TAROTSCOPES: AUGUST 2016
BY: Lindsay Mack · Astro + Tarot, Tarotscopes, The Now Age
Cast by Lindsay Mack, using The Starchild Tarot.
Leo :: Leo Rising / Ten of Cups
Dear Leo, what a sweet month you have ahead of you. And it is so deserved. You’ve been frickin’ warriors the last few months, and now you get to bask in the fruits of your labor a bit.Recent months for you have ranged from a little tough to intensely challenging. I will remind you that the recent crunch has only been in service of birthing you back into your power, helping you remember your innate strength.
And you’ve said yes so bravely. Many of you have had to migrate from your homes. Many of you took the leap and quit your jobs, left your lovers, changed your life. It’s truly been a “do or die” time for your wild souls, and most of you are saying a passionate yes to yourselves. Embracing the medicine of the Ten of Cups is to choose to be available to the beauty of the present moment, however transient it might be.I’ve said this before and it bears repeating: the Ten of Cups is a rainbow; a sunset; a sunrise; a shooting star; a cool breeze on a hot night; the miraculousness of your child.
It is the full hearted understanding that there’s just this moment and that the moment is perfect, filled with treasures. The treasures are there, even though life surely will be filled with its relative challenges and uncertainty. You might not know where you’re going, Leo, but guess what? Neither does anyone else! You can drop the idea that you should know the next step. Who says? It’s just an old ego echo, keeping you from the sweetness of the moment. By boldly embracing the beauty of now, you’re daring to be grateful, to be vulnerable, to be awe-struck. You’re daring to live with your heart open.
True strength is weeping over a beautiful sunset, even though you might have zero dollars in your bank account; even though your marriage might be falling apart, even though you might not know what’s next. Just like the sun will surely set and rise, your bank account will fill again. Your heart will break and heal and be fiercer and brighter than it ever was. You will love again.
So the question is, can you hold both? The not-knowing and the awe? The fear and the wonderment? The dread and the excitement? If this moment is all there is, are you brave enough to choose the beautiful?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising / The Fool
August is going to be incredibly exciting for you, Virgo. The month will be ripe with new possibilities and ideas, an immensely fertile time where nearly anything you want to create or manifest in your life will be within your reach. You do have to stretch your hand out to take it, but the fruit is on the vine, ready and waiting.
The sacred invitation of The Fool will be to leap boldly and bravely into the unknown, into the next great expansion of your life. Think BIG with this energy. The Fool is not foolish; the fool is the ultimate knower of truth. The Fool is willing to look foolish, all because only s/he knows what’s true for them. The Fool is inherently magical, a child in utero—in the world, but not. Anything is possible. The rules don’t apply. The Fool is card 0, the Void, the Starseed. This energy knows that to leap with a fearless heart into whatever we want most, into the unknown, is a commitment to personal expansion.
It is the jump that sets off an entire karmic journey, an entire wheel of experience, wisdom and teachings. It’s the beginning of a new level in your life, Virgo. You stand to gain everything, but you have to be brave. And I’m going to tell you right now: there is no road map for this jump. Don’t bother looking! There are no guarantees on paper, no assurances; there’s nothing to encourage or push you off the cliff—it has to be totally voluntary. It is that energy, that voluntary energy, that sets the whole beautiful cycle in motion. The more commitment you employ, the softer and more abundant the landing will be.
A gentle reminder: please don’t worry if the people in your life see your great leap as foolish. Thank them for their opinions, and leap anyway. Trust yourself. Trying to resist The Fool is exhausting and impossible; you can’t do it. To deny yourself the plunge is to deny your soul. Let them be concerned, but don’t stop for them. They don’t have to get it. Neither do you, in fact! If the dissenting voice is coming from your own mind, tell it “thank you” and just keep going. Leap forward, no matter what. I invite you to be brave, courageous and even a tiny bit excited in the possibilities of The Fool this month. Screw fear, screw resistance—just take the joyful leap forward.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Libra :: Libra Rising / Death
The Death card is bringing in deep “rite of passage” energy for you this month, Libra. It will be presenting the opportunity for important inner work to unfold within you, if you are willing to surrender to it. You will truly be walking from one world into another this month. Life will not be the same—thank goodness! The piece that’s most ready to be recycled in the Death card has to do with emotional calcification.
