Typewriter Tarot-Scopes: July 2024
By Madeleine Gunhart
Litha (also known as Midsummer or the Summer Solstice) just passed here in the Northern Hemisphere, and many of us are either relishing the honeysweet anticipation of warmer months, or dreading the heat, or feeling pressure to “make the most” of the season.
Summer is often embraced as a time of freedom — filled with fun, socialization, leisure, and carefree outlooks. But summer has a stickier side as well — harsh heat, wildfire smoke, body-image triggers, the cacophony of cicadas, and the potential for social burnout, to name a few warm-weather pests.
If you’re like me and you struggle with summer, you’ve probably been labeled a downer, accompanied by a that’s-too-bad grimace. (But you’re not a downer!) Listening to and trusting your own perceptions can be hard, especially when your point of view goes against the grain. But remember this: your experiences and opinions are sacred, even when others don’t understand them. Whatever feelings summer stirs up for you are valid!
Whether you’ll be enjoying long days at the lake or holing up until the weather is bearable again, I hope you can look after your mind, heart, and spirit in the coming month. Speaking of which, alongside your SPF and hydrating beverages, we’ve got you covered with one more July essential: your personalized Tarot-Scopes!
July Tarot-Scopes
For each zodiac sign, I’ve pulled a card from The Mind’s Eye Tarot by Olivia Rose to lend you a message of support, inspiration, and intention for the month of July. Feel free to read the Tarot-Scope for your sun, moon, and rising signs, or go with the one that resonates most for you. Each Tarot-Scope includes an additional Tarot pull or creative prompt to help you further connect with your monthly message.
Knight of Swords, Eight of Wands, and Eight of Cups from The Mind’s Eye Tarot.
Cancer — Knight of Swords: Cancer, you’re used to taking things slow — determining the social and emotional temperature of your surroundings before you poke your head out of your shell. Caution and analysis are useful tools, but some situations require swift, bold action. Ask yourself: what might you be avoiding out of fear of being direct? Whether it’s a tough (but necessary) conversation or an anxiety-inducing appointment you’ve been putting off, try to tackle that scary to-do list item head-on this month. You’ll feel better once you do! For an additional creative prompt: Place the Knight of Swords in front of you and study it for at least one minute, paying special attention to how it conveys quick, bold energy. Then, journal about the following questions, being careful not to self-censor or hold back: 1. What looming task is emotionally affecting you most right now? 2. What means of support — from yourself or community — could help you tackle this task? Read your answers back and condense each of them into one direct and actionable sentence, free of excuses or disclaimers. (For example: A lengthy paragraph about wanting more affirmations and encouragement can be condensed to: “I will ask my friends and family for verbal support.”)
Leo — 8 of Wands: Events and recreational opportunities tend to pop up in the summer months like daisies, and it can be tempting to do it all! Yes, Leo, you should absolutely indulge and have fun! Just make sure you’re not losing sight of what you want amidst all that excitement. Think about what your goal is for July, and channel your energy and focus towards meeting it. We often think of goals as pertaining to work, productivity, and growth, but they can also be about enjoyment, relaxation, and leisure. Maybe your goal is to spend as many days swimming as possible. Maybe it's to finish a hobby project or play through a video game. Maybe it’s to go to the farmer’s market every week and make a new recipe with the goods you purchase. Whatever you’d like most for your coming month, lock in and let yourself go after it with gusto! For an additional Tarot pull: If you’re having trouble deciding what you want this month, let the cards help you! Remove The Sun (the Tarot card associated with your brilliant zodiac sign) from your deck, letting yourself study and drink in the card for at least one full minute. Then, draw one to three cards to point you in the direction of your delight.
Virgo — 8 of Cups: In a society that urges us to “never give up” and frequently tells us not to be “quitters,” it can be hard to listen to our intuition and recognize when it’s time to leave something behind. Virgo, I understand the urge to want to prove your mettle and embrace every opportunity that comes your way. But remember — not everything is meant for you to take on! Try this for a reframe next time you feel guilty about stepping away: Quitting doesn’t make you flaky or lazy. Leaving a situation that’s not clicking with you is a demonstration of your wisdom and self-knowledge. When you spend less energy on tasks that are draining you, you’ll have more energy to devote to the things that matter to you most. For an additional Tarot pull: Draw three cards, asking the following questions: 1. How will your intuition let you know when it’s time to leave a situation behind? 2. How can you help yourself be at peace with quitting? 3. What’s something you should consider stepping away from?
The Devil, Ten of Pentacles, and Five of Swords from The Mind’s Eye Tarot.
