By the second month of the year, in the long grey stretch named February, we begin to see the themes of The Lovers and The Devil play out. Our connections, patterns, and attachments to all that keep us sustained and ensnared—sometimes these are one and the same—come into crisp focus. Don’t let a little short-term discomfort stop you from long-term liberation. It’s now or never. 

The theme for February is rest. Rest more, truly. Television watching doesn’t count as rest, neither does doom scrolling. Rest with your body relaxed and your eyes softened. This is the time of year to turn inward and move more slowly. Sleep is a portal; dreams give us information.

Rest also means giving whatever it’s time to give a rest, a rest. Don’t take the bait. Don’t get hooked. Take a break from reactions that fry your nervous system, worries that fray your confidence. Do not let the past determine your present. Relax, as much as you can. Especially in those moments, those tasks, those settings that make your blood pressure skyrocket. How can you still stay soft?  

Rest also means factoring in that extra time you need to not be rushed. So that project won’t be half-baked. So you can feel confident and celebratory instead of exhaustion trumping triumph. 

Rest also means walking away. Letting ideas percolate. Allowing for a pause, letting silence linger. There is beauty in that second before the inhale. Practice staying there. 

Detachment also counts as rest. Detachment to outcomes, stories, and others’ projections. Detachment from any set-ups of “good” or “bad.” This month, emotions aren’t the president of your days. This month, change is implemented through discipline and some of the best care you’ve ever taken of yourself and your community.  

—Excerpt from the 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner. 

This month’s Tarotscopes are written by my dear friend, Rashunda Tramble. Rashunda is a Tarot reader, writer, and co-author of The Numinous Tarot Guide: A New Way to Read the Cards. You can follow Rashunda on Instagram by clicking here.

Rashunda shares: 

As Sarah wrote in the 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner, rest is the theme for February. In line with that theme, this month's Tarotscopes focus on the different aspects of rest and slowing down. Each Tarot pull has been channeled and written with this theme in mind. Feel free to read for your Sun, Moon, rising sign, or whichever sign calls to you.

As I say in my newsletter (which you can sign up for by clicking here), your mileage may vary. Focus on what resonates with you and chuck what doesn’t.
And remember your right to rest.

Aries
King of Swords

We’re in the second month of the Gregorian year, and you’re trying your best to make it happen—whatever “it” is. Even amid everything going on in the world your positive spirit—somehow, someway—keeps you going.

The King of Swords is the Tarot card of swift decision-making and leadership when there’s a task to be done. But the King can also decide when *not* to take on a task. What’s so wrong with taking a break?

What’s keeping you from taking the lead and deciding when you need to rest? Do you really *need* to be busy? Or, is that “busy-ness” a smokescreen for avoiding something? Maybe a fear of being bored or processing all that’s happened to you in the last year? Use this month to be still and ask yourself about the “why” behind the possible avoidance and decide on the “how” of addressing it.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Analyze what keeps you in “hustle mode”. What decisions need to be made so you can get some rest? Note them in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Taurus
5 of Cups

After adjusting, balancing, and preparing for the new year, you’re now still.
And with stillness comes space.

This space can be filled with lots of things: thoughts, plans, and so on. But right now I invite you to allow “loss” to fill part of that space. Not just loss as in you’re missing one thing or person, but loss as in “Wow. A lot has happened. And my life has changed.” The 5 of Cups asks you to open up and feel that change.

In the past years, months, weeks, even days, your patience has been tested. You’ve experienced many shifts. Your truly incredible ability to ground, center, and move forward has kept you steady. It has also kept your blinders in place. This month, allow yourself to really feel what you’ve been through. Permit yourself to grieve what was, what could have been, and what probably won’t happen. Only then, once you acknowledge that loss, can you honor it, learn from it, and move on.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Write a “goodbye” letter to the losses you’ve experienced, or record a voice memo. Allow yourself to really feel what has happened. Then, if possible—and in a fire-safe container—burn the letter*. If it’s a voice note, delete it. Note how you feel in the 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

*never leave a lit flame unattended.

Gemini
Queen of Swords

In my humble opinion, the Queen of Swords usually gets a bad rap. Yes, they tell the truth in a kind and loving fashion, but there’s an expectation with this Tarot card that the truth will sting.

For you, dear Gemini, that’s not the case this month. In the middle of slowing down and taking stock during your time of rest, this Queen asks you to face yourself, really face yourself.

Look in all the mirrors in your life: metaphorically, emotionally, subconsciously, and literally. Do this with an open mind and see the truth. Not the “truth” that someone may have told you, or the “truth” that mainstream media has tried to make you believe about yourself. No, the truth I mean is this: you are a beautiful, loving, communicative, connected-to-the-collective being.

