The second month begins as clear as a ringing bell over barren fields. It’s time to awaken, in all senses of the word. Shake off the dust of winter’s slumber. In fewer than seven short weeks the spring equinox will be here—thaw out any frozen plans or nervous systems. The material follows the ethereal: envision the blueprints of what you want for the upcoming season to resemble, and install the energetic templates that correlate into your field, speech, and surroundings. Preparation includes clearing, composting, and cleanses.

February’s theme is Deepen into Trust.

Most every endeavor begins with trust. It is one of the most valuable currencies we have, as the belief in ourselves ignites fresh starts and keeps us going in tragedy. Trust is the foundation of all authentic relationships: you can’t have intimacy without trust, and you can’t have trust without intimacy.

Unfortunately, because so many try to convey the appearance of trust rather than actually working on becoming trustworthy, a lot of us have trust issues.

Instability during childhood, traumatic experiences, and repeated betrayals not only weaken our abilities to trust others, but also sever our connection to our intuition, needs, and core Self. Most of us spend more time outsourcing our trust to others than listening to our inner knowing.

Often, we are aware of it but don’t feel like we can trust it.

The material follows the ethereal: believe in yourself in order to see yourself. 

This month, deepen into trust. Explore trust issues.

Remember to be patient with others; hold space for them to be flawed and messy. Building trust is a process that includes breaches, miscommunications, and betrayals: it is how we repair and tend to relationships over time that determines the depth of our trust.

— Excerpt is from the 2023 Many Moons Lunar Planner. Order your digital copy of Many Moons here or download the February Guide.

This month’s Tarotscopes are written by Maria Minnis. Read February’s Tarotscopes for whichever sign you feel called to: your Sun, rising, Moon, or a placement that is particularly loud right now.*

Aries
2 of Swords

The void welcomes you, divine Aries. You may be in a liminal space, a world in between others. A space of possibility, which can sometimes be overwhelming. If you’re overwhelmed by all of the possible choices you could make, consider this: is your mindset as helpful as it could be? Does your mindset match not only your visions but also how you communicate about them? The theme of self-narratives will vibrate through your life this month. Know that communication isn’t only what you communicate to others, but also to yourself.

You’re not the same person you were when you set a goal, even if you set one this morning. Sit still in the dark quiet of February in order to pause and notice where you may feel ambivalence or hesitation about change. Your inner voice is strong. Here’s a permission slip to believe it, and to act on it. Don’t lie to yourself, honey: you’ve been ready.

Sit still enough to hear the whisper of where to go next. Haste isn’t necessarily your co-pilot right now. Move, and move with confidence. First, rest.

Suggested spell ingredients: A Rest meditation, green moonstone, bountiful root vegetables, mirror play, olive branch bouquets, and archetypal inspiration. 

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Taurus
4 of Wands

It’s almost spring, and your energy is getting more stirred towards some positive dreams. How about wrangling that gorgeous energy of yours to clarify whether your goals, practice, and devotion are sustainable? Comb through any energetic clutter to cultivate the stability you need to move forward. A five-minute meditation can be just as effective as a 13-step morning practice. Consider whether you need a reality check in order to meet and ground yourself where you already are. You can’t tangibly mold imaginary clay: you work with what you’ve got. So, take stock of your skills, knowledge, and other gifts and identify what you can aspect in your February personal practice.

Knowing what you have helps, as does knowing what you don’t. Look for what you need in community. Is there a group you can join to maintain focus on your visions? Might you desire an accountability buddy? Or maybe you’d benefit from a good conversation with someone who’s been where you are today.

Increase focus, practice devotion, maintain sustainable habits, and avoid isolation this month. Your path doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might tell yourself.
You’re not an island, you’re the whole world.

Suggested spell ingredients: Self-accountability, Our Chariot Year Online Workshop Download, geranium oil, a social media detox, creation over consumption, and a morning meditation you’ll actually stick to all month. 

Download the February Guide.
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Gemini
The Hierophant

How does trust show up in your everyday life, precious Gemini? What does that word mean to you personally? The Hierophant teaches that faith is required of us constantly. Faith enables us to trust that we are safe enough to do things differently. This archetype can present as a rebel who knows enough about the past to change the future. They not only ask “What?” but also “Why?” Where are you in your life right now? If your world was a short story, how would the narration read? This is an opportune time to check in with your life’s timeline and examine how you got to the present moment.

This month, hold yourself accountable with grace and compassion. This work may uncover hidden truths about your world that lead to a most Hierophantic question: Who are my conscious and subconscious teachers? From here, identify the traditions, beliefs, routines, and self-talk to continue or break free from.

Learning about ourselves asks that we have faith that we will learn something meaningful. There’s something in the past for you. Yes, you are safe enough to look back.

Suggested spell ingredients: Bathrobes and cozy layers, conversations with dandelions, a Dark Moon Potion, childhood photos, keys, and new timelines.

