By Robin Gow

June is one of my favorite months. Not only because it’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month, but also because the world is bursting with the full force of summer. During this time, I sense an overwhelming feeling of liberation. From the unfettered growth of plants, to festivals that bring queer communities and their allies together, to Juneteenth celebrations and the lengthening hours of light in a day — to me, June is one of the most generative and transformative months of the year.

June was chosen by LGBTQ+ activists to celebrate Pride Month because the historic Stonewall Riots took place in June of 1969 — a moment when queer and trans people, specifically led by trans women of color, many of whom were sex workers, fought back against police who were raiding gay bars. The riots marked a key point in the history of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States and the world. Now, I am not expecting everyone to go out and spark a revolution, but this is a month to channel that revolutionary energy and work towards building the world and life you deserve.

Sometimes our revolutions are quiet. A small revolution could be setting aside weekly time for all your friends to get together and share what you’re struggling with while baking brownies, or it could be something larger. You could use this month’s energy to take the steps you need to plan a creative community project.

At its core, June makes me think of fire. Generative fire, destructive fire, and all that falls in between. There is so much we can learn from the flames of transformation and liberation. With that, let’s see what the cards have to offer us for June. I chose to draw from the Fifth Spirit Tarot by Charlie Claire Burgess because of this deck’s nuanced explorations of liminality and boldly queer and diverse imagery.

For each card, I also offer a mini-ritual to explore the message further.

Queen of Swords, The Hermit, and Seven of Pentacles from Fifth Spirit Tarot.

Queen of Swords — I love the guidebook’s description of the Queen of Swords as “a survivor.” The Queen of Swords, to me, conjures images of a well-seasoned community leader. She enters a space with emotional care as well as a keen eye for logic and discernment. I see this card calling on us to channel this energy in our lives and learn from those who emulate it. When times feel complicated or confusing, we sometimes lean more towards an emotional response or a cold and stoic response. The Queen of Swords reminds us that balance is key to moving forward.

Ritual: Flourishing From Our Roots

Research an LGBTQ+ activist from history. Whether you’re queer or not, there’s a lot we can learn from people who fought for a more equitable world. Here is a list of people you can start with. Do you see the qualities of the Queen of Swords in them? Are there any lessons you want to take into your life?

Thinking about these questions, your ritual is to write for a minute only about the emotions you’re feeling right now. Then, flip that piece of paper over and think only concretely about what you’re feeling. When you’re done, you’re going to tear the page up and look at the fragments. Turn the pieces over in your hands. How do these realities intermingle? How do you make sense of them, and what did you learn about how others have explored similar thoughts and situations?

The Hermit — This card feels a little contrary to the overall energy I feel in the month of June, which always makes me think of gathering with friends and celebrations of all kinds. The Hermit card is here to remind us that there might be some great insights to be gained from carving out time for meaningful solitude this month. The art on the card shows a person sitting in the wilderness. In the softness of their face, you can see they are in a state of relaxed contemplation. This is the kind of reflection that can’t come from a short meditation video. The Hermit invites us to get away. Maybe this means saying no to plans, staying behind when friends are going somewhere for the weekend, or possibly carving out some deliberate time for peace and quiet.

Ritual: No FOMO

FOMO stands for “fear of missing out,” and that’s generally something I feel when I decide to take time for myself instead of going going going with friends or family. This ritual is meant to help you channel the energy of The Hermit and dive into self-discovery.

Set out and pick a specific day to be your Hermit Day. This will be a day where you don’t make any plans with other people. Think of it as a day-long retreat. You don’t actually have to go anywhere, but if you enjoy the forest or other peaceful areas in nature, feel free to make it a physical retreat. Throughout your Hermit Day, reflect on aspects of being alone that you miss sometimes when you’re with others. If you don’t miss anything specific, what can you appreciate? Then, in the evening, make a short list of thoughts or lessons you’ve had from the day that you want to carry into the rest of your world.

Seven of Pentacles — We’re almost at the halfway point of the year, and June is a great moment to check in with the trajectory of the year. Seven of Pentacles tells us we’re going to start seeing some of the fruits of our labor. I usually associate this card with one of the early harvests. We typically think of autumn as harvest season, but there are dozens of little harvests throughout the year, especially if you’re a forager. (I’m not, but my partner is, and I’m lucky to go along!)

