Monday, May 11, 2026
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Here we are in May, getting into retrograde season. Pluto went retrograde last week on the 6th, and will be retrograde until October 15. It is the only retrograde until nearly the end of June, so we can really explore what it brings up, about what’s hidden is revealed. We had six weeks of rushing forward, and now things we might not have noticed during that rush (or ignored) are coming up and need to be dealt with.
It’s a waning moon, so it’s a good time to banish things from our lives. And we have a new moon on Saturday the 16th, where we have room for something fresh and new thanks to the banishing we did this week.
I spent last week tiptoe-ing around, worried about The Tower. At the same time, looking to Tower energy, I took care of a few things so I wouldn’t fall into the procrastination abyss and make The Tower necessary. My hope is that by using the advice of the card, I made gentler choices and decisions that meant things going ka-boom was no longer necessary. On a larger scale, what happened in Virginia and Tennessee here in the US are Tower moments.
This month’s deck is The Forager’s Daughter, with book and art by Jessica Lei Howard. This is an absolutely gorgeous deck, and feels wonderful in my hands. I’m excited to share readings with you from this deck. You can learn more about Jessica’s work and buy the deck here.
This is one of my spreads, that I call The Elemental Spread. It is very similar to many of the Medicine Wheel spreads I’ve seen, but I made a few tweaks to the way I use it over the years.
We start in the center, with Spirit/Self. This is the overall energy of the week, and how we relate to it.
We move to the position above, with is North/Tangibles, connected to the element of Earth, advice on how to deal with the week on a tangible, materialistic level.
We move clockwise to the third position, East/Thought, connected to the element of Air, advice on how to intellectually deal with the week.
Then we move down to the bottom of the spread, the 4th position, South/Passion, connected to the element of Fire, advice on how to deal with the week from a place of passion and identity.
Then we move up to the left side of the spread, the 5th position, West/Emotion, connected to the element of Water, advice on how to deal with the week from a place of creativity and emotion.
We wind up where we started, at the spirit center, integrating all the information for the week.
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.
Center – Spirit/Self: The Magician
I love the Magician card, because it reminds me that I have everything I need within me to create what I want. It’s about transformation through skill and will. We have a butterfly in this card, and tadpoles, encouraging our transformation. What will you put into motion this week? Showing up where it is, the central driving energy during the waning moon, it suggests that the transformation will be fueled by what you banish.
North – Earth/Tangibles: Two of Cups
The 2 of Cups is a card of partnership, and it’s in the position of tangibles. The two cups are pouring into a unified stream, and a pair of mallards are below. A positive partnership is indicated on a very tangible level this week. A card of emotion and creative partnership is in the position of tangibles.
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Eight of Swords
This card is in its elemental home, swords being about thoughts. The 8 is about feeling trapped. The snakes that the rabbit in this artwork fears are illusions/shadows, and the swords spear them. Use the Pluto retrograde energy to look more closely at what you fear and feel trapped by this week, and see where you are worried about things that aren’t real, or where you’re spinning unnecessary anxious fantasies. Make a concerted effort to be the Magician and refocus your thoughts on making what you want to happen real.
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: The Star
The Star came up several times last month, in different positions, and here it is in the position of identity. This is about hope, healing, and the crocus promising spring after a long winter. I love that the cardinal is in this card. A cardinal greeted me the other day when I left the house on an errand. Cardinals are one of my favorite birds, after crows and ravens. They symbolize hope and creativity. Tie the Star energy from your inner fire this week with the Magician energy driving the week.
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Nine of Wands
The Ace of Wands was in this position last week, and now we’ve jumped to the 9. Look at the determination of the mouse climbing up the branch to reach the fruit. There is a strong will here, a focus and determination. In other decks, it often shows a defensive position against others, but this artwork shows a more singular determination. Persist and adapt to get where you want to be. Be realistic about the difficulties, but don’t create new ones in your thought patterns (8 Wands). Tie the three cards in a line – 2 Cups, Magician, Star – energies together to build what you want.
We have two Major Arcana cards, one cup, one sword, one wand. No pentacles. It’s less about resources this week and more about will/determination.
Did anything resonate for you, or did you get a different interpretation? I always love to hear about it.
This is a spread of mixed ideas and images, isn’t it? Thought-provoking. Thank you.
It is, isn’t it? The line up and down is so positive and beautiful, and the line across has some challenges. And if you move in a circle around it, the way the cards alternate are interesting, too. Lots to think about!