The card for the month, The Dagger, comes with a warning - trust wisely, not blindly. It is not, however, a warning to trust no one, just to carefully consider those who you do, and do not, trust. The Dagger asks us to examine our own relationship with trust. Do you trust everyone by default, until they give you reason not to? Or is your trust hard to win? Are you suspicious of anyone and everyone?

Perhaps you feel that people are out to get you, so you have one hand resting on a metaphorical weapon hidden at your side. If this is the case, consider if this approach is protecting you or harming you in the long run.

The world can be cruel. We all need to guard our hearts, especially those of us who bruise easily, but we also need friends, family and a team of trusted allies that we can let in. 

Libra - The Arrow

Reading: Dear Libra - you also pulled The Arrow card last month, so pay heed! This month, paired with The Dagger, these cards (notably both weapons) ask you to defend and protect your peace. Start by identifying the biggest threat and deal with that first, then move on to the next. Be analytical and methodical. Not everything needs your attention at once, and not everyone is your enemy. Look carefully at where you aim your arrow and if you are scattering your energy and attention in many different directions at once, stop.

Scorpio - The Bad Penny

Reading: The Bad Penny and The Dagger suggest that the same question of trust keeps returning, Scorpio, perhaps with the same person attached. These cards urge you to break the cycle. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. What needs to change this time? An apology is not necessarily a change in behaviour, and familiarity is not proof that someone deserves your trust. Look at what happens, not just what is said. It’s time to change something to stop the same pattern repeating. 

Sagittarius - The Moth

Reading: Dear Sagittarius, whatever is happening this month is something you have to experience for yourself. You can’t delegate it or ask someone else to learn this lesson for you. There is something here you need to go through in order to reach the other side. But doing it yourself doesn’t mean doing it without support. There are people you can talk to, lean on and vent to. The Dagger asks you to choose those people wisely: trusted allies who can sit beside you without trying to take over your journey.

Capricorn - The Little Apple of Death

Reading: These cards together suggest that you may jump into trust too easily, dear Capricorn. If you tend to trust people until they give you a reason not to, perhaps pause before falling back on that system. Take a closer look at someone’s behaviour, not just their words. You don’t need to become suspicious of everyone. Just give yourself time to look beneath the appealing surface before deciding what, or who, you let in.

Aquarius - The Double-Edged Sword

Reading: A Dagger and a Sword, Aquarius - wow you are arming yourself this month! The Double-Edged Sword is a card of the reason and intellect of the head, over the passion and emotion of the heart. And since it is paired with The Dagger, these cards together suggest you need to think carefully before you either take a defensive position, or go on the attack. Put your emotions aside and look at the cold, hard facts before you act or make a decision this month.

Pisces - The Lightning Bolt

Reading: The Lightning Bolt brings an opportunity, Pisces. Be ready to meet its energy, but don’t confuse a sudden arrival with a reason to abandon your judgement. The Dagger asks you to look at who is involved and what you are being asked to trust. You can be excited and still ask questions. You can say yes without agreeing to everything. When the moment comes, pay attention to both the possibility and the terms attached. A little discernment needn’t extinguish the spark.

Aries - The Poisoned Chalice

Reading: These cards ask you to look more closely at something, or someone, being offered to you, Aries. What looks desirable may come with a cost you haven’t yet considered. Read the small print, including the unspoken expectations. But sometimes the person holding The Poisoned Chalice is you. Are you offering something freely, or hoping it will buy loyalty, affection or agreement? The Dagger asks you to examine both sides of trust. Be honest about what you are accepting, and equally honest about what you expect in return.

Taurus - The Winged Heart

Reading: Taurus, truly trusting someone can be difficult, especially when you’ve learned to keep part of yourself out of reach. The Winged Heart asks you to follow your heart, while The Dagger reminds you to notice whose hands you place it in. You don’t have to choose between shutting everyone out and letting everyone in. Look for the people whose care is consistent, who respect your boundaries without making you defend them. With those people, could you lower your guard a little? Let trust grow at a pace you can bear.

Gemini - The Sacred Heart

Reading: Love conquers all, Gemini, but that doesn’t mean pretending you haven’t been hurt. These cards encourage you to keep an open heart, even if someone has broken your trust. The Dagger asks for discernment, not a locked door. You can love without excusing someone’s behaviour, and remain open without inviting the same person back in. Notice whether an old betrayal is shaping how you see someone new. Give them room to show you who they are, rather than asking them to answer for someone else’s mistakes.

Cancer - The Hourglass

Reading: Time flows differently for each of us, Cancer. Trust the flow of sand in your own hourglass rather than comparing it with someone else’s. This includes the time it takes you to trust, to heal or to decide what you want. The Dagger asks you to notice who respects that pace and who keeps trying to hurry you. You don’t owe someone your confidence simply because they think enough time has passed. Nor must you remain guarded because someone else would. Let your own experience guide you.

Leo - The Pentagram

Reading: Time to clean house, Leo. Shore up your boundaries and look carefully at anything that leaves you feeling drained. The Pentagram asks you to protect your space; The Dagger asks you to be discerning about who has access to it. Where have you allowed familiarity, obligation or guilt to stand in for trust? You can care about someone without being endlessly available to them. Notice how people respond when you set a limit. Those who respect it may belong closer; those who continually push against it may need more distance.

Virgo - The Scythe

Reading: Something needs cutting away, Virgo, but pause before deciding where the blade should fall. The Scythe asks you to get rid of what no longer belongs; The Dagger asks you to look closely at whether that is external or internal. Is someone repeatedly breaking your trust, or are you carrying suspicion into a relationship that hasn’t earned it? Perhaps it is your own habit of ignoring what you already know. Be precise. Identify the behaviour that needs to end before cutting off the person attached to it.

The second edition of The Storm Cloud Oracle deck is out now! Get your own deck here and create your own readings or daily card pulls.