Download the February Guide.
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Cancer
Queen of Swords

Cancerian cutie, how are the lines you drew in the sand last summer doing these days? Because this Queen creates and sustains strong boundaries, people may perceive them to be cold, or even cruel. But you’re not, sweet Cancer. Boundaries may ruffle feathers, but they keep us safe physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It’s time for you to dive into your protective boundaries and ask where they could use a fresh coat of paint.

February is a great month for you to check in with yourself and identify how you’re upholding your boundaries. Do the people in your life need reminders? Do you need to practice what you’ll say if someone crosses the line? Or, do you need more boundaries? Notice where you’ve been overly generous with your time, attention, and space, then identify where you’re not getting an energetic return on your investment. This month, make clear promises to yourself, and actually keep them.

It’s important to acknowledge that while boundaries keep things out, they also hold us in. If it is safe, you might consider whether any of your boundaries are actually holding you back. Our perceptions of safety change over time. Don’t let old rigidity keep you from trying new things.

Suggested spell ingredients: A New Moon Cedar Wand, Intrinsic boundaries, breathwork, love letters to yourself, and wind in a bottle.

Download the February Guide.
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Leo
The Devil

Get in, Leo! We’re getting free. This month, commit to at least one way you will liberate yourself. One way to embody the Devil archetype is to release ourselves from our personal “devils,” the chains we (often unintentionally) put on ourselves out of comfort, convenience, fear, and vice. In the linear Major Arcana, Death (13) appears before the Devil (15). With Death, we got rid of what doesn’t serve our purpose. The Devil can be the alluring force that pulls us back to those things.

Many of us live in capitalist societies that suggest that wholeness can be achieved with purchasable products and services. When we free ourselves from this influence, we will recognize one thing: We’re still alive. Wholeness isn’t out there, dependent on our paychecks, our relationships, and our addictions. We’ve been whole all along.

It’s time to get over your shame and inhabit your intrinsic power in the name of liberation, in the name of your evolution.

Suggested spell ingredients: Selenite, photos of mountain goats, sex magic, thorny plants, lists of options and exit strategies, and intrinsic boundaries.

Download the February Guide.
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Virgo
Temperance

Oh Virgo, you beautiful keeper of our hearths. A gentle message arrives for you this month: You are the artist of your life. Temperance demonstrates life as art: art as alchemy, art as embodiment, art as connection, art as reconciliation, art as wabi-sabi. How is your life a canvas? A blank page? A vision?

As your own artist, consider pieces of your life that you can put together to create something more beautiful, interesting, or useful. Economies might benefit from our compartmentalization, but you must remember that you are always whole, no matter how many lenses you see yourself through. I am a writer, a tarot reader, a partner, a daughter, a sister, and a colleague — but I’m always Maria. This month, consider how you might show up more authentically knowing that you are so many things, yet also, always one.

You are a limitless collage. How will you safely bring it everywhere you go?

Suggested spell ingredients: Dog kisses, agarwood incense, mulberries, super seven crystals, the Rise Magic Candle, and a new medium for self-expression.

Download the February Guide.
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Libra
The Hanged One 

“Be here now,” the Hanged One croons. Remain present as you move through what might be a bit of a messy month. There might be a lot going on, but staying in the moment helps us avoid the overwhelm, confusion, and fear that accompany growth. Notice moments where you say, “I’ve been here before.” If you keep encountering an issue over and over again, practice radical acceptance and gently choose a different path. Remember, you get to change your perspective anytime!

Another perspective that the Hanged One asks us about is how to overcome obstacles in different ways. Consider any illusions that are in the way of your goals. Examine how you might overcome them by seeking out more knowledge, discussing with your therapist, or viewing your world in a different way. Erase certain blind spots to solve enigmas and expand your reality.

This month, you will benefit from staying in your truth as you deal with obstacles. This way, you’ll more likely notice your relationship with your truth, your relationship with each block, and how your truth determines the best way to deal with problems. Execution is everything around certain challenges: you can only ruminate, complain, or worry for so long. You’ll know intuitively when things have run their course.

Suggested spell ingredients: Thursday magic sessions, fuzzy mosses, the musical note D, reflective bodies of water, and the 2023 Many Moons Digital Lunar Planner.

Download the February Guide.
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Scorpio
10 of Swords

Scorpio siren, where have you been feeling lack lately? How has a scarcity mindset driven you to overspend, overcommit, overplease, or overextend yourself? And where did this perspective come from? Throughout this month, explore these questions in order to move fluidly into an abundance mindset. Maybe you say yes to every invite because you fear that you’ll stop getting invited. And it leaves you exhausted. Maybe you take every gig that comes your way because you’re afraid of the financial insecurity you used to experience. And it leaves you exhausted. You see where I’m going here.

Alongside the 10 of Swords, honor any exhaustion. You may have been taking on accountability and responsibility to your detriment. You may have been filling others’ cups while yours has dried out. That’s okay, sweet one. But now it’s time to drop what is both heavy and unnecessary. You don’t have to do anything you don’t have to do, even if there’s external pressure telling you otherwise.

Move into softness, starting with your expectations of yourself. This month, commit to one action a day that will make your everyday life feel lighter. You’ve been carrying the load too long. You deserve to experience more by doing less.

