Community Tarot Reading for the Week – Page 7

January 6, 2025: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, January 6, 2025
Waxing Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

Last week was definitely a challenge, and I’m ready for a new week!

This month, we are using the Rackham Tarot, with art by the illustrator Arthur Rackham, and text by Lunea Weatherstone. The deck is available from Lo Scarabeo here. If you would like to learn more about Arthur Rackham’s life and work, you can do so here.

This deck was a gift from a friend a little over a year ago. I use it primarily for dreamwork, so it will be interesting to see how it works in community readings for the month. The suit in this deck is marked with a symbol in the center bottom, and the number on top. The Major Arcana cards have their number on the top and the bottom. It can take a bit of concentration to get used to it.

If you’re new to the weekly readings, this is a spread of mine, that I’ve developed over months. It’s read from left to right, 5 cards. Any card that needs more interpretation can be built into further, above and below, with either more tarot cards, another tarot deck, or an oracle deck.

These interpretations are mine, based on my experience, intuition and responses to the artwork. You may have a different experience. This is an overview of the week as it stands now; every decision we make from the moment of the reading can change the outcome. If there’s something in the reading that worries you, you have the information ahead of time so that you can plan, make better choices, or handle it differently than predicted for a better outcome. Tarot sets out possibilities, which you change through your choices and actions.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

The Collective Energy of the Week – 10 Pentacles
After a rather rocky few weeks, having a 10 of Pentacles as our collective energy is an excellent start to the year. It’s about enjoying the tangibles with family and community, as the figures in the illustration do. It’s about welcoming others in and expanding your circle.

The Week’s Challenge – 6 of Wands
This is a card of success and moving in the right direction. Why would that be a challenge? We can sabotage ourselves if we doubt ourselves. We also sometimes have trouble accepting praise from others. In some other decks, it depicts a victory ride with the rider wearing a laurel wreath, and urges one to accept success. This illustration shows two older figures encouraging the young rider to keep going. (If the card had a different number on it, the illustration itself could be interpreted as them asking her for a ride, but the choice of placement must be taken into account along with the art itself. This is one of the cards that, in this deck, can be a little trickier to interpret than in some other decks).

The Week’s Opportunity – Strength
The woman in the illustration walks companionably with the lion. They are confident in their goals. This week, we will have the opportunity to move truthfully and confidently toward what we want. Don’t get caught up in false modesty, or feel you need to run yourself down or you’ll sound arrogant. Trust in your own worth.

The Week’s Stretch – 5 of Wands
Our figure is up a tree with wolves on the ground below, snapping at her. This is about survival skills. Lunea Weatherstone’s interpretation for this card reads, “if you can’t outrun them, outsmart them” which is sound advice. This ties into the need for strength. Somewhere this week, you will come across someone or, likely, several someones, who do not have your best interests at heart. In fact, they may be actively trying to cause you harm. Rely on your strength and your survival skills, and, reaching back farther, to the knowledge you are moving in the right direction and to the first card, of expanding community, to outsmart them. You are not who they define you; you are who you define yourself.

The Week’s Comfort – 2 of Pentacles
Stay centered. Keep your balance between emotions and tangibles, the physical and the spiritual. The figure in the illustration plays pan pipes. Listen to some music! Stick to your meditation practice, your journal writing, whatever keeps you centered. This will help you when the 5 of Wands challenges you.

Overall, the week is about moving in the right direction, and being around others, even though some of them do not wish you well. Take it in stride, and be smart, not reactive. You’re moving in the right direction.

Do you get a different interpretation from these cards? Have you worked with this deck? What’s your experience? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

November 11, 2024: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, November 11, 2024
Waxing Moon
Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

Before we get into today’s reading for the week, let’s talk about last week’s reading. As I mentioned last week, there was intense energy going on, and the two major arcana cards, The Lovers and the Moon gave us some warning. Our hopes were dashed, our fears realized. Choices were made (the Lovers) that shattered our illusions (The Moon). Imagine if the results had fallen the other way, and those choices had fulfilled our dreams! Responding to triggers was a challenge (King of Cups) and we plodded through (Knight of Pentacles). How could the 10 of Pentacles be our comfort? How could the ending of this cycle of abundance not trigger huge fears and anxieties, especially when we have a good idea of how our safety nets will be shredded in the coming months?

