June Astarot + suggestions for a book, song, and film for this month.
May this month bring honest conversations, critical thoughts, and relationships and actions that serve collective transformation.
Welcome to mid-June.
I was going to say, "Happy mid-June," but considering what's happening in the world, it didn't feel right. Still, I hope that in your private and personal lives, you are finding the strength and resistance needed to navigate the murky waters of these times.
This month, I used a deck that, when I first bought it, seemed to depict a hypothetical future. A horizon that marked the edge of what is possible. I imagined this was the future we would never reach and that it was portrayed here precisely to ensure we never did. We've arrived at that horizon. However, upon closer examination, this deck still presents us with possibilities for alternative futures. Its title says it all: Next World Tarot. A new world rising from the rubble, or within the ruins, where community, activism, empathy, and diversity reign and build realities of resistance and transformation. I don't believe there is any other way forward except through unity and compassion.
So, in a month where we witness an escalation of violence on many fronts, we also see, and hopefully take part in, voices and bodies that stand up, resist, and refuse genocide, hate speech and action, abuses of power, and authoritarianism. And when I did this month's reading, I ended up with a smile on my face.
Only Air cards appeared. Air is the element of thought, reason, communication, and truth. This is a moment when turning our minds outward, spreading ideas, and taking concrete action might create a reality of connection. These cards helped me stay focused, hopeful, and motivated to fight for a better world. That action, supported by the community's experience, is our way forward. I hope you feel the same.
June Reading
Page of Swords
Ace of Swords
6 – The Lovers
Deck: Next World Tarot, Cristy C. Road
Page of Swords
Air | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
The Page of Swords represents philosophical idealism, bold thinking, and a desire to share ideas with the world. A courageous figure driven by the innocence of youth. This is someone about to begin a journey or getting ready to travel through the landscapes of ideas and ideologies, truths and justice, relationships, and exchange. The Page holds a sword, a symbol of intellect and thought, and uses it to challenge oppressive structures, clearing the way for new possibilities. With the rebellious energy of youth, this card encourages us to question everything and refuse systems that do not serve us. It also asks us: What is our truth? What values move us to act? What is worth fighting for? Are we ready?
Ace of Swords
Air | Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
If we take up the Page's challenge and walk the path opened by their sword, we come to the root of those questions. The Ace represents a seminal moment. It is no longer about questioning or preparing. It is the moment of clarity. Awareness of our reasons and the tools we have to continue forging a more just path. Swords stand for truth but also for justice. The Ace's sword branches into many types of blades, so we can choose the ones best suited to each challenge. And again, swords are about thought, intellect, reason, and communication. Our most powerful tools for separating truth from falsehood are knowledge, critical thinking, independent information, dialogue, and the connections we form. These are what the Ace offers us. So our actions can be fair and conscious. So we can live, speak, and fight with integrity. Air is a social element. These truths are not static or individual; they emerge through sharing, learning, and collective experience. The justice of the Swords, and of card 11 – Justice (ruled by Libra), is social justice. The Ace offers the potential for just action. It is our voice. The power that dismantles inequality and injustice.
6 – The Lovers
Gemini | Double Air
With the Page, we begin the questioning. With the Ace, we step into conscious action. With the Lovers, we are asked to make a choice. And to face the consequences. This card is not only about romantic or emotional bonds, though those are present. It is, above all, about ethical commitment. What truths do we want to stand for? What messages do we want to spread? What ideas shape our actions?
The Lovers remind us that every connection brings responsibility. In a time when words, love, and even freedom are often manipulated, this card asks us to choose love as a rational act. To recognize the difference. To center empathy, community, mutual support, and commitment. The relationships we create are not only personal. They carry political and social weight. Our choices, even if individual, impact those around us.
The Lovers invite us to rebuild our belief systems. To understand what matters. To decide what we will defend. To stop following rules just because they exist. To be truer to ourselves so we can be more honest with others. Gemini, a Mutable Air sign, highlights the role of communication and adaptability in this process. Communication is connection, but it is also discernment. How do we use our "swords"? To defend? To protect? To build bridges? Or to divide? The way we speak and the ideas we uphold reflect the world we want to create.
The Lovers call us to be honest, to open up, and to integrate our inner and outer worlds. This is what we need to walk the Page's path and use the Ace's tools with care. To see ourselves in others. To choose with intention who we are and what we are here to sustain.
Love is a rational choice. The recognition of otherness, empathy, support, and community. It is commitment, partnership, friendship, and self-love.
This month, the Air cards remind us that change begins in thought but becomes real through choice and action. Clarity, communication, and integrity are our most essential tools. And community is the space where these tools come together to build something different.
To choose to love freely and abundantly is a radical act. That may be why the final card is The Lovers. Because resistance, care, and the imagining of alternatives to oppression require trust and vulnerability. May this month bring honest conversations, critical thinking, and relationships and actions that serve collective transformation.
Suggestions
Book:
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement, by Angela Davis
Song:
"People Have the Power" – Patti Smith
Poem:
“We Teach Life” – Rafeef Ziadah
Movie:
I Am Not Your Negro (2016), directed by Raoul Peck
If you’d like to support my work
This newsletter is a labor of love that I pour my heart and dedication into. If you'd like to support what I do, there are several ways to do so—I’d be truly grateful!
🔮 Book a:
Tarot/Astarot reading with me! Please send an email to sophia.astarot@gmail.com.
If you know someone who might be interested in my work or my insights, feel free to share my links. Thank you!
Sandra (SØPHIA)