Monday, July 7, 2025
Waxing Moon
Pluto and Neptune Retrograde
Hello, friends, and happy July! We are deep into summer now, past the midsummer point of the Solstice. We have a few seconds less of light each day, and we’ll be able to notice it by Lammas, on August 1.
Neptune went retrograde on the 4th. Neptune is a planet of dreams, illusions, and spirituality. When it’s retrograde, it gives us a chance to see where our dreams have cracks, and how to reshape them. The Pluto retrograde helps with this, because Pluto retrograde reveals what’s hidden. These retrogrades give us a chance to dig deeper.
Saturn turns retrograde at the very end of the week, on the 13th. Saturn is the planet of life lessons. Last year, it was retrograde from 29 June to 15 November. Look back on what you learned then – have you put what you learned in that period into practice? If not, it will come up again this time around. Saturn will turn direct on 27 November this year, on Thanksgiving Day.
Last week’s reading definitely resonated for me, especially with the Devil card on personal levels (late payment from a client, which had me worried about bills) and a collective level (the passage of the Republican Murder Bill). The wands were definitely a stretch, but, by the end of the week, I did find comfort in the 9 of Cups.
This week’s reading has three wand cards and two Major Arcana cards, so there’s an emphasis on large, long-reaching energy with an eye to passion and identity.
We’re in a new month, which means we switch decks. We’re using the Herbal Tarot for July, from herbalist Michael Tierra and artist Candis Cantin. I’ve had this deck since the mid-1990’s, and just love it. In fact, I used it during the month of June for ancestor work. In addition to the meaning of a particular card, it pairs with an herb that you can use to navigate the card, and, in general, with which to expand your herbal knowledge. You can learn more about Michael here, learn more about Candis here, and buy the deck here.
Since I am not a certified herbalist, I will focus on the spiritual meaning of each herb. If you are interested in the medicinal properties, which are discussed in the THE SPIRIT OF HERBS guidebook that goes with the deck, I encourage you to invest in that book, research the herbs in other reliable texts, or consult with a certified herbalist.
If you’re new to the weekly readings, this is a spread of mine. 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 – Eight of Wands
The 8 of Wands indicates motion, and things happening fast. There’s a goal in sight, and this is not the time to hesitate. Once things go into motion, focus and go with it to achieve what you want. At the same time, speak your truth and stick to your core integrity. That is not mutually exclusive from following and acting on your passion. The herb paired with this is Sassafras, which, on a spiritual level, works on clarifying communication. On the collective level, it means we need to communicate with each other clearly and with integrity, as things begin to accelerate, especially as the Pluto and Neptune retrogrades rip away any illusions.
The Week’s Challenge – The Emperor
The Emperor card is one of masculine energy, order, and determination. It can also indicate someone wanting control over you, trying to suppress or limit you. That certainly resonates on a collective stage right now. The question here is whether open defiance or a more subtle workaround is the best choice in this challenge. It may be different for each of us, and those individual choices add up to a larger whole. The herb paired with it is Atractylodes, which is named as “an herb of power” in the book (p. 32). I am not familiar with this herb, but on a spiritual level, it’s about warming, and stoking the fire and energy within to get things done.
The Week’s Opportunity – Six of Wands
The 6 of Wands is a card of victory. In many decks, the figure is shown as being honored in a parade. This deck’s interpretation is a little different. The victor stares at the weapons the opponents have left behind, and this creator suggests we ask ourselves if our victory was worth the price. How does this fit in with the opportunity slot? Again, it ties back into the wands suit being passion with integrity, supporting the two previous cards. The herb tied to this card is hawthorn, to return to inner calm after struggle. I often work with Hawthorn when I work with The Celtic Tree Oracle (by Liz and Colin Murray, art by Vanessa Card), for protection and for inner work. When I lived in a house with less than lovely neighbors on my back border, I used hawthorn shrubs because of their thorns. So this week, we will triumph in a struggle, and then we need a bit of protected rest before preparing for the next battle.
The Week’s Stretch – The Suspended Person
The Suspended Person is the equivalent to the Hanged Man in other decks. It’s our second Major Arcana card of the week in this spread. Also, as a March Pisces, this is one of my birth/astrological cards, so when it turns up, it has particular resonance. It’s about inner work, fresh perspectives, and quiet, which ties into the previous card with its herb, of protected rest after victory. The card is ruled by Neptune, which is now retrograde, underlining the need for quiet and rest. Don’t push this week. Even when things happen quickly, flow with the energy, but don’t try to push it beyond its natural rhythm. The herb here is kelp, which helps with flow and harmony.
The Week’s Comfort – Four of Wands
The 4 of Wands is one of my favorite cards in any deck, because it’s about building the foundation for something permanent and beautiful. Be playful, allow your joy to shine. The herb associated with this is fennel seed (which I used in a recipe the other night, because I craved it, which is a nice little synchronicity). It’s about grounded joy.
If you look at the reading, you see that, reading left to right, the wands decrease – from 8 to 6 to 4, instead of increasing. To me, that means the rapid flow of energy allows for a victory that is the foundation to build something long-term and positive. The Major Arcana increases, starting with a 4 and moving to a 12 (which is a multiple of 4). It’s a time to get out from under someone’s control through your own fire and talent, and then give yourself a respite to look at things from a fresh perspective. The strongest message I get from the cards this week is to stay true to our own passion and core integrity, and that will lead us through to the best possible grounded joy.
Did anything in this reading in particular resonate with you? Or did you get a completely different interpretation? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!