Hi hello, yes… it is already almost September, and it is time for another tarot check-in! First, how are you? How has this year been treating you? I feel like half the time, I have been steamrolled with one thing after another. It hasn’t necessarily been bad things, just a lot of things, all at once, if that makes sense. I know there are a few of you that have had terrible years so far, and a few of you that have had amazing ones!
So, how are you? Are you looking forward to September? I mean, we’re almost to Halloween! 
Anyway, we can get on with the check-in!
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 August Relevant?
Let’s take a minute to look at August’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.
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
The three cards I pulled as the update for August were Seven of Wands Reversed, 10 of Cups - Left, and The Tower - Right.
The reading for August was pretty spot-on for me. I have had to set boundaries and make my expectations clear. I have had to be sure my support system is truly there to benefit me (in a mutual way, of course) and not just here out of convenience or greed. My Tower moment was… well, I don’t think I’ve quite figured that one out. But hey, at this point, there are still a few more days left in August. Anything is possible, right?!
If you want to refresh your memory of the August reading, click here!
This month, we are looking at the month of September!
As a reminder, the collective reading for the month of September has us looking at Ten of Pentacles Reversed.
September 2023: Ten of Pentacles Reversed
This month, you may find yourself in a position of financial loss. It may not be something that will ruin your life, whatever that means to you, but it will sting a bit and cause you to evaluate your relationship with money and wealth. Are your standards too high? Do you have expectations for yourself that are so unrealistic that it stresses you out? That stress is going to be felt this month whether we like it or not. It may be time to rethink our idea of wealth, success, and money.
Read more: Ten of Pentacles – Spells8
With this card in mind, I took three deep breaths and pulled three more cards to give us some more guidance on where September is headed. This month, I used Traditional Manga Tarot.
Three tarot cards lay on a green tile background. From left to right, the cards are as follows: Knight of Cups, Eight of Wands Reversed, and Four of Wands.
Knight of Cups: Creativity, intuition, and being emotionally led are all things I associate with the Knight of Cups. This month, we may be led by our hearts in our endeavors, following creativity and altruism wherever we go. Rather than thinking logically like the Queen of Swords from last month, the Knight of Cups has us making decisions emotionally. This can be a double-edged sword, because if we are highly charged with a volatile emotion, we may not be thinking clearly. Watch your emotions this month and how they affect your ability to make decisions.
Eight of Wands Reversed: We are going to experience some frustrations this month with how long things take to happen. Rather than being able to direct our energy efficiently, we will get caught up in things that are out of our control. This will cause delays in our ability to finalize projects - physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional - and this will be upsetting for us. It could be that we are resisting some sort of change, the lack of movement having us at a standstill. Be aware of what is going on around you and make sure you aren’t holding any unnecessary resistance.
Four of Wands: I am at a loss for this card and how it plays into the reading this month. The Four of Wands is a joyful card - celebrations, family, homecomings - and with the cards I have already pulled, I am struggling to see the connection. Through all the chaos and “doom and gloom” of the rest of the reading, we have this happy and joyful card. We will be spending time with those we love, and maybe those we have not seen in a long time. There will be a lot of harmonious energy, a lot of passionate energy, but it will not be overly strong. We will have time for relaxation and enjoying life, so take full advantage of that when you get it this month.
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…
Another monthly reading that I’m not too excited about. I will be honest here - I haven’t looked forward to the last few months in general because the readings have all be kind of… not the best or most positive. This one is no different, it seems. We have the loss from the Ten of Pentacles Reversed. With the Knight of Cups pulled here, I think the loss we may experience will come from making emotionally charged decisions. If we can reign in our emotions this month and not get carried away, we may be able to avoid the loss altogether.
As the Eight of Wands Reversed suggests, things aren’t going as fast as we want them to. Our energy may seem stagnant, and things are slowing down in preparation for something else. I feel like this card makes sense as we approach the dark half of the year and get closer to Samhain. However, that doesn’t mean I have to like it! Be sure that you focus on what you need this month rather than what you think you should be doing. We don’t should on ourselves, okay?
Lastly, the Four of Wands is such a positive card that it sticks out like a sore thumb in this reading. I think this is our hope for the month - we will have joyful times, and even amidst everything that’s going on, we shouldn’t lose sight of those moments. Keep a journal and make sure you remember the happy times this month. You may need to reflect on them if you find yourself down, frustrated, or even depressed. The happy moments are there, and they will always be there, we just aren’t conditioned as a species to remember them the most.
I went back and looked at my personal yearly reading (I haven’t posted it anywhere - it’s in my journal) and I had pulled the Knight of Swords Reversed. So…that fits with the rest of the reading in regard to burnout, being restless, and having a lack of direction with my energy. I will be curious to see how it all plays out, and to hopefully avoid the financial pitfalls described by the Ten of Pentacles Reversed!
What do you think?
Do you have any insight to share from the collective reading? And how do you think September 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
I think that’s a great way of looking at this reading!
especially with the projects I have that need to be completed before Samhain 
I’ll be pretty busy!
