ARIES: Eight of Cups
This month may see you taking steps toward leaving behind something that no longer sustains you.
The Eight of Cups — this version from Dana Driscoll’s fabulous Tarot of Trees — refers to getting in touch with your values, which can be a painful process. It involves forcing yourself to face certain realities and walk away from something (or from someone) that doesn’t live up to them.
On the upside it means taking the high road and making a transition. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. The Eight of Cups requires you to let go of something — a dream, a relationship, a set of goals, etc. — in order to move to that higher ground.
This is a card of transition, but unlike most, this one comes from conscious choice. It’s not a matter of the Universe throwing a curve-ball at you: it’s a decision arrived at though the realization that what once fulfilled you no longer does.
You may feel alone or abandoned during this time — rejected by a loved one or peers. Yet it’s your own discontent that prompts you to “walk away,” rather than trying to keep up the pretense that those who let you down were ever truly on your side.
This doesn’t refer to loss so much as it does to seeing things more clearly and then using that new-found clarity to head toward higher ground. Like the brightly shining crescent moon in this card, it’s about new beginnings rather than endings. You can see this card as an invitation to strike out on your own, follow your own path and pave your own way.
TAURUS: Four of Wands
Have you got everything in place for what you want to do next? It may be that you are planning a project or something new and at the moment you are laying down the groundwork to how it will fall into place. If so, take note to the image on this card for it may be that you need to call in some favors or help from others to accomplish what is on your mind.
This month there is the sense that what you are planning to do is something you have been wanting for a long time. In the past you may not have been able to accomplish it because it was not the right time, but now you can start making plans and begin to see the results of your dreams coming to life.
The four points of the compass are clearly laid out within this image of the Four of Wands — from the Black Cats Tarot — as the four cats hold hands and join in unison to bring everything together.
The focus is on the fire within the middle which can serve as a focal point for what is needed next and as everyone is working in unison there is little chance that something will go wrong.
Do not allow a breakdown in communications this month, as Mercury is current;y retrograde. You may also wish to look for help from an unexpected source as someone from your past may step forward and offer you the help you need at just the moment you need it.
You might say… you cannot help but be drawn to what you know you have to do and if you aren’t then you may feel a restlessness about you as if something is “missing”. Black cats are lucky and you have four of them working on your side this month.
GEMINI: The Priest
With your ruler (Mercury) retrograde in Capricorn this month you may be thinking about all that you’ve gained through the trials and tribulations in your own life, and how you can pull from those experiences to help others.
You may be coming out of a period of soul searching and personal reflection, which when filtered through the Chironian impulse to consider the welfare of others, can act as a powerful conduit to heal those who need healing and acceptance — now more than ever.
This is the Samurai Tarot’s version of the Hierophant card. It’s called the Priest in this deck, and as you can see from the imagery in this card, the focus is as much on helping those who need assistance as it is on spiritual enlightenment. But perhaps the message here is that these are one and the same.
Chiron is called the “wounded healer” — a reference to the ability to bring comfort and guidance to those who need it, even if you’re still struggling to heal your own wounds. And as you can see in this version of the card, the Priest must rely on his own walking stick to reach the stream he’s guiding the thirsty woodland creatures to.
In this respect they may be healing him as well. We all know how powerful the idea of being useful is, and we all know important it is to feel that we’re making a valuable contribution.
The Priest card comes as a reminder that there’s always something to learn and always something to teach. There’s also always something to give, knowing that what we get back in often far greater in the end. We just need to step outside of our own biases and preconceived notions, and be willing to lend a helping hand.
CANCER: Two of Water
This month you may feel the urge to reach out to someone who needs a helping hand and show them how much you care.
The Two of Water is the Vision Quest Tarot’s version of the Two of Cups, a card most often associated with a mutual attraction, love at first sight and the initial stages of falling in love. It’s called “Love” in this deck and the hands that are joined together — one male and one female — are reminiscent of that very ideal.
In addition to the pair of hands, there are two flowing streams and two sets of vines, both of which join together to become one. Bonds are created throughout the imagery in this card, all merging together in perfect harmony.
The Two of Water seems to be as much about coming together and supporting one another as it does the romanticized idyllic version of love. And we know that love takes on many forms and is experienced in a multitude of ways.
It’s the process of falling in love that reveals to us ourselves at our very best. It’s where we put our best version of ourselves forward and the Universe responds by opening up unanticipated doors.
The Two of Water can refer to that love at first sight sense of finding your other half. It’s the mutual attraction card, the soulmate card, and so much more. It’s the process of falling in love or renewing a love connection that replenishes itself over time.
If you meet someone new this month consider it an opportunity for growth. It could be the yin to your yang — or it could just be a friend who shows you the true meaning of the word. You may also be working on revamping your current connection or reuniting with a loved one. Whichever it is, be grateful for the opportunity to see yourself through someone else’s eyes.
