The Dark Truth Your Shadow Self Reveals (+ Tarot Advice On Overcoming It)

Aries

Your card: Seven of Pentacles, reversed

Aries is a sign of action and forward movement—and when there isn’t tangible movement happening, you can be incredibly hard on yourself. Stagnancy and setbacks make you feel restless, and you can grow impatient when it seems like you might not soon—or ever—reap the success of your work. But it’s important for you to learn to sit in these uncomfortable moments and recognize that nothing in life is ever straightforward or linear—you will sometimes have to walk your path backwards or loop around the long way, but that’s okay. This is part of the journey, too. Just make sure you aren’t abandoning your path just because it doesn’t look the way you want it to.

Taurus

Your card: The Emperor

You have a need for control, more than you’d likely allow yourself to admit out loud. You want your life to look a certain way, and you don’t want to have to compromise that vision for anything or anyone else. It can be hard for you to admit defeat or let go of your expectations, and while at times this can help you succeed the impossible, just as often, it can hinder your growth. It is important to learn when this energy can be positive and when it can hurt you or those around you. Most important, it’s important to learn to let go and let things be—you can’t control everything, and that’s okay. You’re going to disappoint yourself if you always try.

Gemini

Your card: The Lovers, reversed

Sometimes you struggle to get on the same page as others—it’s like you’re looking at the world from a completely different lens, which can make it more difficult to feel in sync with those around you. Alternatively, you might even struggle to get on the same page with yourself, instead giving in to indecision or cognitive dissonance. Either way, your shadow self is asking you to meditate on connection—both with yourself and others. In what ways do you feel detached? And how can you mend this? It might require you to start engaging with your emotional state in a more meaningful way or going out into the world to start forging connections with those in line with your priorities, creating a community all of your own.

Cancer

Your card: Ace of Pentacles, reversed

The truth is, you’re the kind of person who’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop, and because of that, you tend to easily slip into scarcity mindset. Even at your most secure, you might be paranoid that something will go wrong and you’ll end up back at square one. While this might be a good mindset when it comes to saving up, it also might lead you to pass up good opportunities or fully enjoy the fruits of your labor. Learn the difference between mindfulness and anxiety—the former will protect you while the latter will likely leave you with regrets.

Leo

Your card: Ten of Swords

Endings are difficult for you—you don’t like letting go or dealing with the emotional afteraffect of having to say goodbye, and because of that, you might avoid them at all costs. You’d rather hold on to something that isn’t serving you anymore than deal with the heartbreak that comes with having to move on. But in trying to avoid this form of heartbreak, you keep yourself vulnerable to thousands of smaller ones: people who aren’t in your corner, relationships that hurt more than heal, vocations that no longer help you grow. Your loyalty is a beautiful thing, but if the only thing keeping it there is fear, it’s not serving anyone. Recognize that pulling off the bandaid almost always hurts at first, but healing is on the horizon—and with it are so many beautiful blessings.

Virgo

Your card: Eight of Pentacles

You likely measure your worth by your perceived usefulness, and because of that, you work hard to make sure you’re the best at what you do. You don’t want anyone to question that you’re not bringing enough to the table, because you’re afraid that the moment someone begins to doubt your contributions, they’ll cut you loose and leave you behind. But here’s the thing: your worth isn’t measured by your output. People don’t love you for what you can do for them, and if they do, that isn’t real love, anyway. This mindset can make you harder on yourself than anyone else would think of being, making you believe you’re doing worse than you actually are. You are inherently worthy—don’t forget that.

Libra 

Your card: Eight of Cups, reversed

You’re both diplomatic and romantic—beautiful qualities for the right situations, but your downfall in others. Because you may find yourself wanting to give people the benefit of the doubt—or, worse, because your people-pleasing tendencies come into play—you might ignore the red flags and stay in a situation that isn’t serving you. Similarly, you don’t like giving up on a cause, and you might let people drag you down with them in an attempt to act as their lifeboat. By prioritizing others, you accept less than you deserve, and you stay in situations when you’d be better off letting go. It’s important for you to learn to notice the red flags when they’re waving in your face and treat them like an actual warning, not just a light suggestion.

Scorpio

Your card: Queen of Swords

You pride yourself on being a rather discerning person, cutting through others’ BS and looking out for yourself. Unfortunately, though, you’ve been trained to see threats where there aren’t any, and this cynical worldview can come back and haunt you. You might pass up lucrative possibilities or miss out on powerful connections with people because you believe you’re better off on your own, trusting your intuition instead of listening to others. It’s important for you to learn a balance here, because while there’s certainly merit in looking out for yourself, in the end, you might just be hurting yourself and your growth.

Sagittarius

Your card: Queen of Pentacles

You’re likely the kind of person who knows that to live the life you want, you might have to pay a pretty penny, and likely you find it a worthy trade. You’re drawn to new experiences and might impulsively drain your bank account in the pursuit of some new thrill, not really concerned about the material price. But living above your means isn’t feasible in the long-run, and if you find yourself in a pinch, you might finally see the downside of this lifestyle. Remember stability, while a boring concept, can be an important bedrock for an exciting life—and it can all start with a budget and learning to handle your finances.

Capricorn

Your card: Three of Swords

Sometimes you try to minimize the importance of emotional matters, instead focusing on the tangible, material reality right in front of you. This compartmentalization isn’t healthy for you, though, and by trying to push away the bad feelings—heartbreak or grief or depression or disappointment—you’re choosing not to process or resolve them. By avoiding facing them head-on, they won’t go away but instead fester and create larger issues down the line. It’s important to start sitting with your emotions and moving through them, either alone or with a therapist, so that you can move forward in a healthy way—and you might be surprised how this affects your tangible, material reality, too.

Aquarius

Your card: Judgment

You might believe you have a higher calling, that there is a point to your existence that goes beyond what is right in front of you. And maybe it’s true—Aquarius is the sign of the innovator, often forward-thinking and ahead of the game. However, sometimes in the pursuit of following this path, you overlook or ignore some of the pressing matters right in front of you—for instance, things relating to your friends, your family, or even your job. Choosing to follow a vocation or calling is a wonderful thing, just make sure you aren’t neglecting the other parts of your life in the process.

Pisces

Your card: The High Priestess

Pisces are naturally intuitive signs, thanks to their watery nature and the fact that this zodiac rules the twelfth house of the unconscious. That being said, intuition can be a tricky thing, and sometimes we get so lost in our own inner world that we find ourselves disconnecting from the material world. Your inner knowing is strong, but not infallible; your connection to your inner landscape is important, but not more important than the tangible reality happening around you. Getting lost in your daydreams and fantasy is okay in moderation, but be careful you’re not avoiding reality or choosing to detach from everyday life because it’s easier not to deal with it.