Ah! September is the beginning of Spooky Season for me! I was having a bit of late summer lull and was drawing a blank on a theme for this month when my Tarot partner had a brilliant idea: Lightness and Darkness or Joyful and Somber. Balanced decks that exemplify a positive view and are more happy-go-lucky, and serious contemplative decks that are dense and “deep” readers. Interesting! This is the perfect back to school theme. I have done black and white deck themes before, light and shadow of the self as well, but this is more specific to the way the deck tends to read. I love this juxtaposition because it is asking for overall well-rounded decks.

I’ve used all of these decks rather extensively with the exception of the new Verdance Tarot, the second Tarot child from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law who made my beloved Shadowscapes Tarot. Verdance is just a gorgeous deck with great cardstock, and while there are similarities with the Shadowscapes, it definitely has a much lighter feeling to it. I’m looking forward to really getting to know it this month! While it is an “animal” deck, it also has plenty of humans and fae AND it is rather watery with it’s colors so it feels plenty summery as we enter the first balmy days of September.

My True Black Tarot seemingly needs no introduction on this blog. If I had to choose a somber and serious deck out of all my decks this one would always take the prize. It is certainly not a mean deck (unlike The Lubanko or The Corrupted Tarot which definitely have some…sharpness to them), but it takes itself seriously.

Tarot of the Golden Wheel is like that friend who can always see the silver lining, no matter what the situation! And, despite using it for many years it still gives me pleasant surprises. While it isn’t a “fluffy” deck, it always remains bright and intriguing.

The Terra Volatile has been my deck love this year. After just adoring the large collectors edition I broke down and purchased the regular edition when they ran their most recent printing run. I also sprung for the VERY large companion book. This deck is really deep. While the cards are classic RWS/Thoth/Marseilles, the images bring more questions than answers at times. This is a complex deck for sure that makes you stop in your tracks. And think.

One of my biggest struggles with Oracle decks in general is I dislike lack of balance in the content. The Seed and Sickle is an incredibly neutral feeling deck, where the cards can have positive, negative, and neutral readings. I take issue with the two separate books, but because I love the idea and the art I get over it (mostly) and use both in a reading.

Lets get on with the reading!

A very interesting blend of backs.

We open with thoughts of Spring! My monthly oracle card is lucky number 7, with the Cherry (and cuckoo). The cherry tree is one of the earliest blooming trees and often is romantically associated with spring, but it’s blossom period is very short lived. This can speak to a new period of activity, a short window of opportunity, a fleeting happiness or renewal of happiness, and springing forth on a new endeavor. There apparently is a myth that the cuckoo will continue to sing until it has thrice eaten its fill of cherry blossoms. This myth makes me think of self care, enjoying the moment (carpe diem), being an early actor, and using the situation to your benefit. Okay! Nice way to start the draw.

From the Verdance I drew the 7 of Cups, which in the guide book is titled “The Illusionist.” It acknowledges the imaginative power of inspiration but asks us to “discern wishful thinking from reality.” Opening with the very dream-like cherry, I see this as abstract ideas taking root. Grounding ideas that have only prior been in the mind. There is some work that has to be done to decide which ideas are most viable. Everything looks very pretty and nice in theory but in actual practice can fall short. I also notice the dragonfly, which to me is a powerful symbol of transcendence. I must not only look at which “lotuses” have strong roots but I must also view the bigger picture from above, removed from my self. Interesting.

This is paired with the Terra Volatile’s traditional Empress. She looks very regal but incredibly exhausted! She has the trappings of a classic Tarot Empress, the throne, the wheat, lush vegetation and with that the unbridled, almost primal creativity and ability to birth something new into the world. Paired with the Seven of Cups I see her as having the courage to choose a path of action amidst many choices and having the faith to mother that concept because you believe in it. But, as seen with the flaming pierced heart on her shield, there is heartache in creation, and the pain of letting other ideas go. There is definitely something that I’ve been thinking about I’m going to take action on!

The Golden Wheel’s Six of Swords may be by favorite portrayal of this card out of all my Tarot decks. I’d actually have never drawn this card from this deck until this monthly reading. I love this image of a child being lead through the windy forest by an elder towards a beautiful glorious body of water. This card speaks to me personally with some past experiences, but it’s also just beautiful as well. With this cards, I see a new wind is blowing. I have the opportunity to use it to my advantage. There is something that looks beautiful and great ahead. It is both somewhere I want to go and someplace that is a safe haven. A brave person will help me to this place, but in the end only I have the ability to bring myself there if I so choose. I will have concerns and reservations about going, I worry not about what is ahead, but what remains behind me. It feels very much like the cusp of an adventure, but there’s always that hesitation of going forth into the unknown.

The partner card is the beautiful Justice from the True Black Tarot. It is an ongoing joke between my Tarot pal and myself that Justice really does haunt me in my personal readings. It’s not often though that it appears in my monthly readings. I typically read justice as facts and truth, discerning the “right” choice, answering for wrongs, trying to right a wrong, and accountability. Paired with the rest of this draw, I see this Justice advising that the choice(s) ahead is not easy. Each path has unique sets of challenges that I’ll have to answer for. But its important to strike a balance between my personal goals and ideas and what is necessary to be done. Sometimes things in the past have no good solution and are left unresolved. I may see that as I move forwards, others behind might refuse to come to terms with where I am going. There is an aspect of having to see the truth clearly, how denial will not shelter one from repercussions. It also assures me that things will be righted in the end.

Now that I’m looking at this from the “birds eye view” as suggested in the seven of cups, I’m going to go ahead and briefly look at the other pairings.

7 of Cups paired with the Six of Swords: I have many choices; will I stay where I am or will I move forward with this new wave? There is an overall positive, invigorating feeling. I am naturally creative and driven so it makes sense I will go forward, just make sure I’m leaving behind the right things. I also feel the ability to see both above and below the water—lilies that bear flowers need to have roots that connect them to the earth—there is more beneath just a good idea. Be realistic and set realistic goals–with this attitude you can sail beyond the horizon! Be willing to litmus test by going into deeper waters, taking calculated chances.

And then looking at the III Empress and Justice pairing: I envision the age-old struggle of the heart vs the mind. Having hard truths, yet being able to love despite the reality. I see these two as holding space for both things, you can be just and still profoundly love and care. You can be creative and bring newness into the world and still be truthful and honest. Letting that which does not help you, go. Keeping true to yourself. Holding space for the inner truths and emotions as well as the hard cold outer truths and realities. The heart burning in silence, and the truth winning out. Certainly a powerful and strange juxtaposition.

I see this month as being a precipice on which I will make a decision of what to do next, an action that will happen either with or without me and it will happen quickly and the window of action is small. It is both exciting but also sad because there are aspects that I need to let go of and dreams and ideas that will die and be left behind. I’ll have internal struggles as well, having the need to balance both my needs and desires as well as facing the reality of situations and needing to act fairly. Geez, lot of stuff! How about you? How is September looking for you?