Suggested spell ingredients: Safe bonfires, rainwater, morning glories, hope,
green opal for self-forgiveness, attachment style studies, and a dream journal to reconnect to your intuition.

Download the February Guide.
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Sagittarius
Wheel of Fortune

Stay ready, Sagittarian superstar. That’s one of the Wheel of Fortune’s most prominent messages. Luck is where preparation and opportunity meet. Pay attention to things that are newly unfolding and be compassionately aware of the cards that you have been dealt. The Wheel is constantly moving. As such, make sure you’re prepared for the tides to change.

If things are going well, make a game plan for the possibility of a downturn. If things aren’t going so swimmingly, make sure you keep your lens wide enough to notice an incoming upswing. The Wheel is always moving because they believe in the future. They exemplify flexibility as they figure out how to continuously go with the flow.

Take heed from the Wheel and check in with any rigid beliefs that don’t make sense for an ever-changing life. What if you replaced your “shoulds” with “coulds?” Get limber and make space for the world to be because it sure is coming.

Suggested spell ingredients: Inspirational tchotchkes, scrying tools, woven objects, dolphin figurines, Rise Magic Oil for energy, and solo dates.

Download the February Guide.
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Capricorn
The Fool

February is an ample time to imagine and ground in what your heart looks like, then seriously align with that vision through focused, intentional action. As you transition into the unknown, commit to experiencing newness with profound awe, wonder, or curiosity, no matter how mundane.

Before you leap into something new—a relationship, a position, a place, an identity, a mindset—get clear on your motivations, sooner rather than later. What exactly is it that you want? And why? Don’t just envision it, name it. Then determine how you can leap into the mystery of doing something different in a heart-led way. That’s the key here, being led by your heart. And the beauty of that is that you decide whatever it is that you consider to be your “heart!” It can be love and passion, but it also shows up in family, values, dreams, community, empathy, and more.

This month, you will see how important it is to keep your heart open, no matter where you go.

Suggested spell ingredients: A Love Expander Talisman, rainbows as portals, love made tangible, decision-making magic, and star rose quartz. 

Download the February Guide.
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Aquarius
9 of Cups

You are the magic ingredient. You’ve already proven that fact, now it’s time to recognize and expand your capacity for dreams to come true. First, pat yourself on the back. You’ve done a great job: remember, the best you could do was the best you could do. Honor your past and your devotion in ultra-soft ways. Then think ahead and ask, “Have I created enough space to receive what I’ve been working for … and beyond?” Many witches practice ending a spell by asking the Divine to help fulfill their wishes and even bring them more. Now’s a good time to try this practice! Sometimes we’re too prescriptive with what we want, and often the Universe wants more for us. Think about all the things that didn’t work out the way you specifically wanted them to, and how you received something much better instead.

Cast spells for your actual desires rather than things that represent those desires. What are your desires right now, and how can you make them more spacious? Perhaps start with a rebirth of self: rededicate your life to what you owe yourself, first. You’ve done so much healing and evolutionary work. Acknowledge it.

You’re in a growth phase right now, so make sure your garden has room to grow. You’re going to want it.

Suggested spell ingredients: Sandalwood incense, flower-smelling dates, self-interviews, deep stretching, a carnelian palm stone in your pocket, and time spent with your hands in the dirt.

Download the February Guide.
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Pisces
Judgment

Pisces, you exist at the bounds of a new era of your life. Ingenue era? Villain era? It’s up to you. The task this month is to reconsider expired self-narratives and speak more gently and lovingly to yourself. Get really honest with yourself and confront the less ideal alongside the good. You’re not the same person you were when you began this journey, so quit treating yourself like you haven’t shown up and shown out for yourself. Clearly illuminate the path forward.

You know that old saying about how we sometimes treat others better than we treat ourselves? This month, take that perspective more seriously. Start by tracking the phrases you tell yourself throughout the day. Judgment considers both actions and words at the gate to enlightenment, and if you aren’t careful, you could be blocking some spiritual growth by believing the lies your brain tells you. The things we tell ourselves repeatedly can impact the subconscious so much that it shows up in our conscious lives. Words have meaning, and works have an impact. Strategize what you will do or say when negative self-talk arises so you can practice the self-compassion you’ll need as you break into a new, non-linear path forward.

Suggested spell ingredients: A New Moon potion, recording devices, self hypnosis sessions, a new diary, ocean jasper, and poetry spells.

*Please note: If you don’t know if you are allergic to a specific herb or plant, use caution or consult with your herbalist or doctor before ingesting. Never leave a lit candle or flame of any kind unattended. These Tarotscopes are not intended as an alternative to medical or psychiatric health services and should not be interpreted or used as such.

Maria Minnis (she/her) is an unapologetically Black and queer writer, designer, and oracle from greater Appalachia. She teaches about everyday magic and holographic thinking, and is the author of the popular blog series, Anti-Racism with the Tarot. Maria has worked with the tarot for 20 years and considers herself an eternal student of life, and thus the tarot. You can learn more on her website, mariaminnis.com.