Monday, July 6, 2026
Waning Moon
Pluto & Mercury Retrograde
Neptune goes retrograde on July 7
Happy new week and happy new month!
Last week was full of all kinds of squares and trines, and I believe this week is, too.
Pluto is still retrograde, joined by Mercury. Tomorrow, Neptune joins them. I would suggest not making any new commitments until Mercury goes direct on July 23. Neptune and Pluto will still be retrograde, but it will be easier to parse through their fogs without Mercury mucking things up.
A new month means a new deck. This month, we use The Magic Pantry Tarot by Cedar McCloud. I received it as a gift from a friend either for the Solstice or my birthday, earlier this year. The deck is based around food and cooking. Since we are in peak CSA season, I thought it would be a good choice for July. I plan to use some of the ingredients in the week’s reading over the course of the month, and see how those ingredients affect the decisions made from the time of the reading. Cedar McCloud has several books and decks out, and you can learn more about them and buy this deck on Cedar’s website, Numinous Spirit Press.
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: 10 of Wands
The 10 of Wands is often a card of overburden and stress. It also is a 10, meaning the cycle is coming to a close soon. Just hang on a little longer. In this deck, garlic is the food associated with the 10 Wands. Some people find garlic difficult to digest. I think of it as an aromatic protector. If I’m feeling stressed out or burned out (which this card indicates), fixing some pasta with tomato, basil, and a whole lotta garlic soothes me. I use it in a great deal of my cooking, and find it a mood enhancer. So when I feel stressed this week, I will turn to garlic for relief.
North – Earth/Tangibles: The Empress
The Empress is in the position of tangibles this week, and vanilla is the culinary representation. The Empress is a card of abundance, fertility, and care. Treat yourself to something this week, even if it’s a vanilla sundae or a cone. Do something tangible just for yourself once each day, and share good fortune where you can. You might be putting extra stress on yourself (10 of Wands) as a punishment for something left undone last week, and this card is telling you to stop that and celebrate what you accomplished instead.
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Five of Cups
The 5 of Cups in in the position of thought this week. An idea may not have worked out and need to be released. That release might make you sad. The pitcher in the artwork is cracked, and the lemon water is running out. Lemon is acidic, and a cleanser. The release of this lemon water will cleanse something in your life that needs the freshening. You can make a new pitcher and stay hydrated (it is summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, and we’ve been suffering from the heat in my neck of the woods). Some lemon water might be a refresh instead of a loss.
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Eight of Cups
The 8 of Cups is about leaving something behind. The pomegranate is connected to Hades, Persephone, and the Underworld. In the position of the south, it suggests releasing a part of yourself that’s no longer useful, or putting to rest part of your previous identity that no longer fits because you’ve outgrown it. This could be especially poignant with Mercury retrograde in Cancer, a water sign that pulls on our sense of nostalgia. You don’t have to regret the growth. Honor what was, and let it go with gentleness. Drink some pomegranate juice (healthy for you anyway) to help with the release.
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Knight of Cups
The Knight of Cups is at home in the west, the position of creativity and emotion. Again, this relates to Mercury retrograde in Cancer. Emotions are all over the place. Creativity is vital and beautiful. The deep hues of the cherry (and the stains they leave behind) encourage the enjoyment of this fruit. Tie it into the Empress, and put some cherries on top of your sundae when you treat yourself this week!
These cards suggest a lot of emotion this week. We have a single wand card, a single Major Arcana card, and three cup cards (one of which is a court card). There’s a tendency this week to become overwhelmed with emotion, nostalgia, and regret. Instead of drowning in it, acknowledge the feelings, and then move through them to celebration and honor of a past that no longer fits. Take a lot of time for yourself this week. Push less about being out and about with others, and do more internal work.
Does this resonate, or do you have a different interpretation? I always love to hear about it. Look at the ingredients in each card of the reading, and consider ways they can support you this week.