Monday, January 27, 2025
Day Before Dark Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Hello! There’s lots going on, energetically this week into next week. Today is the day before the dark moon, with the dark moon tomorrow, and a new moon/Chinese Lunar New Year on Wednesday.
For me, the day before the dark moon is the lowest energy day for the month, and then I get re-energized for the dark moon to do a final push of what needs purging for the month.
This new moon also begins the Year of the Wood Snake in Chinese astrology. I’m a Water Tiger, so that presents some challenges.
On the 30th, Uranus finally goes direct. Our unique energy will start shining again, and we can make decisions in ways that suit us as individuals. We’re also preparing for Jupiter to go direct next week, on February 4th. I’ll talk about that in next week’s post.
In relation to last week’s reading, I definitely had new inspirations on several fronts (Ace of Wands). I actively took steps on the plan for a few of them (3 Wands), and am also making decisions on some that may not be in alignment with what I want and need. I trusted my intuition, put in the work, and a couple of things I put into motion in previous weeks paid off, while others did not (The Moon, 8 Pentacles, and 3 of Wands again). I was not always successful in stepping back from the chaotic emotions of which we are in the midst, but I started working on some personal guardrails (King of Cups). I hope to build on last week’s work with this week’s information.
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. 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 – The World
Completion of a cycle. A fresh start. For me, the World card also often means “anything is possible if you take action.” The figure rises out of the earth and the trees. It is an adult figure, not a childlike one, indicating how the end of a cycle opens the way for something new. So let’s create something new and wonderful, shall we? Uranus moving direct helps.
The Week’s Challenge – The Lovers
In many decks, this card often holds a third figure, creating conflict and the need to make a decision. This card does not have that third figure (unless you count the tree). These two figures are completely caught up in each other. How could such love be a challenge? When you’re so caught up in it that you ignore the rest of the world. With all the exterior chaos and cruelty happening, it’s instinctive to put on blinders and only focus on what we love. The challenge is to remember that in order to keep what we love, we must be ready to defend it (think about the energy of the 7 of Wands and the 9 of Wands). Taking restorative breaks is vital, some stepping forward as others step back to rest is vital, but there are times when we all have to show up and do the work in community so that we have a community.
The Week’s Opportunity – Knight of Cups
Knights are about taking the energy of the suit out into the world. The Knight of Cups is about taking loving and creative energy out into the world, be it in real life or through social media (social media is vital to those who can’t go out physically into the world for whatever reason). Share the love you feel in the previous card and use it to build the positive new cycle offered by the World card.
The Week’s Stretch – The Tower
The Tower is my “oh, fuck” card in the deck. When the Tower comes up in a personal reading, it means I’ve procrastinated on something until it’s been taken out of my control. Because I did not act on it in time, action is being taken out of my hands, and I have to live with the consequences. Many people find that freeing; I do not. In many decks, it shows a structure being destroyed (by lightning, fire, etc.), with figures falling out of the structure. This card uses a different illustration, and since we are using this deck this month, we look at what’s going on in the art to discover the meaning at this particular moment, so we can make informed decisions. In this illustration, the man is teased by fairies. The fae can be mischievous and they can be vicious. They can also be playful. By the look on the man’s face, he’s not sure how to interpret their antics. Or are they pricking his conscience? This card is in the “stretch” position in the reading, which means it’s warning you to take action on something you’ve been putting off, and reminding you to act in ways that keep your conscience clear. With everything going on, each of us will be challenged more violently daily as to where we “go along to get along” for the moment (which will have consequences down the line) and where we hold boundaries.
The Week’s Comfort – The High Priestess
What’s behind the veil? Is the woman in the illustration the one hiding, or is she about to discover/reveal something? The High Priestess card is about balanced intuition. In many decks, the figure is between two pillars. This card does not have that However, look at the floor in the illustration. She stands on a wooden floor. There is some sort of runner under the curtain, then more floor. There’s a separation, and we have to decide if we’re ready and able to handle whatever might be behind the curtain. Since the card is in the “comfort” position of the reading, it indicates it is in our best interest to take the risk (again, tying back to The World card).
What resonates in this week’s reading with you? Do you get something completely different from the cards? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
When we reconvene next week, we will be in a waxing moon, have begun living in the Year of the Wood Snake, have celebrated Imbolc, and be in February. Whew!