Your August 2022 Monthly Tarot Reading

Let’s start August with a five-card tarot spread asking, “What do we need to know this month?” In this tarot reading for August 2022, the message is to confront issues directly and compassionately in order to gain clarity and improve your situation.

How I Read Tarot Cards

The call to action from this month’s reading is to address discomfort, particularly with people you are close to. Open and honest communication will improve your relationships in the long run. Give yourself time to cool off and process your emotions if you’re feeling heated, but don’t wait too long to take care of an issue you feel strongly about. You’ll feel better when you do.

I’ve often had to revisit this theme as a mixed-Romani fortune teller working in predominantly white spaces. For Roma, tarot reading, palmistry, tea leaf reading, and other forms of divination are family trades born out of persecution, beginning when Roma arrived in Europe from India around the 1400s. Roma popularized these practices through the Western world, but are regularly policed for this work, and just for existing. Meanwhile, the slur “Gypsy” is commonly appropriated by white occultists, and white fortune tellers frequently dress up as Roma to do their work. I often need to breathe through my discomfort and calmly explain to people that, although they don’t intend it, appropriation and stereotyping are harmful. There is an ongoing Romani human rights crisis worldwide that is rarely discussed accurately, and instead is fueled by misinformation. Sometimes these confrontations go really well and we reach an understanding, and sometimes they don’t. Either way, I try to address it. This month’s reading suggests that this kind of action will provide a sense of calm.

The five cards below represent embodiment, or your energy right now; situation, or what’s around you at the moment; obstacle, or a struggle you’re facing; action, or what to do about it; and a lesson, or what you will learn from this month.

Embodiment: Five of Wands

The Five of Wands is a card of conflict, which can be internal or external. In this spread, it’s in the position symbolizing what you’re feeling right now, or the energy that you’re in. Wands are represented by the fire element, so often the emotions feel heated, like anger or passion. Wands call for communication and action, so this card can appear when you either need to express yourself, or you’re in a position where you can’t avoid it. If something has been bothering you, this is a good time for you to take steps toward addressing it.

Situation: Four of Pentacles

The Four of Pentacles suggests that the situation you’re in, or the context for this conflict, has to do with your sense of security. The pentacles suite usually represents material concerns, such as wealth, home, or health. While this card can represent abundance, it often comes with a fear of losing what you have. You might be afraid that telling others how you feel might compromise your stability in some way, or change your relationships.

Obstacle: Three of Cups

The Three of Cups is a joyful card of celebration and friendship. When positive cards show up as obstacles, it might mean that you are having trouble accessing that energy. You may be having issues with friends, colleagues, or community members that you don’t want to talk about directly. Or, you could be struggling with personal issues that you’re afraid to share with others, even though you could use the support. Everyone needs a safe space to express themselves. It might be helpful to talk about the matter with an impartial person — a therapist, or a separate group of friends — in order to prepare yourself for dealing with it head-on.

Action: Nine of Wands

The Nine of Wands symbolizes what you can do next to resolve this matter. This is a card of hope despite a difficult situation. It suggests that you should take a pause and try to understand the nature of this conflict from all angles before diving into communication. It’s time to address whatever has been weighing on you, but you can do it with grace and improve the relationships you have with yourself and others.

Lesson: Seven of Cups

The Seven of Cups, the overall lesson of this spread, warns you not to indulge in catastrophic daydreams about what could go wrong. Instead, confront what troubles you, try to see yourself and others as they truly are, and to make decisions from there. You might learn that you have a tendency to idealize or demonize people, or make assumptions about others that are actually projections of your own issues. Everyone does it! Sometimes the disillusionment of this card can be uncomfortable, but it is liberating to have clarity.

How To Use August 2022's Tarot Lessons

To take action with this month’s reading, be compassionate as you resolve conflicts. You can role play how a difficult conversation might go with a therapist or trusted friend, or write a script for what you want to say. Music and other art forms can get you in the headspace to advocate for yourself too. The Romani feminist girl band Pretty Loud is inspiring because they sing about difficult topics like misogyny within the Romani community, even though not everyone wants to hear it. I also love the podcast Roma Unraveled because the hosts, Cristina and Fen, unflinchingly tackle difficult issues from anti-Romani hate crimes to microaggressions. These resources show how you can address conflict head-on with grace. Your communication doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be real.