While we might be tempted to frolic in our delights this summer, this card reminds us that these fruits didn’t materialize out of thin air. We worked hard for them. They took time. What worked and what didn’t in your path leading to this moment? The Seven of Pentacles tells us to learn from our successes and missteps and to keep growing.

Ritual: From Sweetness to Seed

Often, when we enjoy a piece of fruit, we might not think much about the seeds, other than getting them out of the way so we can chow down on an apple or a peach. But what if we saved just one of those seeds to plant more fruit? Well, this ritual honors that sentiment, but with writing.

Think of a movie, song, book, or poem you enjoy. Now, take a line or phrase from that work and use it as a first line in a poem or story of your own. This exercise can be a great way to witness how one moment of harvest or joy can lead to another. You can also use something you wrote to generate more! If you’re borrowing language you didn’t write yourself, just make sure to credit the original author.

Now, let’s jump into what the cards have to say for our individual signs. Check out your June Tarot-Scope below!

June Tarot-Scopes

Using the Fifth Spirit Tarot by Charlie Claire Burgess, I’ve pulled a card from for each zodiac sign to offer guiding messages and hopeful insight.

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 a journaling prompt to help you delve deeper into your monthly message.

Queen of Cups, Nine of Swords, and The World from Fifth Spirit Tarot.

Gemini — Queen of Cups: The image on the Queen of Cups in this deck depicts a fortune teller at a table with an open chair in front of them. Before her is a bowl of water, emblematic of the suit of cups and often symbolic of emotions. For me, what distinguishes the Queen of Cups from the somewhat similar High Priestess is the focus on strong emotions. You’re really going to feel things this month, and you might find this a little difficult. Sometimes, as a Gemini, you feel yourself pulling away when emotions get too intense. The Queen of Cups is reminding you that, when you stay present during emotional moments, you often have an opportunity to grow, both individually and in whatever relationships are important to you. This might be a conflict with a friend or loved one, but it’s not going to end disastrously; it’s going to lead you both to new and healing change. The Queen of Cups might literally be someone else in your life who can help you tap into your own emotional wisdom. Or she might be waiting inside yourself. Regardless, take a seat at her table and feel into your emotions. For an additional journaling prompt: What is your least favorite emotion to feel? Can you think of the last time you felt that way? What would that emotion look like if it were a kind of water (think rain, snow, lakes, oceans)?

Cancer — Nine of Swords: All of us have something we’re afraid of, but for you, Cancer, some of your deepest fears generally have to do with the loss of security, especially in relationships. When I think of June and relationships, I think of summer love and the way all kinds of connections (romantic, platonic, and familial) feel like they’re in full flourish. The imagery of the card shows a gruesome display of swords, daggers, and saws. But something you’ll notice is that they’re not doing anything. They’re just tools. Likewise, you are haunted by all the ways your relationships could hurt you, not how they necessarily will. The Nine of Swords tells us to check in and do some paranormal investigation. Is the haunting real or is it a draft? A faulty door? A creaky floorboard? The best way to cope with these fears in a relationship is to address them head on. Don’t ruminate in fear over how things might change or what you might lose. See what’s here now and talk to your lovers, friends, and family about what’s on your mind. For an additional journaling prompt: You know how we sometimes have nightmares about what we’re worried about in our waking life? Write a nightmare for your current biggest worry. When you’re done, reflect on what the nightmare tells you about your worries. Did you learn anything new?

Leo — The World: Your ambitious and charismatic Leo heart gives you a complicated relationship with the ends of cycles; that’s what this card represents. It’s a fulfilling end. The World represents wholeness and a brilliant space behind binaries, and yet, you are someone who always thrives most in the thick of things. Coming to this moment of fullness, you might find yourself feeling a little unfettered and already thinking about what’s next. Instead, take this time to honor the journey you’ve taken through the Major Arcana, starting with The Fool, all the way to this point. What have you learned in this cycle? What do you appreciate about yourself for how you managed this journey? For an additional journaling prompt: Write about what wholeness means to you. What are the pieces that make up your whole? You can draw a picture too, if that helps you!

Ten of Cups, Knight of Cups, and Three of Wands from Fifth Spirit Tarot.

