As we slowly creep into fall, it's been filled with rainy days up here in the mountains. I'm so grateful for the rain, but missing the sunshine. The Rainbow Heart Tarot is bright and cheerful, a perfect contrast to these darker skies. What I love about this deck is that at first glance it feels like one cheerful note, but look closer and you'll find it has quite a lot to say.
That was the energy of the cards pulled this month too. I found myself reaching for some of my favorite tarot books, especially by Theresa Reed, to go a bit deeper. I know these cards well after a decade of reading, but there's always something new to learn. It was fun to revisit familiar meanings and uncover a new layer of understanding.
If you'd love to learn how to read tarot for yourself, I have a class coming up on Saturday, September 12 on Zoom. I hope you'll consider joining me. In the meantime, I'm wishing you a powerful September. It looks like new layers of understanding are everywhere.
💕 Jackie
Table of contents
Virgo, the Moon can feel especially heavy for you, the great unknown you'd rather map out in advance. It's easy to mistake that discomfort for fear, when really it's uncertainty asking you to loosen your grip. But imagine if you knew everything that was coming. How quickly would the magic drain out of your days? Because the not knowing is exactly where the wonder lives. Right now, the Universe may be shaking things up on purpose, nudging you beyond your comfort zone and into something you couldn't have planned for. The Moon can be a place of sorrow, confusion, and fear, or it can be an opening into creativity, possibility, and whimsy. You don't have to know what's coming to trust that something beautiful could be waiting for you.
Obsidian is the crystal to reach for when you're ready to face the shadows. As you embrace the unknown, let its gentle yet solid psychic protection give you the safety to look more deeply, without turning away from what you find. Allow Obsidian to become your mirror, revealing truths, hidden patterns, and the magic that exists not only around you, but within you. Sometimes what we fear discovering is exactly where our greatest transformation begins.
Libra, the Four of Pentacles can be polarizing, whether upright or reversed. It lives in that space between expansion and contraction. You're either stepping into stability, creating solid foundations, as fours represent in numerology, or you're still grasping for the security you're dreaming about. Which one are you, sweet Libra? This September, I'm encouraging you to embody the healed version of this card. Regulate your nervous system, tackle the to-dos you've been avoiding, and take a closer look at your finances. You may discover that the things you've been building up in your mind as scary are actually much more manageable once you're willing to look at them. Security doesn't always come from having everything figured out. Sometimes it comes from finally being willing to face what you've been avoiding. I promise, Libra, you'll come out the other side feeling far more grounded, capable, and secure.
Green Calcite is your ally as you face some of the underlying fears coming to the surface this month. This stone is subtle, grounded, and oh so healing. A beautiful heart opener, Green Calcite gently shifts your focus from what feels missing to the abundance flowing around you and within you. As you tackle the ledger this month, don’t forget to look at more than just the numbers. Take a moment to recognize how much is already in the green, not only financially, but in the places where your life is growing, expanding, and supporting you. Sometimes security begins with noticing how much you already have.
Scorpio, I’m going to challenge the collective with this one, but I’d argue that no one loves deeper than a Scorpio. Hear me out. Scorpio is the sign least afraid of the shadows and one of the most deeply focused on soul connections. Small talk can feel almost impossible when you’re looking for something real. But when you connect with someone and allow them into your world, you guard and protect that bond with every fiber of your being. Consider yourself blessed to have a Scorpio as a close companion. The Two of Cups is often associated with romantic love, but romance is about so much more than partnership. This month, whether you’re attached or single, invite more romance into your life. What romantic actions could you take on your own behalf? Where could you slow down and make your everyday life feel a little more beautiful, sensual, and intentional? What would it look like to romance yourself instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you? Scorpio, you already know how to love deeply. This month, make sure some of that devotion comes back to you.
Garnet is the stone of grounded love. Whether you’re offering your love to someone else or learning to offer more of it to yourself, it all begins in the same place. Garnet invites you to root yourself in safety, stability, and the knowing that you are worthy of the love you so freely give. When love has something solid to grow from, it doesn’t have to be chased, forced, or earned. Give yourself somewhere safe to bloom, and watch true love follow.
