Tarot reading for September

Recently, I’ve been strangely resistant to actively doing anything. I don’t feel like writing or painting or slinging cards. At first, I thought I was burnt out or experiencing a creative block. But as the days went by, and all I wanted to do was read to the exclusion of everything else, I knew I was dealing with something more than stress.

What I needed is a sacred pause: some time to introspect, to integrate all that I have learnt and achieved during the year so far, and to spend some time planning and envisioning what I want to go after next. So instead of a traditional tarot reading for the month, I decided to draw some cards to help us reflect, journal, dream, and plan. I hope you’ll find this Sacred September tarot reading nourishing.

Remember, this is a general reading for the collective. My intention with this one was: what do we need to introspect on and why. I used three different oracle decks for this particular reading.

Tarot reading for September 2018

Our first card is from the Manifest Being Seen oracle, and says: That one thing that changed everything. A breaking point or moment of inspiration when you knew you had to start your journey.

We often tend to look back at a one-year period to see how much we have grown and what we have achieved. But have you ever reflected on your seven-year life cycle? I had heard about the seven-year cycle a number of years ago. At the time, I didn’t really give it any thought, but when I started dabbling in astrology earlier this year, this concept came up again. Astrologically, Uranus returns into our chart every seven years, marking strong turning points in our life that bring about radical change, discovery and individuality. Astrologers map out Uranus return by age {so at ages 7, 14, 21, and so on}, but I find The Seven Ages of Man defined by Claudius Ptolemy in the second century of the common era much more interesting.

“Ptolemy believed that everything that existed is connected to everything else and is ultimately linked to the planets. Each planet was given attributes, many of which are still used today by astrologers. This led to the concept of each person being a unique microcosm of the cosmos, thus providing a model for explaining our journey through life, each planet ruling a designated number of years.” – Mo Abdelbaki, Gaia.com

Running with this concept, if you look back at the last seven years, what turning points do you see along your journey?

You may find points where there were opportunities that you took, and those that you ignored. There may have been challenges that seemed insurmountable, but looking back now, you may see that you did manage to fight them. Spend some time this month reflecting on this seven-year journey {from 2011-2018}.

For example, if I look back to 2011, I was going through a severe identity crisis. I was suffering from depression and was rudderless and adrift, with no meaning or purpose to guide my days or my life. It is during this seven-year period that I battled depression, and slowly found my way out of the mist and into the life that I have now. My art journey also started during this time, as did my deepening spiritual and meditation practice.

This is just one part – the broadly positive part – of the things that unfolded over the last seven years. As you go through this process of remembering and reflection, you will uncover a lot more. There will likely be some missed opportunities, some what ifs, and some disappointments. All of this is good data – it will help you to gain immense clarity on what next.

Sacred September journaling questions

Here are some journaling questions to help you on your explorations – take your time with these:

• What went well over the last seven years?
• What did you not do, but you wish you did?
• What did you do that you wish you didn’t?
• What did you do not enough of?
• What have you had enough of?
• Is there a thread running through these last seven years that you were not able to catch?
• Is there a path that is coming to its logical end?
• Is there a path that still stretches ahead of you and into the wild unknown?
• What possibilities do you see glimmering on the road ahead? How does it make you feel: excited, scared? Why?
• What can you start doing to move towards those possibilities?
• What areas do you want to focus on for your next seven-year cycle?
• What intentions can you set?

A big, juicy exploration such as this can be daunting sometimes. But it is important to remember that you’re currently just sketching in some broad, sweeping strokes. In art terms, this is like setting down the initial layers of your painting, when the canvas is still open, and you can still take it in many different directions. This isn’t meant to be the start of a new seven-year plan, unless that’s the way you roll! This is simply a time to pause, check-in on your journey, and orient yourself for the years ahead.

As you answer these questions and see what is rising up for you, remember not to get overwhelmed. No matter what areas of focus come up for you, you don’t need to have a detailed map to how you will achieve your next seven-year plan. Just figure out the first step, and then the next, and before you know it, you will be walking firmly towards those shiny possibilities you envisioned this month.

With all the introspection and the planning, don’t forget to take some time for sacred self-care too. This would be a good month to weave gratitude journaling, changing your mindset, or adding an at-home retreat into your long-term self-care practice. And while you’re introspecting and reflecting on your journey, remember to be gentle and kind with yourself, no matter what. There are cycles when we drift and cycles when we make huge strides. Recognizing and witnessing our cycles can help us to slowly and surely make the changes that we desire. Doing it with kindness and compassion for ourselves makes the journey easier.

I hope this reading resonated with you, and if you have any questions at all, do let me know in the comments!

And if you need some support with changing old patterns or blocks; or bringing about a change in any area of your life, consider booking a Tarot reading with me. I’ve been told they’re really helpful. 😉