The Monthly Arcana: August 2025
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Guidance for the Month Ahead from Spirit Element
August’s tarot reading is all about movement, momentum, and the fine art of knowing what’s yours to carry—and what isn’t. With the Queen of Swords, Knight of Pentacles, the Chariot, and Knight of Wands as our guides, this month invites a powerful shift in how you lead yourself forward. Some things will move fast. Others will move slow. And your growth lies in learning how to honor both without losing your direction. This is the kind of transformation that doesn’t always look dramatic on the surface—but within, something essential is reorganizing. Step into August with clarity, boldness, and trust in your own inner compass.
The Cards Pulled for August
The Thesis - Failed Harvest
This card represents the general energy or theme for the month and sets the tone for the focus required during the next several weeks.
The Domain - Queen of Swords
This card represents what’s within your control this month. This is your opportunity to develop sovereignty and to take intentional action.
The Periphery - Knight of Pentacles
This card represents the things that are beyond your control and that you will need to come to terms with or something you need to move on from.
The Axis - The Chariot
This card represents how you can stay grounded and restore your sense of peace or stability.
The Codex - Knight of Wands
This card represents your key to enlightenment. It shows you what you can learn, gain or improve when you embrace the energy of the month.
“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”
- Carl Bard
The Thesis - Failed Harvest
Summary: Learn from your mistakes and then start again.
Failed harvest represents the end of a chapter. A situation has reached a point that is irrevocable and there’s nothing left to do but move on. Of course, this could mean the end of a relationship, career, or place of living. It could represent something having to do with another person but it could just as easily point to something internal as is often the case. In this way, this card might represent a way you’ve let yourself down. Perhaps you haven’t given your own goals or health or general well-being enough energy as of late. And now, you’re left to face what’s been falling apart right before your eyes.
You can’t go back, that much is clear. This particular growing season is over and there’s no more harvest to be had. However, you can learn from your mistakes. You can make a conscious effort to understand what you did wrong and make a plan to do better next time. There will always be another season of growth so while you may not feel good right now, know that this is a relatively short period of time compared to the other growing seasons you’ll experience. Don’t let a bad harvest be an excuse to ruin the entire farm.
The Domain
→ Queen of Swords
Summary: You don’t have to be cold to hold your boundaries but you do need to be clear.
August invites you to lead with logic, honesty, and discernment. The Queen of Swords knows who she is because she’s taken the time to cut through the noise and examine her truth. This isn’t about being detached or overly rational. It’s about refusing to contort yourself to fit what others expect.
You’re being asked to stand in your wisdom, not to use wisdom as a performance. That might mean setting boundaries with people who drain your energy, or calling yourself out when you’ve been too accommodating or emotionally enmeshed in other’s drama.
The Queen of Swords in August asks:
Where have I been afraid to say what I really think?
What clarity am I avoiding because it might require me to take action?
How can I speak my truth with both sharpness and compassion?
This is a month for radical honesty—not to hurt others, but to liberate yourself. Say what needs to be said. Do what needs to be done. But understand, the way forward isn’t about being cold but being precise.
The Periphery
→Knight of Pentacles
Summary: Some things take the time they take.
This month, there’s a slowness in the air that may frustrate you. The Knight of Pentacles represents diligence, commitment, and care—but in this position, it also represents what’s beyond your influence. You may find yourself waiting for someone to catch up to where you are, or holding space while a process unfolds at a snail’s pace. This card invites you to practice acceptance, not just patience. Not everything is yours to fix or hurry along.
The Knight of Pentacles in August asks:
Where am I pushing for results that need more time?
What would it feel like to root deeper instead of reaching forward?
Can I still show up with care, even if the timeline isn’t what I wanted?
Let go of the fantasy that everything must happen on your schedule. Sometimes the slow path is the one that builds the strongest foundation.
The Axis
→ The Chariot
Summary: Control isn’t the same as momentum. Ground yourself in the intention, not the outcome.
The Chariot is about forward movement—but not without focus. In the center of your August reading, it reminds you that peace doesn’t mean passive. It’s something you steer toward and make a conscious effort to obtain. There may be competing desires within you or external circumstances that feel contradictory. But you’re still in motion and still in charge of your trajectory. Grounding this month comes from recommitting to where you’re headed and choosing to guide yourself there with conviction.
The Chariot in August asks:
Am I being pulled in too many directions—or do I just need to choose one path?
What is my North Star, and how do I align with it daily?
How can I feel more stable without needing everything to stay still?
Even when life is messy or uncertain, you can move with grace. Don’t wait for the perfect moment—make your next move now, and let the momentum carry you home.
The Codex
→ Knight of Wands
Summary: Don’t confuse being bold with being reckless. When fueled by passion, daring decisions can become life altering moments.
The Knight of Wands bursts through August with restless energy, pushing you to take action, try something daring, or express yourself in a bold way. But this isn’t about burning it all down—it’s about lighting the flame that’s been flickering beneath your hesitation. When you let passion take the lead, you’ll discover just how much you’re capable of. There’s magic in the doing. But you must be willing to risk looking foolish, being messy, or learning as you go.
The Knight of Wands in August asks:
Where have I been playing small or waiting for permission?
What if energy and excitement were enough to get started?
How can I honor my desire to move forward, even if I don’t feel “ready”?
This month, the lesson is in the leap. The more you show up with enthusiasm and willingness, the more clarity you’ll gain along the way. Action is your teacher now.
Closing Reflections
August is a month of momentum—but not the frantic kind. The cards ask you to lead with clarity, not control. To move forward, not to chase. And to rediscover the version of you that doesn’t just survive—but creates, communicates, and claims space with intention.
This is the kind of power that doesn’t shout and it doesn’t beg to be seen. It simply knows.
This is a month to:
✦Reclaim your voice and speak your truth—even when it shakes
✦ Release the need to rush or prove; trust that your pace is enough
✦ Let movement anchor you instead of exhausting you
✦ Accept that some things will take longer than you’d like—and that’s okay
✦ Follow the spark of curiosity, even if you don’t know where it leads
As you move through August, consider these questions:
Where am I being invited to lead with truth instead of people-pleasing?
What am I forcing that’s simply not mine to control?
Where does movement feel generative—and where does it feel draining?
What passions have I quieted in the name of being responsible or realistic?
What if I let that passion lead, even if I don’t know the destination?
What part of this month’s message stirred something in you?
Which card this month felt like it was pulled just for you?
Come share your reflections in the comments or tag @spiritelement on Instagram with what resonated most. And if you’re ready to move beyond predictive tarot into embodied, empowered practice—join The Seer’s Guild. We don’t just pull cards. We embody them.
Decks used in this reading
Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle
Old Style Tarot