Libra —The Devil: Libra, is your dedication to external harmony creating inner discord? Encouraging a peaceful social climate is a worthwhile pursuit, but not when it sacrifices your own equilibrium. The responsibility you place on yourself to be a perpetual peacemaker is a heavy chain that can restrict and bind you. Being so actively concerned with everyone else’s mood will wear you thin, and you may often find yourself suppressing your authenticity and true desires in the process. Plus, attempts at social smoothing can also unintentionally restrict others. Try loosening your control and your belief that sowing harmony is your duty alone. In the end, it will help everyone feel freer. For an additional Tarot pull and creative prompt: Draw a figure to represent yourself (as detailed or simple as you want — a stick figure, or even just a circle!). Pull three Tarot cards, asking: What responsibilities are you unfairly chaining yourself to? Place these cards around the figure, drawing a line from your figure to each card. Then, write a brief sentence labeling what responsibility each card represents. Then, pull three more cards, placing one in the middle of each connecting line. These cards represent how you can work to break or loosen these chains. Write a bit about these chain-breaking strategies along each respective line. Keep this drawing somewhere where you can regularly see it all month long.
Scorpio — 10 of Pentacles: Try not to focus so hard on planning the future that you overlook the resources you currently have at hand! You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to achieve your goals! When tackling a project, use resources that you and others have gathered over time to jumpstart your effort (for example, don’t be afraid to use templates, blueprints, recipes, inspirations, or frameworks that are available to you.) It isn’t “cheating” or a shortcut to make use of the tools you have; it’s efficient and resourceful! Remember: making things harder for yourself does not equate to doing a better job. In fact, taking advantage of established resources and materials may just help you be more successful. For an additional creative prompt: Complete a fun project this month using a pre-established framework. Some examples: baking from a boxed mix, crafting using an all-inclusive kit, writing a poem using a generative template. Notice the thoughts that come up for you as you engage with this activity, trying to observe them without judgment. Then, when you’ve completed the project, take at least five minutes to journal about the process, including some of the following themes: What resistance did you notice during this project? How did having a framework or resource help you achieve something you might not have otherwise? What did you enjoy about this activity? How can you take this knowledge forward to other aspects of your life?
Sagittarius — Five of Swords: Check your relationship to competition this month. We’re often led to believe that our own success can only come at the cost of others’, but try to challenge this mindset! Sagittarius, I know you constantly want to explore, learn, and discover. Don’t buy into the false narratives of scarcity; there is enough attention, knowledge, and space for us all. Other humans aren’t your competitors, but rather friends and allies in your pursuit of an enjoyable life. Next time you feel yourself becoming jealous or anxious due to someone else’s success, take a deep breath and remember: someone else’s gain isn’t your lack. Jealousy can often be an arrow pointing toward our own wants or insecurities. With this clarity, we can often find creative ways to meet our own needs and fulfill what seems to be lacking. For an additional Tarot pull: Pull a card, placing it in front of you, and imagine a reason you might be jealous of the figure(s) on the card. For example: you might be envious of The Empress for her beautiful adornments and the sweeping vista she’s lounging in. (Feel free to pull another card if you’re stumped.) Set a timer for three minutes, and let yourself write down all the jealous feelings that come up, allowing them to be as scathing and dramatic as possible. Then, read over what you wrote and spend five minutes journaling on specific insecurities, wants, or perceived lacks that these jealous feelings might be pointing to and how you can work with them.
Four of Cups, Page of Wands, and The Fool from The Mind’s Eye Tarot.
Capricorn — Four of Cups: Stop forcing yourself to learn things that don’t interest or serve you! Try to challenge the word “should” when it crosses your mind. Next time you find yourself thinking, I should know this, ask yourself, Why? Maybe you’ll find a reason to pursue this knowledge. (For example: I should learn to bake because I’d love to have fresh carrot cake every weekend.) Or maybe you’ll realize you can let go of the expectation to learn a particular skill (Example: I feel social pressure to know how to apply make-up, but I have no real desire to wear it.). You don’t have to know everything. Community exists so we can fill the gaps in each other’s understanding. Let go of the idea that you have to carry the entire knowledge of the world all on your own, and practice deferring to others. For an additional creative prompt: Set a timer for three minutes and fill up a sheet of paper with things you do not need to be an expert on, no matter how silly or absurd they seem. (For example: “I do not need to be an expert in kayaking, rearing sheep, or 15th century architecture.”) Then, read over your list and journal about how it makes you feel. Are you experiencing relief, frustration, or something else entirely? Write about it and circle any especially insightful thoughts to revisit later.