Virgo — Ten of Cups: You’re not the type who likes to “overflow” with emotions. In fact, people generally know you as someone who keeps their emotions close to their heart. The cups overall are somewhat uncomfortable for you. The good news is that this waterfall of emotions you’re going to feel will be positive. Whether it’s contentment and fulfillment in your relationship with yourself or someone else, the Ten of Cups tells us that our emotional “cup” isn’t just full, it’s overflowing. You might feel hesitant to accept this kind of love, but when you embrace it, you’ll feel content in yourself, so much so that you’ll find yourself wanting to share that joy with others. The art on this Ten of Cups is particularly whimsical. I think the playful dancing goldfishes embody the exact energy you need for this time in your life. For an additional journaling prompt: Write about a moment where you couldn’t contain your joy. How did you let it out? If you don’t feel you’ve felt that way, what in this world helps you feel fulfilled in your relationships (either with yourself or others)?

Libra — Knight of Cups: You probably wouldn’t describe yourself as a hopeless romantic. Okay, that’s an understatement; you probably would never describe yourself that way. You crave balance and stability, which are awesome qualities to have for many parts of our lives. However, the Knight of Cups is here to encourage you to channel your inner hopeless romantic. The guide book for this deck calls the Knight of Cups the classic “chivalric knight” who believes in “beauty, love, and romance.” As a Libra, it can feel catastrophic to let the world dip into imbalance, but not all imbalance is harmful or life-ending. We all need to have a day (or a few weeks!) to give in to the magick and dreamy romance of summer. The art on this card features a roller skater with a boombox sipping happily on a soda. Though you might not be able to find yourself quite embodying this dreamer, let yourself give in to their carefree energy. Knights are also cards of action, thus the Knight of Cups is calling you to channel their dreamy energy towards movement. This could mean inviting your friends on a last-minute road trip to a fun bookstore or skipping work in favor of a day of walking in the woods. Let your whims guide you, and you’ll discover something new about the joy that some measured chaos can offer. For an additional journaling prompt: Answer the question “where would your heart lead you if you follow it?”

Scorpio — Three of Wands: You’re no stranger to setting plans in motion. Your ambitious and passionate nature means you’re always either in the thick of a project or charging towards another, not only with intensity, but also with a well-thought-out plan. On its surface, this is what the Three of Wands suggests we do. In the natural progression of the suit, we move from early creative sparks to cultivating hearths that feed our imaginative selves. I love the image of hot air balloons in this card because I think it illustrates a more specific meaning to the Three of Wands: it’s time to reach for the sky. While you love to drive your ideas forward, you typically like to stick to a plan for growth. In this moment, I think the mystical message this card offers you is to stretch a little beyond your comfort zone. There might be an opportunity to soar, and you’ll miss it if you’re sticking to your more common Scorpio patterns. For an additional journaling prompt: If you were granted a wish for anything in the world, what would it be?

The Chariot, Justice, and Six of Swords from Fifth Spirit Tarot.

Sagittarius — The Chariot: You’re the kind of person who’d willingly take a plane to just about anywhere for an adventure. This quality has definitely made you wise, with all the lessons your antics have given you. The Chariot is here to say that this season of your life might be an opportunity to focus a little bit. The image on the card shows a roller-skater with their skates’ laces interwoven around them. If you’ve ever skated, you know there’s a lot of balance and coordination required. You have to be deliberate about where you place your feet and what’s coming up ahead in order to end up where you want to be. Speaking of — The Chariot also tells us this is a time to ask yourself big questions. For example, the guidebook prompts us to ask “Where am I going?” and “What are my goals?” For an additional journal prompt: What are two qualities within yourself that create some of your biggest internal tensions? How do they push and pull each other? (For more on The Chariot card, listen to Episode 10 of Typewriter Tarot’s Your Creative & Magical Life podcast.)

Capricorn — Justice: Your critical and thoughtful nature means you’re no stranger to internal (and external) debates about justice. The Justice card invokes both the idea of justice within the systems of the world we navigate and our own internal sense of justice. You might consider the following questions: Are you acting in ways you believe are just? and Where do you want to make change? The guidebook calls this card “a personal audit,” and I totally see it that way. Such a task can feel long and hard, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to complete this work all in the month of June. After all, justice itself is a huge and nebulous concept. This card is simply calling you to begin the work of taking stock of where you are. Tune in and have conversations with friends about it as well. For an additional journaling prompt: How do you define justice? What does justice look and feel like to you?

