Monday, August 18, 2025
Waning Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde
We are in the waning days of summer, here in the Northern Hemisphere. There will be a New Moon on Saturday, the 23rd.
It’s been hot and humid and uncomfortable where I live, but this week should give us some relief.
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
My overall sense of the week is that it’s about practicality and dreams. Note I do not say “vs.” I do not believe the cards are in conflict for those. I believe the week is about using the energies of each to support the other. Let’s dig in!
The Collective Energy of the Week – 6 of Pentacles
Last week, this card was in the “Opportunity” slot. This week, it has moved into the Collective Energy for the week, which to me means that we welcomed the opportunity offered last week and are using it for collective generosity and success this week. That’s a lovely progression, and an indication that our individual positive actions do make a difference.
The Week’s Challenge – 8 of Pentacles
Show up and do the work. This card keeps coming up regularly, no matter what the month or the deck. Show up. Do the work. Take pleasure in your skills. Let’s face it, we’re all tired. But consistency will feed into the success and generosity of the 6 of Pentacles.
The Week’s Opportunity –3 of Pentacles
You/we don’t have to go it alone! In fact, we make stronger progress when we work together. You’ve honed your skills, you keep honing them, you share the wealth, and you show up. This week will give you an opportunity to make a leap of progress with others that will strengthen the work, the success, and the generosity for everyone. Go for it!
The Week’s Stretch – The Ace of Cups
Again, I will mention how much I love this card. The castle of dreams is supported by the solid base of the cup. This is one of my favorite Ace of Cups depiction in any deck. It was in our reading last week as the Challenge. This week, it’s moved into the Stretch position. You may need to do work that is not directly connected to your castle of dreams this week with others, in order to forward a collective good. But carve out some time, every day, to envision your castle of dreams. There’s something wonderful forming around it, even though it’s not quite ready to manifest yet.
The Week’s Comfort – L’Ėtoile (The Star)
The Star is a beautiful card of hope and inspiration. It heals, it turns dreams into reality. There’s a balance between the flows of the two vessels and the river. The week may require a lot of work, both personal and collective, but it will be worth it in the end. Maybe not by the end of the week, but it will have a fortunate result further down, while giving us a sense of hope and accomplishment within the week.
Did anything in particular resonate with you? Or did you get something different out of the reading? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.