Monday, August 31, 2026
Waning Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde
We are still in August, believe it or not, and September starts tomorrow. We survived the lunar eclipse last Friday – as a Pisces, it had quite an effect on me, and I am exhausted. I also was injured on Saturday, and I’m dealing with the aftereffects of that.
Tomorrow, September begins. We already have shorter days, and the nights are cooler than they were. Wednesday, Celtic Tree Month of Vine begins.
This is our last week with The Tarot of the Great Outdoors by JQ Gordon, with art by Sharisse Steber. It’s published by Skipstone Press. I won it in a contest through Mountaineers Books a few years back, and I really like it. The Major Arcana cards each depict a different National Park. The Minor Arcana cards depict relevant outdoor activities to each card. You can find out more about each artist or company by clicking their name. When Major Arcana cards come up in the spreads this month, I will also include links to that card’s National Park website.
The suits are designated as follows:
Sticks = Wands
Blades = Swords
Vessels = Cups
Stones = Pentacles
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: Two of Vessels
The driving force of this week is partnership, equivalent to the 2 of Cups in other decks. Communicate clearly and work together. That will help everything else that’s going on. It can be a romantic, creative, or community partnership. But working with someone instead of against them is the key to the week.
North – Earth/Tangibles: 7 of Blades
This is the 7 of Swords in other decks. In most decks, this is a card of warning. When I see it, I ask myself, “who is lying to me?” Or, I need to ask, “from whom do I have to keep a distance this week, because they do not have my best interests at heart?” In this deck, the meaning is a little different, although it leans more to the latter question than the former. It’s about paying attention to each small step along the way, and trusting that it will work out, even if you don’t yet know all the details. This has to do with something very tangible this week. I would still suggest playing cards close to the vest, even while doing so. And I would temper what I say and do in the partnership of the previous card. Be honest, but only reveal what needs to be known for the next step.
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Page of Stones
This is equivalent to the Page of Pentacles in other decks. Someone nearby has the information you need for your next steps. The Page has a lot of skills and information, is always expanding them, and loves to share. Don’t be afraid to ask questions this week. The card is in the position of intellect, so it’s more about information this week. It ties into the 2 of Cups. You might have to do some research/ask some questions outside the partnership and bring it back in to take the next steps.
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Ace of Vessels
Equivalent to the Ace of Cups in other decks, this encourages a new opportunity in the creative or emotional realm that ties in with your sense of identity (since it is in the position of identity. This is in a straight line with the partnership card, and the 7 of Blades. Be open to new opportunities that are a little out of your comfort box, but resonate.
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: The Tower
This is the card I dread most in the deck. It usually comes up when I’ve been procrastinating, but I’ve been staying on top of things. It’s in the position of emotion and creativity – last Saturday felt like a Tower day, around my injury. I’m not sure I’m up to any more of that energy. It ties into the 2 of Vessels, and need for partnership this week, going all the way through to the Page of Stones. Your instincts may be telling you to withdraw this week, but the spread overall says you can only get through it with help. The card depicts Castleton Tower near Moab, Utah. You can learn more about it here.
This may be a tougher week to navigate emotionally than some of the others, part of the post-eclipse period. Be cautious what information you share and with whom, but don’t withdraw completely. With the lack of sticks/wands in the spread, it indicates a need to keep one’s ego in check.
Did anything resonate with you, or did you get something different? I’m always happy to hear from you.
I hope you enjoyed this deck this month. With our National Parks under severe threat, please be in touch with your elected officials and do what you can to support/protect the parks.
Next week, we dive into a new deck for September, a deck I’m looking forward to sharing with you.
Have a great week!