I told you I had a new spread in the works for summer and here it finally is! Is the crooked sun in the graphic bothering you as much as it’s bothering me? It probably is now that I pointed it out. Believe it or not though, I centered all of that so there wasn’t a whole lot I could do and we’re gonna get past it together. Embrace the imperfections and all that.

I wanted to make a spread that was focused on the self, and on ways we can better ourselves and the world around us. There’s been so much pain and violence in the world lately and it sometimes feels hopeless – like there’s so much bad that we couldn’t possibly fix everything that needs fixing. This spread is certainly not in any way intended to gloss over these tragedies, but at the end of the day all we can control is ourselves and our attitudes. If those aren’t in alignment, we don’t have much hope of creating lasting change and finding peace. This spread is intended to help each individual help themselves so they can, in turn, help others.

I did an example reading for you below because I know sometimes it’s easier to just see it in action, so here goes!

I used the Linestrider tarot, one of my all-time favorite decks by Siolo Thompson! It’s available on Amazon now because it got picked up by Llewellyn, which is SO exciting because it’s super affordable and accessible to everyone – you can get it here for less than $20! (That’s an affiliate link, but I swear I’m only sharing because I genuinely adore this deck and its artist. I think it’s so important that there are gorgeous, affordable decks on the market, and this one doesn’t have any annoying borders!)

This is just gonna be a super brief reading so you get the gist of it – I usually go more in-depth in my tarot journal (and I can totally do a post on that sometime if you’re interested) but y’all don’t need to be reading through 7 pages of readings to understand the spread. SO, here we go!

1. You as you are now: The Emperor – trying to exert control over my chaotic life!

2. What’s keeping you from being your best: Ten of Swords – Wow, called out!! I’ve had a total victim complex about some of the stuff I’ve been dealing with and it’s keeping me from moving on.

3. How to overcome it: The Star – think positive! There’s always hope, even when things are tough.

4. How you can work toward your goals: Knight of Swords – while this card often means “don’t be too hasty,” I think in this case I DO have to be hasty. Like the Knight, I just have to charge ahead without thinking about what might go wrong!

5: How you can care for yourself: Six of Swords – Put the past behind me. I need to take steps towards moving on, because dwelling on things only makes everything worse.

6: How you can care for others: King of Cups – Quite literally, by caring for them! I can listen when others are having problems and try to give the best advice I can.

7: How you can care for the world: Death – To me this means I need to do everything I can to cause change in the world. It’s not enough to surrender myself to the powers that be – I need to BECOME the Death card, to help overturn the old ideas that are no longer working. I need to take action!

So that’s about it! I hope this spread helps you have your best summer ever. Be sure to come back on Monday for the actual first day of summer – I have a SUPER fun post planned to celebrate the solstice! (hint: it involves flower crowns…)

Do you have any fun plans for the summer? How are you celebrating it?