I found comfort in the community I’ve worked to build since I moved here three years ago. We planned together, we cried together, we talked about how to share resources and create a sustainable plan moving forward. The moon shined a light on our illusions, and they are shattered. We know what we are facing, and who we can no longer trust. But we have a firm foundation under our feet to start this new cycle.

This week’s reading gives us an idea of some of the challenges, but we have a firm foundation from which to start, and while we will be threatened and challenged, at least we are starting at the 10 and not the 5. This cycle is over (especially as Pluto moves into Aquarius). Saturn, the planet of life lessons, goes direct at the end of the 15th. We’ve definitely been slapped with a life lesson. We have to use this lesson as a tool to move forward, not allow it to destroy us. We will feel despair and anger and betrayal for a long time to come. But we have our feet on the ground, and those rose-colored glasses we wore? Ground into dust.

But the particles will still be beautiful in the sunlight, and we can work to plant something new and strong in this earth under our feet. It will not be easy. There will be a lot of pain and damage and death. But the Moon showed us our illusionary belief in the goodness of the general population was misplaced, and we work from there with that knowledge and reality.

Looking at the astrological transits for 2025, it seems we will be in retrogrades almost all year. In 2024, we had the first few months retrograde-free. If I’m reading the chart correctly, next year we will only have a few weeks in mid-April to early May without retrogrades. Anyone reading this who specializes in astrology, please feel free to chime in down in the comments.

Some of the most difficult retrogrades are coming in the next few months. Jupiter, the planet of expansion, is retrograde until early February (though good for planning a sustainable future during this time). Mercury goes retrograde Thanksgiving week until mid-December, which is not a good time for this, between travel plans and the need to communicate with family. Mars, the war god planet, goes retrograde in December (overlapping Mercury for about a week, which is not fun) until late February. Be as quiet and careful with your words and energy as possible. Let the screamers scream and take a step back. Stand for your integrity, especially in one-on-one situations, but let the loudest performers scream themselves hoarse on the broader stage.

Let’s take a look at this week.

November’s deck is the Crow Tarot, created by MJ Cullinane. You can get it from US Games Systems here. I’m lucky enough to have a murder of crows hanging out near my home, and interacting with them regularly. This deck is always terrific to work with.

This is a spread of mine, that I’ve developed over the past few months. It’s read from left to right, 5 cards. Any card that needs more interpretation can be built into further, above and below, with either more tarot cards, another tarot deck, or an oracle deck.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy for the Week – 3 of Pentacles
Teamwork. We feel disheartened, but we know that by working together, we have a chance.

The Week’s Challenge – 3 of Swords
Despair, betrayal, separation, sadness. We feel all that, and denying those feelings will only cause more pain. We are separated from many we thought we can trust. Only by integrating that life lesson (Saturn retrograde, turning direct this week) can we heal and continue.

The Week’s Opportunity – Page of Swords
This is a really interesting card to have in this position. In other decks, the page can be a warning about gossip and false information. In this particular deck, it is about strength in a storm, energy, communication, and determination. The crow carries the sword (ideas) through the storm. Pages are impulsive, so while action is important, temper it with the intellect of the suit of swords. I find the image on this card hopeful.

The Week’s Stretch – 9 of Swords
For me, this card turns up as a card of self-imposed anxiety. In the context of the week, this is true. I am terrified at the horrors of this administrative future. At the same time, if the adage “thoughts are things” is true – we do not want our anxieties to manifest. We want to recognize them so that we can come up with a plan to deal with them and manifest something better. This week, it will definitely be a stretch. It will be difficult not to remain mired in the anxiety and terror. It’s difficult not to feel as trapped as the crow in the image.So let’s stretch and remind ourselves of the future we WANT to build. The future we COULD have built, had things shaken out the other way, is gone. We have to look at the realities, acknowledge our real and valid fears, and find a way to bend them into something better. Which is exhausting, and there will be days and hours when it’s too much. But let’s stretch and try.