It is time to thaw and release old thoughts, behaviors and patterns. But even more to the point, it is time to consider that your emotional inner life can swirl around you without you letting it stop you or slow you down. THAT is what is ready to die and be reborn in a new paradigm within you. You are the ocean; your feelings are the waves. You can allow big and distracting emotions to be there without being ruled or controlled by them. It’s time to wring out these old experiences and let them become sacred fertilizer; let them become background music rather than your main event.
The Death work is important for your next big step, because it is carving out so much more room and space within yourself. The energy of the card is really coming through as a “spiritual death” for you, so treat it spiritually. Treat it with reverence. Do ritual or ceremony if it calls to you. Intentionally ask to release all that does not serve your highest expansion to the Great Mother and Father. Reconnect to the idea that you are actually rebirthing, not dying. There’s so much more to come. I strongly advise you to shower yourself with compassion this month. Be sweet to yourself, please, please. Be gentle. Be soft. Make it your most sacred, disciplined practice to regard yourself with tenderness, this month and always.
A lot might come up for you emotionally this month; or nothing might. Just intend to treat whatever arises with kindness. The Death card is here because you’re ready. It is here to compost the outdated processes and stuck emotions, turning them into what feeds the new growth inside of us. Can you imagine all you could do, accomplish and create without the old stories at the wheel? Imagine the joy. Surrender over to it and start feeding the new habits you want to cultivate—your new life. You are ready to step into it.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising / Six of Swords
Six of Swords brings an opportunity to use your mind in sacred objectivity, Scorpio; seeing the forest for the trees and understanding difficult things from a larger perspective. Genuinely rising above your circumstances, compassionately and calmly, is the potential of the Six of Swords. You have the chance of getting very clear on certain parts of your life that might feel dark, confusing or weedy in the thick of the situation. When you intentionally rise above the clang of the ego and brain, there will be so much more of an empowered perspective available to you.
You stand a much better chance of accessing this objective space with loving community around you, which is a huge part of this card. To have a chorus of dear friends and kin around you who can live as your trusted eyes and ears, the hands that lift you out of darkness, is imperative for you this month. Lean on them. If you don’t feel like you have that soul family around you, ask for them to come into your life. They will.
Remember: any Sword card is bringing a specific frequency, an invitation to master an aspect of our brain chemistry. We move through these—from Ace to 10, then from Page to King. At the end of the journey, we ideally will have gained more wisdom around how we think, communicate and move through the world; how we can be more aware of our complexes and ingrained patterns. Being in a Sword card means mastering some aspect of your thinking, Scorpio, so treat it that way. You have the chance to really rise above some old stuff this month. Lean into it hard.
The second thing is that it’s a Six. Sixes are an expansion following a contraction; the Fives in the Tarot are a much tougher lesson for the brain/ego. There’s more opportunity for luminosity and clarity in this card—in fact, that’s the point of it. This month, feeling the connection of community, friendship and empowerment through the journey out of the weeds of your thinking is the brightest treasure. You don’t have to be an island, Scorpio. Let people in. Let people help you. Be willing to be brave and vulnerable. Practice seeing the forest for the trees in any given situation this month, big or small. It’s a part of your mastery as a human being, so say yes to it.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising / Four of Pentacles
Honor your “energetic doorway” this month, Sagittarius. Be mindful of who you allow into your life, and what you open your door to. Not because anything bad will happen, but because your soul might be feeling more tender. There might be more of an instinctive call to be in your own company in August. If this is your experience, it is deeply wise to give yourself sacred space. Doing so will allow you to go deeper within, doing important boundary work. For some of you, you might need the space because you’ll be birthing or channeling new work. If that’s the case, take it!
Four of Pentacles is a woefully misunderstood card. Many folks believe it’s a kind of parable about being closed off and stuffy; holding your money close to you, Scrooge style, shut off from people and the world. That’s NOT what we are talking about here. Fours in the Tarot are a kind of white salt circle, inviting us to draw important lines in the sand around ourselves and the world. They are often very important to the health of the spirit, and it is imperative that we honor these circles with great integrity to self.
