We are in September and the sign of Virgo. On the 30th of August we already had the Moon, the Sun, Mars, Venus and Mercury all congregating in Virgo. That’s a lot of energy powering the Virgo domain. A bit of nostalgia and melancholia for the summer is unavoidably in the cards. We will overcome it as we absorb it in our daily lives by being pragmatic and industrious.

This is not the traditional and superbly iconic 3 of Swords we are used to seeing. Instead of the pierced heart we are familiar with, we have a sword logged deep into the earth. But the inescapable message of the month is cutting, nonetheless. This is the month of Virgo, associated with cleansing, and so cutting off from everything and anything damaging dominates every mood, every action. And this would be the story of this month in a nutshell. In fact, we have two sword cards to deal with in September.

In a landscape seemingly of ice, of water falling from above, and flowers crowning this image, a sword is cutting through all of it. It is embedded deeply. But is it logged securely? The earth looks more like ice. A person is kneeling as if in prayer and reception. A shower of clean fresh water looks like it’s falling from the sky and through a spray of unnaturally large flowers. It’s not clear in the image where the ground starts and where the sky begins, or vice versa. It’s a card of blessings. The hardness of the ice has been broken. Stumbling blocks have been removed to reveal further blessings in the form of abundant water from above and from below. Hard work is paying off. Tranquillity permeates. But there is transformation. All elements are drawn in. The birds and the trees, the flowers and the fruits of the earth, under a clear sky on a clement day.

As the card sits right next to the 7 of Cups, an unmistakable sign of dreams and wishes, gifts and objects of desire, this signifies that all these things are possible and within our reach. They can be multifaceted and complex. And they are right there in front of us ready for the taking once we let go and break free. But from what?

This can sometimes be the hardest lesson to learn and the toughest situation to be in. What needs to let go and when we have to reach out to pick up what we really want. Not what we are conditioned to think we want. Or what others want from us. Or even what we mistakenly think they want. Be mindful of your options! A lot of interpretations suggest a freeze and lack of initiative with the appearance of this card, hesitant commitment or immobile action. But standing between the two swords cards, this is very unlikely. How can it possibly be the case, as Swords are denoting moments in flux and constant change. It is likely, however, for some people this is cerebral, rather than physical moment of movement, endings and change. A moment of thinking, analysing, contextualising. Choose wisely, as they say, because you might get what you wished for. While obstacles are removed and possibilities open up, the main thing is go according to our higher purpose. The values we hold are being tested.

The 3 of Swords reminds us to cut bonds with what doesn’t serve us in order to welcome what our hearts really need. On the face of it, it might even seem unrealistic, just like these flowers and the foreground. The lay-out of the spread tells us we might not even have a choice. Events like the wind are carrying us forward.

Finally the 7 of Swords, more air element, make that point loud and clear. Cut through the deception and fake promises. There’s going to be a lot of that as well. So prepare yourself. Follow your heart. Organise yourself. Get rid of unpleasantness. Throw the rubbish away. Don’t allow yourself to be taken in by falsity and don’t let yourself be sneaky either. It won’t help. It’s not to your advantage. Right now we are all collecting what we saw from the whole year and sorting through. Stay clean body and mind. Be good to yourself and to others. Prepare for change.

Flavia