July is just about over and we are reaching another turning point in the Wheel. We are looking forward to the first harvest or the coming of Spring, depending on where you live. It is hard for me to believe that the year is more than halfway over. In my practice, this is about the time I start retreating inward for self-reflection.
I am not sure how others view this period of year, but it always makes me hopeful for the future and grateful for what I already have.
Now that we are closer to August, it is time to review the collective reading from the beginning of the year!
If you need a refresher for our collective reading, you can find that here → Peering into 2023 
Collective Tarot Reading. If you are new here, this is a periodic divinatory reading I do to shine a light on the collective reading that I do at the beginning of the year. The cards pulled here for the next month are a reflection and check-in with the relevant card from the yearly reading.
Was July Relevant?
Let’s take a minute to look at July’s collective reading card and update, just to see what was relevant. Then we can move on to this month’s check-in and the cards I will pull.
July 2023: Seven of Pentacles Reversed
With the difficulty of the last few months, July may see you wallowing in self-pity. This isn’t a good place to be, of course, but sometimes we can’t help it. I think this card is the epitome of focusing on the tiny details rather than the big picture. We may get so caught up on the little things that need to be done on a regular basis that we aren’t preparing for the future. We aren’t making plans and seeing our long-term vision come to life. When we can’t plan for that, we can end up feeling unsuccessful, like life is just slowly passing us by. Focusing on the big picture and long-term success this month should prove to be very helpful!
Read more: Seven of Pentacles – Spells8
The three cards I pulled as the update for July were Temperance Reversed, the Queen of Swords - Left, and the Five of Swords - Left.
Last month saw some heavier cards than what I had hoped for. However, I feel these cards were much needed. The messages came through loud and clear. We needed to focus on ourselves internally. There was a lot of clutter that needed clearing, as shown by the sword cards that were pulled. If you were not honest with yourself in July, chances are that you were not able to clear the clutter and regain balance.
I personally felt off-balance, but I know I mentioned that in the July check-in, too. I also know I am not the only one that felt this off balance energy. @Marsha has shared in the energy check-in posts that there have been a lot of solar flares and other solar energy affecting us as well. I feel that I have regained my balance, or at least I am almost there! I hope you have been able to find the balance you needed, too.
This month, we are looking at the month of August!
As a reminder, the collective reading for the month of August has us looking at The Queen of Swords.
August 2023: Queen of Swords
Calm, cool, and calculated – these are all words I would use to describe the Queen of Swords. She thinks rationally and logically, taking swift action when necessary. This energy will carry you through August, especially after the last few months of potential struggle. This Queen is not afraid to set boundaries for herself, make them clearly known, and stick to them. Direct and clear communication will be necessary this month to make sure you are not misunderstood. Stick to your boundaries and be clear.
Read more: Queen of Swords – Spells8
With this card in mind, I took three deep breaths and pulled three more cards to give us some more guidance on where August is headed. This month, I used Dark Days Tarot by Wren Brignac.
Three tarot cards lay on a black background. From left to right, the cards are as follows: Seven of Wands Reversed, 10 of Cups - Left, and The Tower - Right.
Seven of Wands Reversed: If this card doesn’t scream Hey, I am sooo freakin’ tired to you, then I don’t know what will. The Seven of Wands reversed points to exhaustion, burnout, and an overall feeling of overwhelm. These feelings are coming from inside of us rather than outside. We are our own worst critics, and when we feel this sense of overwhelm, we tend to retreat inward and avoid everyone around us. If you begin to feel overwhelmed, take stock of what you have around you. Is your to-do list full of redundant tasks? If so, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities.
10 of Cups - Left: Usually, this card makes me happy. It is a card that reminds me of support systems, family, and loved ones. The art on this card especially gives me that feeling. Everyone is gathered around the table, eating and happily enjoying everyone else’s company. When turned inward, as the card facing left describes, we are internalizing this need for support. We may feel like the support we do have isn’t enough. Now, whether that’s true or not is up to the individual, but this feeling looks like it will be staying for a while.
The Tower - Right: Ahh, the ever-hated Tower card! I have seen this card myself too many times in the last month to be surprised that I pulled it for this reading, too. As this card faces to the right, this Tower moment seems to be outside of ourselves. Rather than this being an external moment of chaos, things around us may fall into chaos. This may involve work, our home lives, or our friends. Honestly, it could be related to anything outside ourselves. Whatever comes crashing down will eventually benefit us, but we won’t be able to see that benefit until we are on the other side of the Tower moment.
Just as a reminder…
The Card of the Year: The Seven of Rods
- conflict, protecting what you’ve worked for, passionate disagreements
Goals of 2023: Justice Reversed
- lack of balance, unfair treatment, honesty with others
Obstacles of 2023: The Sun
- keeping the peace, complacency, people pleasing, avoiding confrontation
Putting it together…
Umm…yeah, okay. I am not too thrilled about this reading. I was kind of excited when I pulled the Queen of Swords for the original reading. That was the light showing us that as long as we can be calm and collected, everything will be okay-ish. Now that we have these three cards, I am convinced that the Queen of Swords is going to be extremely important this month.
One thing that came to my mind with this reading was how the 10 of Cups came right after the Seven of Wands Reversed. I think us internalizing our need for support shows us that we may go too deep into ourselves with the overwhelm or exhaustion. We may not feel like we can rely on our support system, for whatever reason, and that will be to our detriment.
I want to caution throwing out your entire support system. As long as they are helping you, as long as your support system is doing what a support system does, be very mindful of retreating too much. You have to actually ask for help when it comes to getting support.
Going back to the Queen of Swords and setting boundaries, it could also be possible that we are exhausted because of our support system, but that is going to depend entirely on the person. You will need to determine the situation for yourself. If your support system is overwhelming you, or if they are taking more than they give, it may be time to cut your support system loose. At the very least, setting clear boundaries with those you love - and even those you just tolerate - will be especially important.
I am not excited about August. I haven’t looked at my personal yearly reading yet to see what card I drew, but now I’m a bit scared! I hope August treats you well and that you are able to set the necessary boundaries!
What do you think?
Do you have any insight to share from the collective reading? And how do you think August is going to go?
If you want to do your own reading for the month, you can find the current infographic below. I also have a blog post that goes into more detail about each card in the layout. You can find that post by clicking here .
I also have a video that details how I use this spread!
→ Tarot for the New Month || A Simple Four Card Tarot Spread! [CC] - YouTube
always
and am ready for a break!
Goodness, 1 surprise event after another with several small fires to attend to 