Aquarius — Six of Swords: Better times are on the horizon. Aquarius, you are often independent and don’t always like to open up and share when you’re going through something difficult, even to yourself. Now, coming out the other side of some struggles, the Six of Swords tells us we’re moving towards something better, even if we still feel a little lost. The art on this card shows a raft out at sea, but don’t forget the birds flying above! You are not alone in your wandering as you find your footing, and you don’t need to bear this journey alone. This is a time for you to regain stability and share about your struggles with others. Through them, you might even find a brilliant new direction. For an additional journaling prompt: Write a list of unknowns. What are you not certain about in your life and in the world? Then, share these with a friend and discuss them.

Ace of Wands, The High Priestess, and The Fool from Fifth Spirit Tarot.

Pisces — Ace of Wands: I love what Charlie Claire Burgess writes in the guidebook, that “All Aces are gifts.” This Ace, especially so. You have been creating for awhile, but you’ve maybe been lacking that spark or sudden flame of creative passion that really kick-starts a project. Well, this is your moment. The imagery on the card shows a hand reaching for the flame but not quite grasping it yet. In the past, sometimes your care and focus on other people instead of yourself has blocked you from grasping that creative fire when it arrives. It’s not a bad thing to focus on yourself. Tell your friends: this is your self-celebration era. They know you’re one of the most thoughtful and kind people in their lives, and they’ll appreciate a chance to support you too. For an additional journaling prompt: Imagine yourself like the image of the hand reaching for the flame. What might be holding you back from taking that step to grab the creative spark? What would it feel like to let your creative spark turn into a flame?

Aries — The High Priestess: While June’s boisterous energy suits your charismatic and determined spirit, this card is calling on you to tap into qualities that might not come naturally for many Aries. I often imagine The High Priestess as the balancing energy to The Magician. Where The Magician tells you you’re ready to “go forth and create,” The High Priestess is here to tell you that there are things you don’t know or have yet to uncover about yourself. Essentially, their message is: “Come closer and take time for self-discovery.” You might feel some discomfort in this. Afterall, we all want to be in on the secret. The good news is that, like The Magician, The High Priestess reminds us we already contain all we need. The Fifth Spirit’s guidebook entry on The High Priestess concludes with this message: “Open to the mystery and you’ll find your key.” I couldn’t have said it better. For an additional journaling prompt: Is there anything about yourself, whether it’s an emotion or a tendency, that feels like it’s a mystery, even to you? We have an impulse to try and figure things out, but I find that sometimes trying to approach them analytically can still leave us searching. Instead, write about how the unknown and the mysteries of yourself feel in your body. What emotions do they bring up for you? (For more on The High Priestess card, listen to Episode 3 of Typewriter Tarot’s Your Creative & Magical Life podcast.)

Taurus — The Fool: When you encounter The Fool’s playful and optimistic energy in other people, your general impulse is likely one of recoil, as someone who is generally described as grounded and reliable. The Fool is not necessarily completely unfettered, but they hold the ambitious and risk-taking energy you need to start a great new journey. This card is calling you this month to let the wind carry you into something new and exciting. It’s going to feel unsteady to release yourself from the ground you cling to, but where you’re headed, there’s new land that will embrace you. The guidebook compares the “0” of The Fool card to an egg, and I love that symbolism. There is so much potential here this month. It might be a new opportunity for you to stumble upon or a potential new friendship. Regardless, take the chance, and something brilliant will hatch from it. For an additional journaling prompt: Have you ever told yourself that a goal or an idea you had was too foolish to pursue? What was the idea? What can you appreciate about it, and are there aspects of that idea you want to explore in other ways? (For more on The Fool card, listen to Episode 1 of Typewriter Tarot’s Your Creative & Magical Life podcast.)

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About Robin Gow

Robin Gow (it / fae / he) is a trans witch from rural Pennsylvania. It is the author of YA and middle-grade books, several poetry collections, and an essay collection. Fae works as a community educator on topics of queer and disability justice. Gow also teaches a class on poetry and witchcraft with The Magickal Path School of Witchcraft called Enchanted Incantations. Learn more at RobinGow.com or on Instagram at @robin_gow_poet and on TikTok at @transdemontologist.

Typewriter Tarot-Scopes: June 2024