Aquarius — Page of Wands: Aquarius, you’re a visionary with the ability to create big and wonderful things. But remember this: all ideas have to start somewhere. It can be frustrating to exist in that gap between your perfect vision and your current reality, but every step of the process holds its own beauty and importance. Work towards loving ideas in their nascent stages, and try not to rush them. Not everything has to be grand right away. For an additional creative prompt: Set a timer for two minutes, and list as many things as you can think of that are uniquely enjoyable during their early or transitional phases (For example: baby ducklings, the smell of onions cooking before the meal is complete, etc.) Try not to censor yourself, letting any and all ideas flow. Then, read over your list and journal about any feelings that came up during this exercise and how they might relate to your own projects and ideas.
Pisces — The Fool: Pisces, you’re often labeled an old soul, but perhaps it’s time to let yourself be a beginner. Practice spontaneity and a safe, fun version of recklessness, just to see how it feels. What if you set your responsibilities and preconceived notions down, just for a day, an hour, a moment? What if you let yourself call in sick to work and go on a hike, or skip your regular laundry night and treat yourself to an evening of takeout and movies? Even though people love to solicit your wisdom, you don’t always have to be a sage. You deserve to be a little irresponsible and free-wheeling sometimes. For an additional creative prompt: Set a timer for 10 minutes, and journal about your ideal sky’s-the-limit day of carefree fun. What would you do if you had no responsibilities and could treat yourself to anything you’d like? Once the 10 minutes are over, look over what you wrote and think of two to three ways you can turn your pie-in-the-sky dream day into reality. (For example: If you wrote about visiting the Louvre but can’t make that happen just yet, look into local museums and treat yourself to a day of local art.)
Queen of Cups, The Emperor, and Three of Swords from The Mind’s Eye Tarot.
Aries — Queen of Cups: Aries, I know it can be tempting to bury your emotions so they don’t slow you down or ruin your fun. But your feelings need tending too, and you’re due for an emotional check-up this month. Set aside some time to parse through your inner world, and try to be patient and understanding with what you discover there. Confronting feelings can be big, daunting work, but you’ll feel so much lighter for it in the end. For an additional Tarot pull: Get comfortable, taking several deep breaths and giving yourself a hug or another soothing physical gesture. Pull three cards, asking the following questions: 1. What feeling is longing to be heard? 2. What is this feeling trying to tell you? 3. How can you tend to the needs surrounding this feeling?
Taurus —The Emperor: Spend this month getting organized in a way that works for you. Buck traditional expectations of what an ideal schedule should look like and ask yourself: How would you like your year, your month, your days to look? Create a schedule that feels good, even if it’s quite loose or doesn’t make sense to others. Remember that you get to structure your own days (and your own life!). You are the ruler of your days, so don’t be afraid to structure them in a way that serves you, even allowing for parts of your schedule that feel imperative or mandatory. For an additional creative prompt: Prepare a sheet of paper with three columns. On the left-hand side of each column, list each hour of the day you’re typically awake, leaving plenty of space between each entry (for example: 7AM through 10PM). Fill out the first column by jotting down what you normally do during each hour. Then, fill out the second column with what you’d ideally like to do during each hour, trying to ignore any obligations. Use the third column to marry your first two lists, looking for places you can accommodate activities from your ideal day into your regular schedule. You don’t necessarily have to stick to this new schedule, but use it to guide you in opening up more space and letting yourself do more of what serves you and less of what doesn’t!
Gemini —Three of Swords: Pay some love to your hurts this month, Gemini. You may often feel pressure to present as playful and amicable, but make sure you don’t ignore the pricklier side of life. You are a dynamic, complex individual, and you deserve to acknowledge all parts of yourself. Your pain doesn’t make you dark, scary, or difficult, and it’s okay to let it show. You are constantly lifting others’ moods, so let your trusted people help you feel lighter for a change. For an additional Tarot pull: Place the Three of Swords in front of you. Draw three more cards, each one representing one of your emotional wounds. Take some time to journal about each card, touching on topics such as: What hurt does this card represent? How have I been hiding it? How might I safely show it to others? Pull as many supplementary cards as you need to help you answer these questions.
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About Madeleine Gunhart
Madeleine Gunhart is a writer, witch, and Tarot reader from Seattle. She enjoys helping folks connect with themselves through empathetic Tarot readings and writing fiction that empowers and enchants. You can find her on Instagram at @madeleinegunhart.