The Week’s Comfort – 10 of Swords
Again, a very odd card to come up as a “comfort.” We have been stabbed in the back multiple times. It hurts. For me, the 10 of Swords is often about other people dumping their anxieties on me, and there’s definitely that happening this week, along with the whole intentional cruelty bit. I don’t mean that I feel dumped on by those who are anxious and fearful from the way the election fell; we are sharing our grief and fear. I mean we were stabbed in the back by those who voted for cruelty instead of community. It is also a 10, which is the end of a cycle. That doesn’t mean there will suddenly be a mass enlightenment, and things will be lovely again. But it gives us hope that our relationship to this suffering and betrayal will soon change, and a new cycle of thought and action will begin. It doesn’t mean giving in; it does mean letting go of what could have been, had things shaken out differently.

Along with all the astrological challenges this week, there are indications for a rough road. The best we can do is rest, try not to overthink, find ways to be with and/or work with the people who’ve shown we can trust them, and start turning the anxieties and the valid knowledge of coming struggles into something stronger and better. Start thinking about your boundaries, where and with whom you need to set new ones. Be aware of the rising dangers around us, but also build yourself little forts of beauty, hope, and joy. Open those forts to those you can trust, and build stronger communities, both online and in person.

Look at the reading as a whole: the collective energy is a card of community and tangible things, while the rest of the cards are about thinking, especially overthinking, anxiety, and betrayal. Temper all these difficult sword cards with the 3 of Pentacles and community. That can be difficult if you feel isolated and don’t have community physically around you; that’s where online community can be helpful and supportive. If I was in my previous location, I would be stuck in the 3, 9, and 10 of swords for the foreseeable future. I am deeply grateful to be where I am now. As frightened and exhausted as you are now, there are others who share your feelings, and we can comfort each other.

I wish last week had a different outcome, and that this week was full of the Sun and the Star and the Ace of Pentacles. Sadly, we were handed the 3 and 9 and 10 of Swords instead.

This is a good opportunity to read Theresa Reed’s wonderful book THE CARDS YOU’RE DEALT. You can read about it on her website here. She is also known at “The Tarot Lady” and has wonderful books, podcasts, and videos about tarot.

Please note that I do not get any financial rewards or free copies of things by posting creator links. I do this so you can find and enjoy materials I’ve found helpful.

What do you feel about the context of last week’s and this week’s reading? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

November 4, 2024: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, November 4, 2024
Waxing Moon
Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde

We are in November! Second to last month of the calendar year, first month of the New Year if you look at Samhain as the turning point.

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week – The Lovers
This is a card about choices and relationships. Are those crows preening the heart or are they eating it? The artist interprets it as “drinking from the same heart” which has layers of meanings. There’s also a snake in the picture, indicating transformation. With the 5th being election day in the US, it makes a lot of sense. Are we going to make the best choice for us? Or will the collective make the choice that harms us, and then we, as individuals, have to make decisions and form smaller collectives in order to survive? The two trees offer a hope of stability and balance, and the sun offers hope, balanced by the moon in the other corner, which offers intuition and, hopefully, illumination rather than illusion.

The Week’s Challenge – King of Cups
This crow’s got his throne and his crown, an oasis in a stormy sea. The King reminds us to learn what our emotional triggers are, and to create healthier responses to them. There’s also a crescent moon in above him, indicating the need to listen to intuition. Again, that’s relevant to the election. There will be many triggers, no matter which way the result falls, and we will have to choose how to best respond in a way that is both true to ourselves and does not cause harm.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Knight of Pentacles
Knights take action. Pentacles indicate the action is on the material plane, and that it is slower than in some other cases (which sometimes feels plodding when in reality it is conscientious). Hard work, a methodical approach, and keeping one’s word are all a part of this. There’s an opportunity to make progress on something important this week, using all of these qualities. Pay attention and be ready to step up when it presents itself.

