September Tarot-Scopes, a Ritual & a Tarot Spread

Apples take their time to ripen, and so do you, Sweet Fruit!

This month's Tarot-scopes were crafted by the lovely and talented Madeleine Puskuric, a writer and Tarot reader living in Seattle. You can follow Madeleine’s work on Instagram at @madreadstarot, or explore her offerings here.

While walking my dog one morning, I came across a sign posted by my neighbors offering fresh fruit from their trees to any passersby. A hand-scrawled note at the bottom read: Apples seem to be ready late August/early September.

As a writer and Tarot reader, so much of my work lives in the realm of symbolism and meaning. So, naturally, this handy parenthetical about apple ripeness immediately struck me as spiritually potent (as well as generous).

First, I found it a helpful reminder that our lives are measured by much more than human concepts of time, including shifts in seasons and how they affect the world around us. September has many complex meanings in the human world, but it is also, more simply, when the apples ripen.

Neighbors’ yard sign, reading: Please help yourself to fruit from any of this corner house’s trees (on street / sidewalk strip). Enjoy! (Plus seem to be ready mid-July) (Apples seem to be ready late August / early September.)

Secondly, the loose way this note was phrased hit me with a surprising wave of compassionate warmth. Apples seem to be ready. Not apples will be ready or should be ready. This gentle allowance felt like a crisp breath of autumnal air. The author was curiously getting to know the apples, like the Page of Cups trying to get to know the fish in their cup.

I thought to myself, What if we all allowed ourselves to be ruled by our natural rhythms, giving ample grace to the speed at which our lives unfurl? What if we got more curious about what’s growing around us, and how it all *seems* to grow?

So, while you’re bombarded with emails touting BACK TO SCHOOL SAVINGS! or EARLY-BIRD HOLIDAY DEALS that, if you’re anything like me, fan the flames of your anxiety higher than a late-summer bonfire, I invite you to consider the apples. 

The apples ripen in their own time. They want to be plucked by hands that are grateful and eyes that are caring. Your own timelines of readiness and growth, in their most natural forms, are nothing short of sacred. And deserving of loving witness.

While I hope the messages I’ve divined for you this month prove resonant, let them sink in at whatever pace feels right for you. They can stew, simmer, and set for as long as you need.

Take your time. You’ll be all the sweeter for it.

September Tarot-Scopes

For each zodiac sign, I’ve pulled a card from The Cosmic Slumber Tarot by Tillie Walden to lend you a message of support, inspiration, and intention for the month of September. Feel free to read the Tarot-Scope for your sun, moon, and rising signs, or go with the one that resonates most for you. Each Tarot-Scope includes an additional Tarot pull or creative prompt to help you further connect with your monthly message.

Scroll to the bottom for an apple-inspired ritual and Tarot spread, as well as details for this month’s Creative Coven.

The Universe (The World, The Star, and 9 of Cups from Tillie Walden’s Cosmic Slumber Tarot.

VIRGO - The Universe (the World): Your detail-oriented nature serves you well, Virgo, but don’t forget to broaden your scope every now and then. This month, I invite you to view things with a “big picture” lens, like an impressionist painter stepping back from the easel and seeing their masterpiece in full for the first time. Seek to understand things from a holistic perspective without getting bogged down in the minutiae. For an additional Tarot pull: What’s an aspect of my life I tend to segment into parts but could view with a broader lens?