LEO: Knight of Pentacles
This month you should be making positive strides toward setting your plans for the future in motion. The Llama is the Animal Wisdom Tarot’s version of the Knight of Pentacles, which can translate for you as laying the groundwork toward manifesting your long-term goals.
The Knight of Pentacles refers to taking things slow and steady, with a keen eye on the future and the discipline to keep “plodding along” as he moves toward his ultimate goals.
You may be thinking about going back to school or taking courses to further your education. With a line up of planets in Capricorn moving through your 6th house — the area associated with work and self-improvement — this is a great time to throw yourself back into your studies.
You could also be looking into rounding out your life experiences through foreign travel, spirituality or philosophical pursuits — all 9th house energies.
Whatever the case, know that change doesn’t happen overnight. There may be fewer earth shattering revelations and more moments of quiet satisfaction in seeing progress over time.
Don’t make the mistake of focusing too much on the mundane aspects or retracing your steps — like the Llama in this card. If there’s any downside to this mentality it’s the dearth of inspiration that can lead to getting stuck in a rut of tedium and routine.
Know that even if you’re not be where you want to be just yet, you’re heading in the right direction and have a clear vision of the path before you. Your ultimate success will make it all worth it in the end.
VIRGO: Four of Swords
This month you may feel like you need to take a breather or just focus on getting some much needed peace and quiet. The Four of Swords — from the Golden Tarot of Klimt — encourages you to disengage from all the commotion that surrounds you and to find your strength through rest and recovery.
It refers to a need for silence, stillness and recuperation that is so necessary when chaos and turbulence surround you. It encourages you to remove yourself 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.
It could be as simple as getting away for a few days to relax and recharge your batteries. And it could be as profound as going on a life-altering pilgrimage or spiritual retreat.
You might also be thinking of getting away from it all. You could be feeling the strains of mundane responsibilities; or maybe you just long to escape from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life.
Take some time this month for yourself and listen to the needs of your body (and your soul). If you can’t get away there are other ways to regain your sanity. Meditation, breath-work, self-imposed silence, etc. — any of these can help you to de-stress and restore your equilibrium.
While you may feel like you’re being bombarded with a lot of external noise and stimuli this month, you’d be best served to stay calm and carry on, rather than let yourself fall out of balance. The Four of Swords reminds you of the need to take care of your inner needs as much as you need to take care of your outer ones.
Libra: Green Dragon Queen
This month you’re going to want to go over your finances and figure out ways to maximize your earning potential. The Queen of Pentacles — the Green Dragon Queen from the gorgeous Feng Shui Tarot — is a wise, practical woman with keen business sense and a no-nonsense approach to life.
Here we see the Queen in deep concentration as she studies under the stern gaze of baleful green dragon standing at her side. She may be checking her facts and figures, or she could be preparing to make changes with the pen she holds in her hand.
The Green Dragon Queen encourages you to think about how you’re handling your business and financial affairs and to figure out ways you can make improvements.
You may need to cut corners to save for a rainy day (note the storm clouds forming above), or you could be looking into long-term investments (note the tall steep mountains that loom overhead).
The Green Dragon Queen is practical and diligent. She stays focused on the task at hand, unmoved by the beauty that surrounds her. She sometimes needs to be reminded to step back and appreciate all she’s achieved rather than focusing so much on achieving it.
As with all the Court Cards in the tarot, this may be you and it may represent someone in your life. It can also indicate a state of mind that is necessary for you to adopt. Whatever (or whomever) she represents, know that it’s time to get serious about the practical matters in your life. While this is most likely tied to your financial situation, it can also apply to other mundane areas.
Take some time this month to think about “business.” How you deal with security and what steps you’ve made toward planning for your future. The Green Dragon Queen says it’s time think about preservation — for yourself and for those who matter most.
Scorpio: Ace of Pentacles
This month you want to be counting your blessings and focusing on attracting more of the same into your life. The Ace of Pentacles — this version from the Morgan Greer Tarot — refers to new opportunities for growth, prosperity and abundance, of which material (financial) gain is only a small part of.
It refers to planting seeds which then grow and flourish, and ultimately begin to propagate and replenish themselves — much like the grape vines framing the scarab on this card.
You want to focus on what you have rather than what you lack. What you’ve invited into your life rather than what you’ve left behind. And what you’re putting out there now, as a means of attracting more of the same. The Ace of Pentacles is a card of assurance and inspiration. It’s a “Yes” card, a manifesting card, a card of limitless promise and potential. If it’s money you want, now is the time to work on attracting more of it into your life.
You may be in line for a raise or promotion, or you could learn of job opportunity that involves a bigger salary. You could also be the benefactor of someone else’s generosity. 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 positive change in fortune. It’s telling you to keep up the good work, to go after your dreams, and to be open to all that the Universe has to offer you.
But remember that money is called “currency” for a reason: It’s expected to flow, both to us and from us. We need to be willing to put our own resources to use if we want to attract more of the same.
SAGITTARIUS: Two of Swords
You may be feeling like you’re pulled in two different directions this month. Or you could be struggling with important decisions that have been weighing heavily on your mind.