The Week’s Stretch—The Moon
The Moon offers opportunities through illumination by trusting one’s intuition, or illusion through not seeing clearly enough and not digging deeply enough (or trusting that intuition). It’s also a card of concealment. Is someone hiding something from you, or are you hiding a part of yourself? Is it necessary? Is it a safety mechanism or fear of shame or ridicule? The stretch this week will be to parse out what’s real and what is not (again, looking at the election, there’s bound to be all kinds of misinformation flying around). Dig beneath the surface. Don’t take anything at face value. Listen to both your dreams and nightmares. Your nightmares could contain important information.

The Week’s Comfort—10 Pentacles
The comfort of the week is that we will have just that –physical comforts. This week, our material needs will be met. It indicates there’s also a foundation on which to build a stronger and more sustainable future – provided we avoid the deception from the Moon. Seeing that card in the final spot of the week, considering what’s at stake this week, is somewhat comforting (living up to the spot’s name). No matter what happens politically this week, we will have a lot of work ahead of us, but we have a strong foundation in material terms. It’s a card of hard work paying off. Even though it’s a ten, ending the cycle, it’s also setting a solid foundation for the next Ace that is soon to come up.

There are two major arcana cards in the spread, two court cards, and a minor arcana card. The energies are going to be intense, especially with the retrogrades we have going on, and Pluto getting ready to leave Capricorn and move into Aquarius. There will be a lot of information, disinformation, rumor, and emotion flying around this week. It’s imperative to take things one step at a time, and be able to separate the deception from the reality.

How did you interpret this spread? Are you getting different information? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

October 21, 2024: Community Tarot Reading for the Week

Monday, October 21, 2024
Waning Moon
Saturn, Neptune, Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter Retrograde
Mild during the day; cold at night

Here we are, halfway through October already!

Once again, we’re using the Halloween Tarot, created by Karin Lee, with art by Kipling West. You can get the deck from U.S. Games Systems here.

In this deck:
Pumpkins = Pentacles
Ghosts = Cups
Bats = Swords
Imps = Wands

Left to right, the positions are as follows:
1. The Collective Energy of the Week
2. The Week’s Challenge
3. The Week’s Opportunity
4. The Week’s Stretch
5. The Week’s Comfort

This week’s cards:

The Collective Energy of the Week – 7 of Pumpkins
This is 7 of Pentacles in other decks. The energy of the week is the satisfaction of knowing you’ve put in the work, and watching your garden grow! It may not be happening as quickly as you would like, but it’s steady, tangible growth. Take a breath and enjoy. Soon it will be time to get back to work.

The Week’s Challenge — 2 of Bats
This is the equivalent of the Two of Swords. The blindfolded angel is in a similar position to the figure in many Rider-Waite-Smith decks, seated with arms crossed. Instead of a sword in each hand, there’s a bat at each shoulder. There’s a duality here, an indecision, a tension or a stalemate. It would be easy to escalate this into conflict; instead, look for ways to compromise in a way that serves both of you. If it’s an indecision within yourself, use your intellect (swords/bats) to figure it out. See the black cat in the bottom corner, rolling the tiny pumpkin? Don’t forget to be playful. Looking at it with the joy of a child may lead you to the best solution.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Fool
If you take a breath from all the work you’ve put in, and look for a joyful, playful way to resolve conflict, you will have the opportunity to jump into a new adventure. You get to take a chance and trust that the Universe has your back! Even the moon is smiling down on you.

The Week’s Stretch – The Wheel of Fortune
I generally don’t read cards as reversed – except for this one, because it indicates in which direction the wheel is turning. And it always keeps turning; everything is cyclical. Neither the bad nor the good lasts forever, even though it may sometimes seem that way. This card appeared upright for us this week, so that means the wheel is turning toward better times at the moment (depending on the choices we make over the course of the week). In spite of the challenge of the 2 of Bats, or maybe because that challenge is asking us to make choices in our own best interest, better days are on the way. Savor the journey, then savor those good moments.

The Week’s Comfort – The Magician
This card was in the same spot last week. It’s a reminder that everything you need to get through the day, and use that day to build a better life, is within you. You can access all of the elements and transmute them into your intentions. You don’t need to wait around for someone else to make your dreams become reality – YOU have the ability to manifest. With this reminder being in the same slot two weeks in a row, the universe wants you to listen!

Do you find this interpretation helpful, or are the cards telling you something different? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.