Monday, August 4, 2025
Waxing Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Chiron Retrograde
Hello, and welcome to a new week!
We’ve survived the first two weeks of Mercury Retrograde. Next Monday, the 11th, when we reconvene, Mercury will go direct.
Last Friday was Lammas, the first harvest. We are moving towards autumn.
This month, we are using the Tarot de Marseilles. This particular tarot is one of the earlier decks, with these designs becoming popular in the 18th century, with the Marseilles name coming into use around the middle of the 19th century. There are various versions of the history of this deck, and I encourage you to read as much about the history as you can.
The minor arcana decks focus on the suit and the number, rather than creating illustrated scenarios, the way many other decks, especially modern ones, do. Some people prefer this more ascetic version of the Minor Arcana. Others find it easier to interpret and find meaning in more detailed scenes. Play with different decks, and see what works best for you. I find I am drawn to different decks depending on what I need in a reading, so sometimes one type of deck works better than another for a specific question.
The deck I’m using was a gift, and is published by Fournier, in Spain. You can learn more about their decks here. This deck does not have specific artists credited.
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 – Roy D’Épée
This is the equivalent to the King of Swords in other decks. This week’s energy is about looking at things clearly and rationally, and cutting away what no longer works. There’s a bit of a clinical eye to this card, rather than an emotional one. The collective energy of this week is ruled by the head, not the heart. (I’m not sure why it’s spelled “Roy” rather than “roi” but whatever).
The Week’s Challenge – 4 of Swords
The 4 of Swords is about the need to rest in order to recalibrate and regain one’s strength. There will be demands this week which make that difficult, and it’s important to carve out the time to rest, even if it seems impossible.
The Week’s Opportunity – Valet D’Épée
This is the Page of Swords. The Page of Swords offers intellectual curiosity that can clash with authority. As you cut away what you no longer need, you make room for new curiosities, and follow some of those passions. Just make sure you get enough rest! (Tying these three cards together). I often find the Page of Swords warns me there’s gossip in the air, so keep an eye out for gossip, and don’t get caught up in it. If there’s gossip directed at you or about you, be the King of Swords and cut the offenders out of your circle.
The Week’s Stretch – La Roue de Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune is upright, which means things are turning for the better. Again, this ties to cutting away what is no longer necessary to make room for something new, and, in this case, better. Because this card is in the “stretch” position for the week, it may not be obvious at first that things are getting better. There might be a glitch (hello, Mercury Retrograde) as it turns to bring around a more positive cycle. Hang in there. Use your intellect to make decisions this week.
The Week’s Comfort – Valet De Deniers
For all the headache-inducing thought we need to put into the week, the Page of Pentacles comforts us that diligence pays off. There’s relief coming in very tangible ways.
Every other card in this spread is a court card (called “honeurs” in this deck). Intellect leads to tangible results. There’s a single Minor Arcana, telling us to carve out rest and recouperation time, and a Major Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune, telling us things are getting better, although there might be an obstacle or two in the way still.
This week, leading up to Saturday’s Full Moon, is about steadiness and careful thought. Lead with your head, not your heart this week, in spite of the Venus placement in Cancer, that makes us want to go squishy. Make sure the place you rest is a beautiful, tranquil bower, and leave the other emotions for another week (Venus will be here until August 25).
Does anything in this interpretation resonate? Or did you get something different? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.