When you connect and communicate with those around you, you do it with such love and care. You *want* everyone to get along. You only want others to be seen as the stars they truly are. But sometimes you forget about the most important person to share your love with: you.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Practice complimenting yourself. Set a timer for five minutes and write in your journal ALL of your wonderful qualities. Perhaps even do it in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Cancer
7 of Cups

Everyone around you seems to need your magical mix of TLC. As a matter of fact, the entire world seems to need it.

You’re used to the demand: tending to “The Collective™” is the first bullet point in your spiritual job description. But the energy of this month suggests you should turn in your notice for that particular job—or at least take the month off.

The 7 of Cups signals distractions popping up all over the place and a need to focus. Emotional energy is being directed here, there, and everywhere. There’s even a risk that so much energy is being sent out that it’s being diluted, and you’re getting drained. You can’t make the best decisions for yourself if everyone else’s energy is clanging in the foreground of your emotional realm.

Your efforts to soothe the community are well-meaning, but they’re distracting you from soothing yourself. Instead of directing your attention toward taking care of everyone and everything this month, turn it towards yourself: the world needs that, too.

Suggested energetic embodiment: What would you do with the time you’d have for yourself if you didn’t have to take care of everyone? Write your options down in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner. Which option is the easiest one to do right now?

Leo
10 of Wands

Yes, you can do a lot, dear Leo. And you can do it in front of an audience with a smile. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Locate the voice inside that insists you must, that tells you that you have to do all of the things, and ask it why? Is wearing yourself out the only way to get approval and acknowledgment?

The 10 of Wands Tarot card usually shows a person weighed down with a load of sticks. Even though the bundle is massively heavy, the person presses on. They’re so focused on the task of carrying the load that they’ve lost sight of their goal. They’re not even sure why they’re doing what they are doing anymore.

If you’re carrying that load because you want to, that’s fine. But if you’re carrying a load for the attention you’ll receive after you cross the finish line: my friend, it’s not worth it.

Your worth is not connected to how much you wear yourself out or produce. Your worth is connected to your existence on this planet as your most authentic self. Let those Wands fall.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Bring to mind your February “to-dos”. Highlight which ones absolutely, positively have to be done by you. See if you can outsource—or quit—the ones you didn’t highlight. Note your thoughts in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Virgo
2 of Cups

Perfection is the enemy of greatness. You know this, dear Virgo. Perhaps, depending on the situation, you even grant the grace of this knowledge to those around you. But are you actually, truly, doing this for yourself?

The 2 of Cups Tarot card typically shows two people facing each other, each with a cup in their hand. They keep a respectful distance. Yes, they can be interpreted as two different people, but they can also be seen as two aspects of yourself. The latter meaning is for you this month.

During this time in which you’re planning, analyzing, and coming up with efficient ways to move through the rest of the year, realize that mistakes will be made. Hiccups will happen. The best-laid plans may even burst into flames.

The key to accepting, and even embracing, imperfection this month is coming to an agreement with your demanding, highly critical side. That part of you that fusses until every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed. Ask that side to get soft, and to meet you in the beautiful middle. Flow and your wildest, most creative self will thank you by the month’s end.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Imagine that your perfectionist side is a separate person. Give them a name. Introduce yourself to them. Then, ask them where they came from and how they came to be. Note the conversation in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Libra
Queen of Wands

The message for you in January’s Tarotscopes was to “allow yourself to dream wider than you have in years.” You’ve created space to love that embryonic dream into existence. That dream is now gestating, growing, and preparing to come forth.

Space is needed for your dream to come to fruition. Encouragement is needed for this to happen. The Queen of Wands knows this: they could be called the “cheerleader” of the Tarot. The message they have for you is: “I know you can make that dream come true, even if you don’t feel like you can. Go for it.”

This month, continue to tend to your dream by taking action around it. Balance the external stressors that attempt to deter you by crafting a positive environment for yourself. Do what you need to do for your dream to grow. Make a point to remind yourself that you deserve to dream and that you deserve *your* dream.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Think of a person you admire who achieved their dream. Research how they made it happen. Now, imagine they’re right next to you. What words of encouragement would they give you to help you move forward with your dream? Note them down in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Scorpio
8 of Swords

The slow pace of the beginning of the year has been a challenge for you, my dear Scorpio. The clarion call of “rest” perhaps doesn’t resonate. No one understands that you’ve got things to see and people to do (wink, wink).

But none of that is realistic right now. The world is unpredictable right now. You may feel hemmed in by all the uncertainty. The 8 of Swords Tarot card usually signals being trapped. Most versions of the card depict a person blindfolded, bound, and surrounded by swords.

