You don't need to know the difference between a three-card and a Celtic cross spread to get the most out of a tarot card reading. All you need: your Sun sign! Here's what I do: Shuffle my tarot deck and pull out the cards in order from Aries to Pisces, plus one general card for everyone so that you can get specific advice around your personality. Let’s go!

A GENERAL CARD FOR EVERYONE: QUEEN OF PENTACLES

Time to unleash your inner boss, therapist, and coach. Take charge of your life and make positive, healthy, wealth-creating things happen. The Queen of Pentacles is practical, direct, proactive, and totally focused on her own best interests. Do what’s right for you, and you alone. Invest, learn, and seek advice. Start something that’s going to not only be good but DO you good, too.

Really, the only things you actually need when doing a tarot reading is a deck of tarot cards and your intuition.

Keeping a tarot journal can help you get to learn the meanings of the cards better. Plus, you can write down your interpretations of a tarot reading and later come back to it to see how it all played out.

A book about tarot can help you get to know the cards and yourself better.

Add candles, incense, calming music, etc. to set a ~vibe~ for your reading.

ARIES: KING OF SWORDS

Get a helicopter view of this thing, Aries. Move away from the noise and bustle and look at the big picture. The King of Swords looks to the future, plays the long game, and understands the rational steps required to make progress. Is everything going as you hoped? Is this the right thing? Are you heading in the best direction? Take a pause and reflect. It’s not too late to make some changes.

TAURUS: JUSTICE

Justice shows you’re about to be proven right—what a satisfyingly wonderful event that will be! You were right, and others will soon see this for themselves. Vindication is a beautiful thing. Remember, Taurus, that it’s smart to take this all with good grace. Don’t say, "I told you so." Having to change your mind and accept that you’re wrong tough. Understand that they’ve gone through this process and it probably hurt. Give them space. You can celebrate privately!

GEMINI: THREE OF PENTACLES

Gemini, you’ve been working really hard recently. You've demonstrated great focus and determination around something demanding and difficult. Others have noticed and been impressed with your diligence. It matters. Reputation is important, and you have built yours up. The Three of Pentacles compliments you here and promises that offers and rewards are on the way! People with influence like what they see and they are in a position to help you out or even give you a promotion. Expect the best.

CANCER: THE SUN

Here comes the sun! It's one of the tarot’s most positive cards and a true blessing for your life. Have faith. Be confident. Go for your dreams. The Sun brings good fortune, success, and joy to everything it touches, so focus on what matters this week. Apply for that dream role, book the trip of a lifetime, ask the person you're crushing on out for coffee, look into moving to your most inspiring location. Be bold! The Sun means that you can get more, more easily, than you think. All you have to do is ask.

LEO: PAGE OF CUPS

Schedule some quiet time this week. It's important to play, create, daydream, listen to music, and just think. Let your mind, body, and spirit rest and relax. The Page of Cups can be a call to action to return to your childhood self. Play restores vitality. It helps you process life stuff. So be silly, have fun, and bring a little childlike wonder to your life. Enjoy the week like a ten-year-old!

VIRGO: SIX OF CUPS

The past is never that far away, no matter the length of time nor the distance. The Six of Cups shows that you will be reminded of that this week, when someone or something re-emerges and your old feelings are automatically restored. As Celine Dion sang, “It’s all coming back to me now." Whatever (or whoever) this is, give them a second chance. Things are different now and maybe this is the right time.

LIBRA: TEN OF WANDS

Take it easy, rest, and find some peace and quiet. The Ten of Wands is a fatigue card. It warns that you're heading into an avoidable burn-out. Don’t ignore the red flags. Don’t try to do everything. You need a time-out. You're not being lazy; this is a restorative phase for processing events, regaining a sensible perspective on things, and then re-organizing your schedule and priorities. You need this.

SCORPIO: STRENGTH

Strength is a card that suits you, Scorpio. You are powerful, stoic, resilient, independent, and resolute. Strength applauds this and invites you to recognize the journey you’ve been on and the goals you’ve already achieved. Celebrate your life story. See where the challenges have reshaped you and made you stronger. Recognize the subtler shades of strength you’ve developed, like wisdom, confidence, compassion, and patience. It’s a week to celebrate yourself.

SAGITTARIUS: SEVEN OF SWORDS

Shady people are sneaky. They rarely show their true hand unless forced to. They often present as super smiley and nice. You can easily get tricked into believing they’re a friend. So Sagittarius, be careful. Someone is sidling up to you, pretending to be your bestie, but actually they might be more of a frenemy. Don't trust them. Step back and be careful. Let them show you who they are first. Just be wary this week.

CAPRICORN: THE EMPEROR

Cap, you are ready for this. You have been working hard your whole life to get to this spot and it’s time to reap the rewards, get payback, and move on to the next level. The Emperor is urging you to be selfish, demanding, and authoritative. Don’t take no for an answer. Stand your ground, make your case, prove your point, and get what you came for. This is the top of the mountain. Plant the flag and fly it! And then find your next mountain. It’s all progress.

AQUARIUS: EIGHT OF CUPS

Disappointments happen to all of us. Life is a mixed bag. What goes up often comes back down. Setbacks pave the path to success. So, Aquarius, don’t give up or despair. Accept this setback, then move on fast. No need to dwell. The Eight of Cups is a nudge to accept defeat and push ahead to the next challenge. This just wasn’t meant for you right now, mainly because something bigger and better is coming (I promise).

PISCES: THREE OF SWORDS

The Three of Swords is a tough card signaling relationship troubles—maybe a betrayal, backstabbing, a piece of callousness, or a careless conversation that hurt you deeply. We all suffer at the hands of other people. It hurts. And then, with the cutting Three of Swords, we can restore peace by deciding what to do about it and taking back our power. Surgically remove the people who have wounded you deliberately from your life. You deserve better. Move on.

Kerry Ward has been reading and teaching tarot for over 25 years. You can book a personal, written tarot reading, which comes as a beautifully illustrated brochure, or pre-order her first book, Power Purpose Practice. Follow her on Instagram @mytarotbella for weekly forecasts, insights, and tarot teachings.