The Four of Pentacles is a energetic boundary card for the body and aura. On the Smith-Rider tarot card, the man is holding the coins over his head, heart and feet. His heart, crown and root chakras are closed for business for a little while. This is appropriate, and important, especially for those of you who are more social or work with people in a helping profession. Redraw the lines around where you allow people in, how you give people your space and time—redefine how you nourish yourself. It will be very important, so you can weed out emotional vampires, or where YOU may be reacting out of fear and ego to someone else.
Sometimes this card arises when we need to do some gentle inquiry on where our “stuff” pops up with other people: jealousy, comparison, making mini wars inside the mind. If you have someone in your life who makes you feel that way, Sagittarius, be willing to take some space from them. Inquire about why they trigger that in you. Clear out the wound. Gift yourself the space and time you need, loves. Get clear, and come back into the world refreshed and renewed, open in all ways.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising / The Hermit
This month is offering you the opportunity to deeply retreat into yourself, Capricorn. You are being invited to soften and listen to the subtle voice within you. To do this, we must explore the bones of how we get there in the first place.
Let us land on this word: retreat. Movement away from any stressful or exhausting situation so that our personal well can be refilled. How comfortable do you feel with this idea? Do you believe you deserve such a thing? Is it weak to take breaks and retreats? Do you long for it? Do you know how to give it to yourself? Do you feel that you are only effectual by “doing” and “making shit happen”? All such important questions. You have to check out your personal beliefs around The Hermit, around the value of inner time, before you can come to his cave on the mountains — if you don’t inquire, you won’t even get a foot out the door. That is the first step.
The second step is the journey there itself. How to journey to The Hermit an important piece, which is why you were asked to examine your beliefs around retreats. It’s important to know what blocks you, or you run the risk of just not showing up to greet The Hermit at all. It is a journey to get to him, to get to that place within ourselves. It is supposed to be—just like a retreat. We must live this journey, walk this journey. It’s a doing and a being, not an intending and a “thinking about”. We have to commit to the Hermit, just as we are invited to commit to ourselves. The how of dropping into The Hermit is just as important as the commitment to take the first step. Resolve to explore this within yourself this month, Capricorn.
The main medicine of The Hermit is very similar from sign to sign, from person to person: it is a sacred pause, a time of deep and mindful retreat, and an invitation to go within the self and commune with the wisdom there. It comes to teach us how to refill our own wells, how to listen and pay attention to the inner landscape. Say yes to the first steps, and it will feel as though everything in the Universe is a master teacher.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising / Strength
The Strength card has shown up as an initiation journey for you this month, Aquarius. It has nothing to do with physical strength; it is a mental, emotional, soul strength that is stoked and fired up with this card. It brings up an instinctive understanding that we must walk through a “night between two days” to truly know ourselves and what we are capable of. That is the initiation; to truly know the depth of your ability to walk through darkness and come out brighter than before.
You’ve been through this initiation many times before, Aquarius. You know that every time you step forward to place your hands on the lion, as the woman is doing in the Strength card, you are shown that what scares you or holds you back is nothing but vapor. Take big, brave steps—within those steps are the keys to a big personal expansion this month. The Strength card asks us to befriend something that scares us. To say yes to it—to invite it in and listen to what it has to say.
It is very similar to the Buddha inviting Mara in for tea; the more we say yes to the things that bring up fear, the faster they will dissipate. You’re being invited to regard whatever you’ve got going on in your life with the heart of a warrior, Aquarius. To be brave and courageous. To move, travel, tell them you love them, show everyone your art, tell your boss you’re quitting—to embrace the lion with softness and trust. Whether internal or external, this place of fear actually has a very important message for you. It is bringing a treasure, make no mistake.
For the more courageous you are this month, the more abundance will flow into your life—monetary or otherwise. You came here to live in a very different frequency than the rest of us, Aquarius. The more you claim it, the more your life will overflow with what you truly desire. That’s the mastery of the Strength card in the first place—to venture past what scares us into the medicine that lies on the other side of the fear. The medicine is truly that we don’t have to let fear stop us from being in our power. Any piece of you that doesn’t want to be seen in the realm of what you are passionate about is the piece to be untangled this month. Step up, speak up, be freed.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising / Ace of Wands
Ace of Wands is all about sharing with the world who you are and what you’re here to do, Pisces. An extremely valuable energy, it can feel like we are blazing forth through life on a wave of energetic passion in this card. Other times it can feel like a much quieter thing. No matter how it feels, use it. When we get the chance to create fire, we use it. Whether you’re crafting a little campfire to cook your food, or a bonfire to conduct ceremony with dozens of people, you have been initiated by fire and by creativity with this card. You must use it well, and share your gifts with the world.
