of action.

The Eight of swords calls for awareness, perspective and acceptance or responsibility. Only once you have achieved all three can you truly break free of the ties that bind you.

SAGITTARIUS: This month you’ll be taking stock of your life; of the actions and decisions that have led you who you are today. This card calls for self-evaluation and awareness, a need to develop enough spiritual altitude to look objectively at your mistakes and short-comings as well as your triumphs and victories.

The Judgement card is a powerful reminder that in order to put the past behind us we must not only let go of prior judgments but heal the wounds that have been holding us back. It’s a card of both atonement and forgiveness. Of unconditional love, understanding and acceptance — for both ourselves and for those who’ve hurt us or let us down.

In this rendition, we see a vulnerable, child-like angel standing before three trumpets, grasping a sword in her hands. She appears to be cutting through the ties that bind her to worldly concerns, as she prepares to receive her penance. The image is shown in negative form — a symbolic reference to the concept of gaining an inverted perspective and seeing things from another’s point of view.

You may have been beating yourself up over your own transgressions or making too many excuses for those who have done you wrong. This card encourages you to see things as they truly are, and to adopt a more impartial understanding so that you can not only move on, but can also put the guilt and regret to rest.

Take this time to tie up loose ends. This can be a literal letting go of the past, but it will more likely relate to putting yourself in other people’s shoes and seeing how the mistakes they’ve made or the grief they’ve caused have been just as much a part of being human and flawed as any direct attempt to cause you pain.

CAPRICORN: This month you’re going to have to put some things on hold while you reassess where you’re heading in this next chapter of your life. The Hanged Man speaks of delays and obstacles, which can be frustrating for Capricorns who like to see steady progress. But there’s a sense of necessity inherent in this card, with respect to both personal accomplishments and career aspirations.

In this respect you may be required to make sacrifices — of your time, your goals and your aspirations. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it can actually work in your favor if you allow yourself to trust in the natural rhythms of the Universe.

This version of the card is a bit more ominous than most renditions. A rotting corpse hangs upside down from a wooden armature, where crows are perched above, waiting to feed. Still the symbolism is clear: the need for surrender, sacrifice and stillness — the “death” of an idea or vision. The need to let go and let things take their natural course.

Think of instances where plodding ahead may have caused you to miss out on important opportunities in the past. Or consider the times when a refusal to put things aside may have interfered with their ultimate success. The Hanged Man encourages you to “let go and let God,” knowing that in the end your sacrifice brings about a more favorable outcome. As hard as it is to make that choice, in doing so you allow your ideas to germinate and your projects to evolve.

Look at the areas in your life that you’ve been moving full speed ahead on and consider which ones could benefit from a period of stillness. Be willing to renounce your attachment to specific outcomes and to make personal sacrifices, as these will undoubtedly pay off for you in the end.

AQUARIUS: This month you’ll be called upon to muster all your inner resources in order to achieve whatever it is you’re setting out to accomplish. The Chariot card in this rendition depicts a warrior goddess harnessing two vastly opposing energies. The blue and red stallions embody hot and cold (or fire and ice) energies and are rearing up in two different directions.

You may be met with obstacles, but you’re clearly up for the challenge: there is a sense of confidence and strength seen here in the way she takes charge of the two rearing beasts. And there’s a sense of fatedness as well: as in the symbol of the goddess Maat above the moon and the overlay of constellations in the background. Maat is an Egyptian goddess, associated with balance, truth, morality and justice. She’s also said to regulate the stars and seasons, and maintain order in the Universe.

The Moon in the background glows a brilliant vibrant gold. It almost looks like the Sun: more “opposing/diverging” symbolism. And yet you can see that the warrior goddess stands upright dead center, as she strives to restore order to the chaos around her. You’ll likewise be called upon to both maintain control and harness the opposing forces in your own life. Whether this is related to relationship, career, or even dual desires within your own psyche, the challenge will be to find a way to pull your energy inward and funnel it outward into one solid direction.

You can accomplish a lot this month through motivation and determination — as long as you’re aware of the need to focus your energy in one primary direction. You’ll have find a way to balance the diverging energies in your life. But if you can “pull it together” you’ll make great strides toward accomplishing your goals.

PISCES: You may have people around you friends and lovers and a solid support network, but are starting to see how your greatest fulfillment comes from within. The Three of Cups is usually associated with merriment and gaiety — a celebration amongst friends, but as we see here this is not always the case.

A solitary figure, depicted here as a young maiden seated before a full moon, looks contentedly over her shoulder. Three goblets stand upward beside her and a raven rests in her hand. She’s be basking in the glow of the full moon (representing intuition and sensitivity) while holding the mysteries of life (the raven) in the palm of her hand. Perhaps she’s alone, or perhaps her loved-ones are just out of sight. Either way, she seems fulfilled and content and “complete” in her solitude.

This card represent a positive confirmation that you are as at one with yourself and your surroundings as you are in the people who love and support you. You have been able to turn loneliness into contentment, and discontent into personal fulfillment. Perhaps you’re realizing that you don’t need someone else to make you whole. Or maybe you’re realizing the true meaning of loving yourself. It’s the first step toward creating a creating a connection with others, yet once you achieve it you begin to realize that loving yourself is often enough.

The Three of Cups is also a card of abundance, prosperity and personal gratification. These things mean something different to each of us. But overall it has to do with being open and receptive to the support from others, while still finding fulfillment within ourselves. It’s a card of joy, celebration and personal abundance. Whether you celebrate with friends and loved ones, or are content to bask in the Universal harmony on your own, the end result ultimately leads to perfection.

SEPTEMBER 2013 TAROT SCOPES

By Melodie Sheppard