The Two of Swords can refer to an impasse or stalemate that’s more likely than not a result of your own indecision. It can refer to a pivotal moment in time where you recognize that the options before you are equally appealing (or terrifying) and that whatever decision you make will have a huge impact on your life.
In this respect it can refer to inaction and immobility. Sometimes this is due to fear: “What if I make the wrong decision?” But it’s just as often related to a desire to not have to choose at all.
This version of the card — from the gorgeous Tarot Mucha — has the classic figure of a woman on a beach blind-folded under a crescent moon. She’s detached herself while the Swords (decisions) before her take form.
She may be leaning toward one option (toward her right which is associated with emotions, psychic perceptions, creativity and spirituality), but she hasn’t yet taken a stand. She may be worried at what that means for the left (the area associated with logic, reason and practical matters) and the sacrifices she’d have to make.
This is the dilemma with the Two of Swords. It tells you that while either decision leads to a different outcome, you can’t know the exact nature of that outcome until you make your choice.
Weigh your decisions carefully this month, knowing that they can have far-reaching repercussions. While you may need to step back and consider each option carefully, in the end you will have to decide and then abide by that decision.
CAPRICORN: Strength
This month should see you becoming more aware of your own personal strength and power, knowing that in doing so you can accomplish anything.
You may have lately been feeling that anything you did was not good enough and the only place you could go was deep inside yourself to draw on inner reserves.
Sometimes we are our own worst critics and other times others are our worst critics but is any of the criticism truly worth it and do you have to accept the criticism from yourself and/or others as the truth.
This image — the Strength card from the Margarete Petersen Tarot — shows that there is strength deep inside you simply bursting to come out and when it does it will feel as if you have shed a skin and are someone else.
It may not be an easy transformation to pull off and it may take some time as can be seen in the cycles of the moon on the upper left side of the image.
However, when you do shed what has been holding you back and see things for what they really are you will simply “shine”. Nothing and no one will stand in your way. There is a predominance of red in this card which denote action. You will not get to where you wish to be by simply sitting back hoping and wishing you need to take some decisive action and put yourself first.
This is not the time to be wishy washy in what you want or what you hope to accomplish. It is time for you to see more clearly what you want, and to knoqw that going for it is going to turn you into a winner.
AQUARIUS: Seven of Pentacles
You may find yourself at a professional crossroads this month, feeling torn between following your dreams and doing what’s already proven itself to be safe and secure.
The Seven of Pentacles represents difficult choices and dilemmas. It can translate to feeling like you’re missing our on something by doing what you do really well but that your heart just isn’t into.
Sometimes we have to make sacrifices (also a hallmark of the tarot’s Seven cards). We can give up our job security in order to pursue our dreams; or we can give up our dreams in order to maintain our job security. It’s a catch-22.
The woman in this card — from the Star Tarot — is faced just such a dilemma. She can’t decide whether she wants to throw herself fully into her work — which she’s already invested energy in and which is also already clearly producing results — or whether she wants to move in a completely different direction.
The horses galloping across the sky call out to her to follow. These are her dreams and aspirations, none yet fully formed. There are Seven of them — just as there are Seven Pentacles and Seven butterflies, all representing different choices and opportunities.
You’ll have to think about what is most important to you this month as the Seven of Pentacles is a card of priorities as well as choices. Ideally you’ll find a way to turn what you dream of doing and what you are doing into one and the same. This is all any of us can hope for in the end.
Pisces: Six of Wands
This month should see you getting some much-deserved approval or recognition from your peers. The Six of Wands refers to support, approval and acclaim, brought about by something you’ve worked hard to achieve.
You may have been putting a lot of effort into your work and not even realizing that others have taken notice. Or you could be unexpectedly pulled aside by a loved one, just to tell you how much you’re loved and appreciated.
In this version of the card — from the Wild Unknown Tarot — we see a beautiful blue butterfly emerging from a sparse landscape of dried-out brush. She may have just emerged from her cocoon and is now taking her maiden flight. This simple rendition perfectly depicts both the sense of “standing out in a crowd” and of “rising above triumphantly” that is so much a part of this archetype.
The Six of Wands is a card of appreciation and admiration. You “win” something and have earned the right to be satisfied with the spoils of your victory. This isn’t about ego or conceit and it’s never at someone else’s expense. There’s a strong sense of being supported and lifted up by others who rejoice right along with you.
You could be in line for a promotion or award at work. You could be given the ok to go ahead with a project you’ve been excited about. Or it may be as simple as pat on the back and some words of encouragement by those who look up to you.
Whatever form this takes for you this month, know that you’ve earned it and that you deserve it. It may just give you the incentive to keep shooting for the stars and manifesting your highest goals.
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This month’s tarotscopes feature some of Ask the Astrologers all time favorite cards. We hope you like them too!
Don’t forget to check out this month’s Horoscopes too!
January 2017 Tarot Scopes
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