The message that I keep getting for you this month, Pisces, is a deeply resounding: “you’re ready.” You’re ready. You’re always going to be the deep and watery starbabes that you are. It is really about finding a safe way to be out in the world and rock out your dream, blending fire with your water; whatever feels emotionally, psychically and mentally stable and consistent for you, walk in that direction. Some of you are doing this beautifully, but the heaviness of the world is still tough on any Pisces, mainly because you are picking up on all the heaviness, competition and blocked energy out there. No matter where the source of it springs from, it can be tough to bear after a while. How do you cope? You use the Ace of Wands.
You let the fire come through you to be a magical ally for the water within. In other words, you have to start working with the idea that while you might absorb a ton from others, it’s your responsibility to wring out the sponge. Cleanse it with your inner water, let it just flow through your nervous system and out the door—then blaze forth and keep going. You have much to do, and much to create, all flowing from the eternal energy of this particular Ace.
You’re ready, Pisces. Ready to “come out,” so to speak, ready to take up space, to claim your power, to live in your flow, your creative nature, and your freedom. Aces are gifts from God: so stretch your palms and heart open, willing to receive whatever inspiration will blaze you forth into your next great creative expansion.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Aries :: Aries Rising / The Star
Aries, do you remember “Mary Poppins”? She was the magical nanny who swept into the lives of Jane and Michael Banks, taking them on chalk painting adventures and to tea parties with penguins. When the parents have stopped “seeing” their children, when there is a disconnect within a family, Mary Poppins is called. She shows up (literally from the sky) to heal the divide, and stays until there has been a reconnection, a rebirth within the unit. She is the quiet healer of fractured families.
You’re in The Star this month, Aries, and the best way that I can describe the energy of this to you is that of an Aquarian Mary Poppins. She comes to the door with her magical suitcases, and doesn’t leave until the job is done. Her job is to heal your nervous system from past trauma, hurt, burnout, and fear, to reconnect you with your inner child. She doesn’t stir up; she soothes and calms. She integrates. She brings the dawn of a new hope, a new way within our being; she opens our hearts up to the Goddess. Once the work is done, she slips away so quietly we don’t even notice. The Star is here to heal any fractures within your being this month, weaving and reconnecting all aspects of your inner family web, making you whole again.
You cannot go forward without saying yes to The Star. Do you hear me, Aries? The invitation is not going to go anywhere, and to say a full hearted yes to this energy will make your life so much smoother. Don’t worry about the future this month, don’t worry about what’s next. You must rebuild before your next steps can unfold. You must clear, reintegrate, and allow for softness, gentleness, caring, and self-soothing. You must allow the healing to wash over you like a warm bath. There’s no other option for you this month.
Once you have space within your body, heart and mind, so many new things will flow in; so much more will be possible and available to you. Life will be easier and more luminous. This is the deep medicine of The Star. Healing as a requirement, and as a total restructuring of our foundation. Crack open the door to your heart open and let the Divine caretaker, the Star, the Goddess, heal your ancient wounds. Trust and set yourself free.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising / Nine of Wands
Building up and maintaining your energy wisely is August’s highest invitation for you, Taurus. It feels very much like you are poised on a divine diving board, waiting for the sound of the whistle that will kick off the swim meet. The entirety of the month might feel like you’re on that diving board in chair pose—knees bent, arms stretched out in front of you, building heat. The key will be to hang out in the excitement, intensity and anticipation without jumping the whistle. If you can sustain the build up, this month will be the energetic preparation for the next big leap in your life.
You are really being invited to explore what it means to choose rest within pressure, to find comfort within discomfort. Softness is always available to us, even within more pressured moments. Nine of Wands is a divine signal for us to emphasize physical and mental decompression during an intense energetic time. It is also an incredible sign of wonderful things to come—it really only arises when we are about to embark on a really powerful, energetic expansion. It is important and crucial that you have a full well to meet this new expansion with, Taurus, so take the nourishing rest where you can. If you push it too hard, you will burn out.