Divine destruction, but make it cute? That’s immediately what came to mind when I pulled The Tower from this beautiful, colorful deck. The Tower has a way of ripping everything down to the studs so you can finally begin again. Losing a job you hated. Ending a relationship you knew was toxic but couldn’t seem to escape. Watching a plan you were certain about suddenly fall apart. The Tower does the work for you. It can feel unsettling, even devastating in the moment, but remember that what is being cleared is no longer contributing to your highest and greatest good. Sometimes the Universe has to create the space before you can see what was waiting to come in. Get through this September knowing that even when the destruction feels dramatic, something really magical is waiting for you on the other side.
The stone that matches the energy of The Tower is moldavite, but we don't play that way here. Moldavite became wildly popular when people watched it demolish their lives completely, then rebuild something steadier once the dust settled. People started saying "okay, crystals actually work," and honestly, they weren't wrong, moldavite does work. But at Totems & Tarot, we don't carry it, for a few reasons. Chief among them: we don't believe transformation has to nearly break you to be legitimate. That's not resilience, that's just survival dressed up as growth. Prehnite is moldavite's softer, gentler cousin, here for the very same profound shift, minus the demand that you burn your life down to prove you meant it. It asks a different question than moldavite does. Not "how much can you lose and still come back," but "how much can you become without losing yourself at all." That's the invitation. Meet this season of change with an open heart, not a closed fist, and let steadiness be its own kind of transformation.
The phoenix rising from the ashes feels like the perfect symbol for the Seven of Wands. You’ve been through the fire, and perhaps you’re still standing in it, wondering how much longer you’re expected to hold your ground. But every difficult lesson, every challenge, and every moment that asked you to become stronger than you thought you could be has been building something in you. The Seven of Wands isn’t asking you to fight every battle. It’s asking you to know which ones are worth fighting for. Protect what you’ve built. Stand firmly in what you believe. Hold your boundaries even when it would be easier to give in. The battle may not be over yet, but you are closer to the other side than you realize. This is not the month to abandon yourself or everything you’ve worked so hard to create. If you’ve been looking for a sign to keep going, consider this it.
Capricorn, as you become clearer on what it means to stand steadfast in your truth and stop abandoning yourself, try carrying a piece of Tiger’s Eye. Known as the crystal kingdom’s stone of strength, this stunning stone is a powerful reminder that you can do hard things. One of the enduring truths about Capricorn is your commitment to honesty, hard work, and seeing things through, even when the road gets difficult. Let Tiger’s Eye remind you that those qualities aren’t just things you give to the world. They are strengths you can lean on for yourself, too. As you move through the fire this month and the ashes threaten to overwhelm you, trust what you already know about yourself. You are stronger than this moment, and you don’t have to abandon yourself to make it through.
Aquarius, don’t get offended, but the Ace of Swords is basically a perfect pull for you. You were already going to get heady and examine things from every possible angle, so this card is giving you permission to go even further. Let your mind wander into all the fascinating scenarios. Double down on your imagination. Keep thinking outside the box until the box doesn’t even exist anymore. We’re living through an extraordinary moment as we witness the birth and rise of AI, and if there’s one thing technology can’t replace, it’s the beautifully strange mind that asks, “But what if?” Creative thinkers, big dreamers, and people willing to see the world differently will always be necessary. Trust that the world doesn’t just appreciate your magical thinking, Aquarius. It needs it.
Fluorite is the stone I reach for when mental clarity is the watchword. I especially love the light blue Fluorite bracelets I picked up recently, and shameless plug, there are only a couple left. Fluorite is said to help transmute cluttered or negative thinking into clarity, discernment, and focused action, making it a beautiful ally when your mind is moving a mile a minute and you’re trying to figure out where all those thoughts are leading you. For you, Aquarius, this month is about letting your brilliant mind wander while also trusting it to bring you back to what matters. Let Fluorite help you turn all those fascinating possibilities into clear, powerful decisions and purposeful action.
