Your June 2022 Monthly Tarot Reading

I like to approach these monthly five-card tarot spreads by asking, “What do we need to know this month?” In this tarot reading for June 2022, the message is to remember that material success requires that you pay attention to your emotional and spiritual needs, too.

How I Read Tarot Cards

This month’s message — to pay more attention to what’s blocking potential abundance — makes me think about the nature of tarot as work. Fortune telling, including tarot reading, is a traditional job for Romani families like my mother’s side because persecution didn’t allow Roma many occupational options. The money is essential, but it’s much more than that: Tarot reading has a soul to it, on both sides of the table. As an ethical reader, I want to say what’s helpful to my client, not just what they want to hear so that they will come back. If all I cared about was saying what would make me the most money, the work I do would no longer be helpful.

My Romanistan podcast co-host, Paulina Verminski, was also raised to be a fortune teller, and in an episode from last year, we discuss how we were taught to do spirit-led work, and to use the cups, cards, and lines of the palm to help the person along their own path. Tarot, like other divinatory tools, is most accurate when used for self-reflection and healing. This aligns with the lessons of June’s tarot reading, which is that re-focusing on the soul of our work is what will bring us the most success. You might find that processing some emotional pain in the service of personal growth is the unexpected path to more concrete prosperity.

The five cards below represent embodiment, or your energy right now; situation, or what’s around you at the moment; obstacle, or a struggle you’re facing; action, or what to do about it; and a lesson, or what you will learn from this month.

Embodiment: Six of Wands

This card means victory, and it suggests that you might have recently accomplished some goals you’re proud of, whether personal, creative, or professional. The element representing the suite of wands is fire, which relates to what we manifest with passion and creative energy. That often involves communication and self-expression. You’re moving forward, and people are taking notice. Maybe there are already more opportunities ahead of you.

Situation: Four of Pentacles

This card refers to material wealth, as the pentacles are associated with the element of earth. Money is very helpful, and we all need it to live. This card suggests money might be coming your way, but at the same time warns against preoccupation with making money. If your goal is solely to make money, you won’t get there. Throw yourself into the kind of work or projects that feel inherently valuable, particularly if you can put some of that dynamic and expressive Six of Wands energy behind it.

Obstacle: High Priestess

This major arcana card deals with the realms of mystery and the spirit. Sometimes that’s represented by you coming powerfully into your own spiritual path, or working with a teacher who embodies the values of the High Priestess. Since she appears as an obstacle this month, and the situation is the hyper-materialistic Four of Pentacles, it suggests that you might be neglecting your spiritual or philosophical values in pursuit of more success. You could try writing down 10 principles that you live by. Brainstorm how you might be able to live out your values more fully while in pursuit of financial abundance.

Action: Five of Cups

This card is often associated with grief and loss. The cups are associated with the element of water, relating to feelings, dreams, and relationships. The placement of this card as your action suggests that you might benefit from letting go of plans you had, even if you were attached to them, or partnerships (romantic, professional, or platonic) that aren’t right for you, particularly where your values are concerned. If you’re hanging on to a relationship with a company, person, or a project you’ve become attached to, and it’s not beneficial to your well-being or sense of self, it’s time to let it go (even if it’s materially successful). Endings make room for new beginnings, and there are other opportunities for you to follow a better path.

Lesson: 10 of Swords

This card tells us that the hardest part is actually behind you, and now you’re learning from the experience. That can be painful in its own way, but ultimately you’ve earned credibility through it. The swords are associated with the element of air, and pertain to the mind, intellect, and sometimes the written word. If you decide to walk away from something that doesn’t feel right this June, it’s natural to struggle with anxiety after that fact, an emotion often associated with this card. Make this a chance to quell your fears of never having another opportunity again. Remember, you are embodying victory this month, and saying no to the wrong choice lets you say yes to the right one.

How To Use June 2022's Tarot Lessons

If you have some opportunities this month, but they aren’t coming to fruition in the way you hoped, check in with yourself. It might be better to let it go and try something else, or try a different approach, instead of forcing it. Signs that you’re having mixed feelings about your work are self-sabotage, unusual procrastinating, or creative blocks. “I’ve always told myself that I would always step forward and never back. I didn’t realize at the time, it was a form of self sabotage,” writes mixed Romani and Indigenous artist and magic maker Katelan Foisy. “Sometimes you need to step back to gain clarity.” Prioritize your spiritual or ethical values, and see how you can let them lead your next steps. You might find it helpful to continue journaling on the topic, or letting yourself dream about the perfect opportunities to complement your intentions.