August’s key self care tools for you are: conscious breathing, grounding and good food. Starting with breath assures that you are consistently clearing out any stress or buildup of emotion. Grounding is an intentional connection to the Great Mother, to the heart of what it means to recharge and receive. You can start very simply: laying your body on grass, taking yourself to the Ocean, working with crystals. Lastly, make sure you’re feeding your body for health, stamina and wellness. It doesn’t have to be complex. Keep it very light and simple within the intensity of the energetic build up.
Remember, Taurus, this is all happening because you’re ready for a soul stretch! For a heightened ability to take on more passion projects. It’s a really juicy time. Really be present and mindful, say yes to active and empowered self care—it is all in the name of giving your body what it needs to sustain these high frequency energies without pushing yourself too hard. It is only bringing goodness your way. Hold the pose until you hear the whistle.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising / King of Cups
This month is a powerful leveling up for you, Gemini, especially around the areas of creativity, emotional balance and leadership. King of Cups is a really beautiful energy and a true emotional master. What does that mean? It means he is someone who has truly embodied what it is to differentiate between feeling and fact, and chooses to live exclusively in the realm of truth. The waters may swirl, storms may arise, but King of Cups understands that he is the unshakable container that holds everything—he knows that whatever he is feeling cannot be bigger than him, which is exactly what makes him a great leader.
As a result of this mastery, he is gentle and emotionally available. He’s a beautiful listener, and can weather most things. King of Cups is someone who can be of service even when they have a headache, personal issues, or stuff on their mind. It’s not that King of Cups is pushing, forcing or hiding anything he’s going through—he just knows how to walk in both worlds. He knows how to care for a headache and go about his day, all in the name of sacred service. August is going to give you situation after situation to invite you up into this mastery, too, Gemini—into the place of holding those two worlds within yourself. Even if you are not in healing work, this energy will be important and useful to you. It will make you better parents, lovers, co-workers and humans on the planet.
The first place to start is by doing deep inquiry and grounding work on your thoughts: are they feeling or fact? What are you believing? Are you more in the inner world than the outer world. Very important questions. The second is to step up into more service, whatever that means to you. Say yes to giving a little bit more. Be willing to consider that by being available to others, you’re also giving a healing to yourself. It will show and prove to you how expanded you are and how much more so you can become.
You will have so much more room in you for creativity, for psychic flow, and for mindful peace in this card, too. Once you loosen the slack on absorbing all the emotional business around you, you will see where this great emotional and intuitive leader lives in yourself. Be willing to be of service and not take it home with you—you have a lot more room on your plate than you believe you do.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising / Four of Cups
Rest and digest is your mantra this month, Cancer. Live, eat, drink and breath this wisdom over and over again. Say no when it is really a no for you. Process what’s already come. Give yourself generous space and time socially, romantically and emotionally. It is imperative that you honor August as an important transition, a portal, one that has the potential to foster a deep and unshakable trust within you. It is here to help you embody that it is safe to rest and take breaks; that everything comes at the right time and you need not worry about missing anything. Truly.
The most important and challenging aspect of the Four of Cups is that of trusting our intuition. This card carries a golden medicine: that what is meant for us cannot miss us. Never, ever, ever, ever. Not even if we disregard it, slam the door on it, wreck ourselves with guilt, indecision, and longing over it. Whatever is ours will always come back to our doors effortlessly; you do not have to question or suffer over your choices this month, Cancer. The emotional break is exactly what’s needed, so give it to yourself.
When we continue to eat food after we are full, we can get a stomachache—and our emotional centers work in much the same way. Take the time and honor your spiritual digestion this month. Doing so will allow all that you’ve imbibed and absorbed over the recent past to really drain out of your system, clearing and making room for the new to drop in.
Honor the tough moments within this sacred integration and digestion with lots of self love; FOMO, or fear of missing out, can really arise with this card, and in a more existential way than we might initially perceive. But it’s all good—its just the brain, the ego, the inner little one. Simply scoop that part of you up, explain the truth to her (that we cannot miss what is meant for us), and keep honoring your sacred space. This is the way we evolve; living our truth and giving ourselves what we need while honoring our fears, worries and inner experiences. Doing so is not only facilitating the integration of that trust in the timing of your life, but also preparing a clean emotional slate for you to receive the new on.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Lindsay here and follow her on Instagram.