Pisces, the Magician is such a beautiful card for you. As above, so below. You have a natural ability to take what exists in the unseen world and begin giving it form in the physical one. Your mind is a powerful place, and this month I want you to make room for something you may not always consider productive: fun. It might seem counterproductive when you have goals to accomplish and dreams you’re trying to bring to life, but nothing could be further from the truth. Play is where creativity gets to run wild. It’s where your imagination stretches beyond what seems possible and where those quiet, half-formed dreams begin taking shape. You are a natural dreamer, Pisces, and the Magician isn’t asking you to become something you’re not. It’s asking you to amplify what is already there. Give yourself permission to play, imagine, experiment, and wonder. You might be surprised by what begins to manifest when you stop trying so hard to make it happen.
Pisces, this is your stone this month. You already live half in the unseen, dreaming in symbols and feelings before you have words for them, and Labradorite meets you right there, confirming you were right to trust it all along. Where you can get lost is in the drifting, feeling so deeply you forget you're allowed to shape it into something real, so let this stone turn a feeling into a decision, a dream into a first step. Carry it when you're making a choice you keep putting off, and let it remind you that your sensitivity isn't the obstacle to manifesting what you want, it's the instrument. Don't just believe in the magic, angle yourself toward the light and let it show you what you've been building without realizing it.
Aries, leaders, yes, but that's the surface read everyone gives you. What actually drives you is that you refuse to let fear of judgment slow you down, and that's exactly the energy the Eight of Pentacles is calling in this month. This card is about the quiet, unglamorous work, showing up to your craft again and again until mastery isn't a dream anymore, it's just what you do. Dallying because of what other people think has never really been your struggle, so if you've been stalling, it's not fear holding you back, it's a lack of direction. That ends this month. If you haven't pinned down your purpose yet, stop waiting for it to announce itself and go find it, take a class, sharpen a skill you already love, or go on a retreat and get quiet enough to actually hear what you're here to do. You don't need permission to begin, Aries, you never have. You just need a place to point all that fire.
Pyrite is the stone of focus and drive, and Aries, this month it's yours. It cuts through the scattered energy of not knowing where to aim and hands you back your edge, the same fire that's always been there, just pointed now instead of restless. Let it sit with you while you're doing the unglamorous work, showing up for the class, the practice, the retreat, the small repeated action that actually builds a craft, so that when your attention starts to wander toward what other people think, Pyrite pulls you right back to the work in front of you. This is the stone that says stop dreaming about it and start doing it, and Aries, that's a language you already speak fluently. Wear it, carry it, keep it close while you take the next small step toward the purpose you're finally ready to claim.
Taurus, the Four of Swords encourages us to protect ourselves mentally, much like this armored knight, but yours showed up in reverse. It’s asking you to take a closer look at the walls you’ve built around your mind and your heart. Are they protecting you, or have they simply become too tall for anyone to reach you? My guess would be yes. This month, let yourself be vulnerable. Tell someone what’s really going on. Let them see the parts of you that you usually keep tucked safely behind the armor. Stop masking. Stop trying to be everyone’s rock. You don’t always have to be the strong one, the dependable one, the one who has it all together. You are allowed to need support. You are allowed to have a hard day. You are allowed to be human, too.
Carnelian is such a fascinating stone, grounded in root chakra healing and support, yet full of fire at the same time, and that's exactly the energy Taurus needs to bring this month. You're already earthy, already rooted, already the one who builds the safe, steady bubble everyone else wants to stand in, so this month, let that same ground hold you while you get messy. Let the creative process be imperfect. Let go of needing it to look right before you're even willing to start, because the fire in Carnelian isn't asking you to abandon your steadiness, it's asking you to use it as the safety net that lets you actually play. You don't need to earn your mess with more planning, Taurus. You've already built the foundation, now go make something on it that isn't perfect yet.