Instead of suggesting that you free yourself by cutting through stagnancy or self-sabotage (which is the traditional interpretation), I’d like to offer another thought: Sometimes the key to freedom lies in stillness, in allowing yourself time to figure a way out. You need a strategy, not more wheel spinning. Get paradoxical, and slow down with peace of mind when everything seems to be speeding up and frantic. Get softer. Those binds that hold may just give you some slack and fall.

Remember, even if it doesn’t feel like it, by resting you’re actually doing something. By being still, you’re actually freeing yourself.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Try making a “to-don't” list. Towards the end of the month, go over the list and check off all the things you didn’t do. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment and note it in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Sagittarius
Page of Coins

The Page of Coins deals with what’s “real” on this earthly plane. What we can touch, hold, use, and experience in a practical way. The Page asks, “What do I have close to me that will help me do what I need to do?” The Tarot card usually shows a young person holding a coin in their hands gazing at it with curiosity and interest. Maybe they’re thinking about how they can use it.

Your enthusiasm for life, dear Sagittarius, knows no bounds. But as we’re in a really tense period, you may not feel like your normal adventurous self. You have the power, but you're not sure what to do with it right now.

You may even feel energetically blocked. Perhaps the best, most practical way to release that energy is through the body. No, this doesn’t mean overexerting yourself physically. The Page is asking you to use your body in whatever soft, gentle way that is manageable and comfortable so you can release that pent-up energy. This will also help you ground.

Grounding will help you come back home to yourself.

Suggested energetic embodiment: If possible, find a safe place outside to allow your body to make contact with the ground. Offer any pent-up energy to the earth. Allow the surface under you to absorb the excess. Use your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner to capture your thoughts.

Capricorn
The Hanged One

While others may feel that this collective slow down is a challenge, perhaps you’ve already found a way to work with it. What may be an uphill climb for some is par for the course for you. Slowness is your superpower.

This is why the Hanged One is such an apt card for you during this month, sweet Sea Goat. The pause has given you a chance to think, strategize, and get organized. The Hanged One is the Tarot card of sweet, holy stillness. The person on the card looks at what’s around them from a different point of view. They remain still. And they wait: they’re patient.

That last point is the most important one for you throughout February: patience. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with those around you. Not everyone is at the same place as you. Use this time for contemplation, reflection, and connecting with the Universe. You may even receive some downloads that will bring even more clarity and organization. 


One more thing: don’t take things too seriously this month. You’ll have plenty of time for that later on this year.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Keep a pack of Post-Its or your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner by your bed to capture any downloads that come while you’re resting or through dreams.

Aquarius
Strength

Happy Birthday, my fellow Aquarians! Although this is a time for celebration, I must ask a very important question: How are you? No, really, how are you?

We tend to brush off that question, don’t we? Our friends and loved ones may see that act as our tendency to be distant, independent, even eccentric. But for us, my fellow Water Bearers, it’s because we believe we shouldn’t be the focus. It’s not about how *we* feel. It’s about how the community feels.

Here’s the thing though: we’re part of the community. Which means how we feel matters. And acknowledging how we feel—meaning, dropping that protective Mr. Spock mask, or cheery facade—takes strength.

Pulling back from giving your all to the collective because you need to conserve energy takes courage. The Strength Tarot card typically shows a person opening a lion’s mouth with their bare hands. Most people identify with the human in the scene. But this month, I’d like for you—for us—to identify with the lion. Be vulnerable. Allow someone to check on you. When they ask how you are, be strong enough to tell them the truth.

Suggested energetic embodiment: If someone offers to help you with a task, etc., this month, accept it. With strength and grace. Work through this process in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner.

Pisces
8 of Wands

It’s not the slower pace we’re experiencing that you may have an issue with this month—it’s what’s happening during this slower pace. You’re incredibly receptive dear Pisces, so during this time of deep contemplation, you’ll probably feel like you have a direct, open line to the Universe. That’s because you actually do.

So many messages. So many thoughts. Which ones should you take note of?

The 8 of Wands shows these thoughts and ideas, hurtling their way from the heavens down to you. You can wear yourself out trying to actively grasp these wands—these messages—to understand their meaning.

Or, you could relax, let go, and let the Wands land where they want. Make out the patterns, the shapes, the ideas that are clearest. This isn’t the time to question the most potent transmissions. This is the time to embrace it all.

Trust the strongest, most exciting messages that are coming through right now. They contain information that will help you make the best decisions for your future. Then, act on them.

Suggested energetic embodiment: Free write on a piece of paper or in your 2022 Many Moons Lunar Planner. Don’t force yourself to come up with a subject, just write what comes to mind. See what messages can be gleaned from your words. You can also do this with a voice memo by saying the words that come to mind and reviewing the recording for messages.