
Monday, August 10, 2026
Day Before Dark Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron Retrograde
Here we are, trundling through August.
Today is the day before the dark moon. I always find it my lowest energy day of the month, and then energy surges back for the dark moon itself. That’s helpful, when there’s banishing work to be done.
We had the lovely 8/8 Lion’s Gate Portal energy last Saturday, and we have a solar eclipse on Wednesday, along with the new moon.
Don’t let anyone try to intimidate you into panic (and panic buying “their” methods) with all these transits and portals and eclipses. Choose your focus and what you want to explore. Next cycle, you can build on it and/or focus on something else. Enjoy it, rather than letting it frighten you. If someone reaches out to you on social media claiming to be me and wanting money from you — it’s not. Paid sessions are not part of my practice right now. If that changes, I will not DM someone on social media trolling for clients. It will be set up in a proper booking system on this website ethically and in a way to protect everyone.
This month, we are using 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 Sticks
The central driving energy of our spirit this week (2 sticks/wands) is the need to map a plan. That fits in with the solar eclipse on the 12th and then the lunar eclipse on the 28th. The artwork shows a map, a compass, path options into the wilderness, leading toward the sun. We have some good options in the coming cycle. Take the map, make a plan, and then start moving forward. Remember that a map is a tool, and you get to change direction if you find out the path you are on does not suit your needs.
North – Earth/Tangibles: Devil
The Devil has so many interpretations. It can mean feeling trapped. It can mean trapping yourself in day-to-day tangible concerns and temptations. It can mean the need to pay attention to what’s going on around you to find a way out. Figures in this card are often depicted as chained. However, these two figures are freestanding within the cave, and have headlamps that illuminate this massive stone figure. They can appreciate it and honor it. They might be tempted to climb it or hack off a piece to take with them, but that interaction would cause harm. Can they think beyond themselves enough to enjoy without causing harm? Considering what our National Parks are facing right now, this is relevant on personal and societal levels. This is in the position of tangibles this week, so your practical worries/concerns/fears will need to play into your plan (2 Sticks). Consider ways to handle all those elements without causing harm. Remember the phrase about being in nature, “leave it better than you found it” and embody that principle this week.
The park depicted in this card in this deck is Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. If you’re interested in learning more about, you can do so here.
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Eight of Sticks
The 8 of Sticks is the 8 of Wands in other decks, and often shows 8 wands in motion. This deck interprets the card a little differently. It shows a beaver working on a dam, being creative and diligent, which is often associated with 8 of Pentacles instead. However, there is fast motion in this card, which is the river. The beaver is building something that slows down the river and creates something positive in the environment. Instead of rushing through your thoughts this week, stay creative and diligent. Finish what you start, and let yourself fully experience the intellectual aspects of your work all the way through, instead of giving it minimum attention. The beaver encourages maximum attention.
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Eight of Stones
This card is the equivalent to 8 Pentacles in other decks. The figures in this card enjoy the fruits of their labor, which is ongoing. There are plants nearing maturity. There are other plants that still needs to be nurtured. Diligence, patience, skill, and showing up to do the work steadily all factor in. Since this is in the position of identity this week, how are you working on yourself? What do you pay attention to within your identity, and what needs nurturing? Using the beaver’s energy in the previous card, the “leave things better” energy of the Devil, and the “make a plan” of the two, it encourages self-nurture in balance with the impact you make on the world. The line from the 8 of Stones through the 2 to the Devil has a lot of energy to it. The stability of the 8 helps you make the plan and explore the tangibles.
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Nine of Blades
The 9 of Blades is the equivalent to the 9 of Swords. In most decks, it shows a lone figure feeling anxious. In this deck, the interpretation is very different. The figures are pulling a heavy load, and have almost reached a cottage where someone welcomes them. They’ve had a trudge through winter, and are about to find comfort. They are probably tired, and may have worried they’d never get there, but now, they only have a few more steps. We may feel tired and overwhelmed this week. Just hold the energy of the eights and keep showing up. Don’t despair, you are almost home.
We have one Major Arcana card in this spread, two eights, and a nine. Two sticks, a stone, and a blade. No vessels. Last week, we had no sticks. This week, we have two. It makes sense with what’s happening astrologically. Keep trudging along, keep adjusting your plan as you need to, and leave everything along the way better than you found it. You can do it. We can do it. This week is more about practicalities, and less about emotion.
Did anything resonate, or did you get something different? I always love to hear about it!

Center – Spirit/Self: Ace of Blades
North – Earth/Tangibles: Two of Blades
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Seven of Stones
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Queen of Vessels
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Ace of Stones
Center – Spirit/Self: Seven of Pentacles
North – Earth/Tangibles: Strength
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: King of Pentacles
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Nine of Wands
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Eight of Pentacles
Center – Spirit/Self: Page of Swords
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Page of Pentacles
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Ten of Pentacles
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Knight of Wands
Center – Spirit/Self: Temperance
North – Earth/Tangibles: Five of Swords
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: The Fool
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Page of Cups
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Two of Swords
Center – Spirit/Self: 10 of Wands
North – Earth/Tangibles: The Empress
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Five of Cups
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Eight of Cups
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Knight of Cups
Center – Spirit/Self: Ace of Cups
North – Earth/Tangibles: The Fool
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Six of Pentacles
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: The Moon
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Justice
Monday, June 22, 2026
Center – Spirit/Self: Nine of Pentacles
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: King of Cups
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Nine of Swords
Center – Spirit/Self: Seven of Pentacles
North – Earth/Tangibles: Queen of Cups
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: Ace of Pentacles
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Four of Pentacles
West – Water/Creativity/Emotion: Five of Swords
Center – Spirit/Self: Two of Cups
North – Earth/Tangibles: The Empress
East – Air/Thought/Intellect: The Magician
South – Fire/Passion/Identity: Ace of Cups