Gemini, I personally feel like you’re the only one having a great year. It feels like for the past few months, everything has been coming up roses for you, and this month you pulled the Ten of Pentacles. Happy hearth, happy home, and a beautiful sense of belonging. You’re really living in active gratitude right now, and there’s something incredibly powerful about that. It doesn’t mean everything is perfect, far from it. It means you’ve been doing the work to understand how your thoughts, emotions, and perspective shape the reality you experience. There is something really beautiful happening in your journey right now, Gemini. Something has cracked open, and instead of trying to close it back up, you’re letting in all the light. Let yourself enjoy this. Let yourself receive it. You don’t have to wait for the other shoe to drop.
Malachite is the stone of heart opening and flow, making it a beautiful ally for you this month, Gemini. As you move through a season of gratitude, connection, and allowing more goodness into your life, Malachite encourages you to stay open to receiving it. This is a stone of movement and transformation, helping you release the instinct to cling to what feels familiar and trust the natural unfolding of what comes next. Let it soften your heart, deepen your appreciation for what is already here, and remind you that you don't have to control every part of your journey to experience something beautiful. Sometimes the greatest magic happens when you stop bracing for what might go wrong and simply allow yourself to be carried by the flow.
Cancer, you’re another sign having a really beautiful September. As a professional tarot reader, the Nine of Cups is always a welcome card. It’s the embodiment of emotional contentment, and honestly, could we ask for more? It’s a state of being so many of us work incredibly hard to achieve, only to discover that happiness isn’t something we ever quite master. So when those blissful moments arrive, lean all the way in. Your circumstances may not have dramatically shifted. Your surroundings may look much the same as they did before. But something inside you has. We spend so much of our lives thinking, “If I can just get all my ducks in a row, then I’ll be happy.” But you’re beginning to understand that it works the other way around. When you cultivate happiness from within, suddenly the ducks have a funny way of lining themselves up. This month, Cancer, let yourself enjoy what you’ve created inside yourself. You don’t need everything to be perfect to feel content. You just need to notice how good this moment actually is.
Yellow Calcite is Cancer's prescribed stone for September, and it matches the buoyant, radiant energy you're already carrying so well it almost feels redundant, like handing sunshine to someone standing in it. This stone works with the solar plexus, amplifying joy, confidence, and mental clarity, the same qualities showing up in your Nine of Cups energy right now, contentment that isn't loud or performative, just steady and warm and real. Yellow Calcite doesn't create happiness from nothing, it takes what's already brightening in you and helps it hold, so the good mood doesn't slip the second life gets a little messy again. Keep it somewhere you'll see it daily, on your nightstand, in your bag, anywhere it can catch your eye and remind you that this feeling, this ease, is worth protecting and worth trusting. You worked on happy, Cancer. Let this stone help you stay there.
Leo, the King of Pentacles is bringing you some seriously grounded energy this September. This is the card of safety, stability, financial security, and knowing you have solid ground beneath your feet. After so much focus on doing, achieving, and proving yourself, this month feels like an invitation to come back to yourself and let your nervous system remember what calm actually feels like. There may be a significant financial shift around you too, whether that looks like a big move in your business or career, an opportunity that increases your income, or even an unexpected check showing up in the mail. But the real gift of the King of Pentacles is the feeling underneath it all. Rooted. Calm. Centered. Secure. You’re not scrambling for what you need anymore. You’re beginning to trust that you can create, receive, and hold onto the abundance you’ve worked so hard to build. This month, Leo, let yourself settle into the knowing that you are safe to have more.
Green Aventurine is Leo's stone this month, and it's a fitting match, the stone of luck, opportunity, and heart-centered abundance meeting a sign that's always been generous enough to deserve a little luck coming back its way. This stone works gently on the heart chakra, not by forcing positivity, but by clearing out the old disappointments that make you hesitant to hope again, the times you put yourself out there and it didn't land the way you wanted. Green Aventurine doesn't ask you to pretend those moments didn't happen, it just asks you to stop letting them write the story of what's possible next. Leo, you were built for big, warm, generous energy, and this stone is here to remind you that opportunity favors the heart that's still willing to open, again and again, even after it's been bruised. Carry it when you're taking a chance on something, a project, a person, a version of yourself you're still building toward, and let it back you the way you've always backed everyone else.
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