News & The Kemmyrk Blog

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.

Monday, July 28, 2025
Waxing Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury Retrograde

Happy New Week! We’ve survived Mercury Retrograde so far, and have 15 more days to go.

Chiron goes retrograde this week, on the 30th, until Jan. 2 of next year, giving us a chance to heal old wounds.

Lammas is next Friday, the first of the harvest festivals, starting to pull us farther out of the light portion of the year towards the darker half.

Last week, I definitely used lots of basil for just about everything!

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 and about Candis here. You can buy the deck here.

This is our last week with this deck. We will switch to a different deck for August with next week’s reading.

Since I am not a certified herbalist, I will focus on the spiritual meaning of each herb rather than the medicinal. If you are interested in the medicinal properties, which are discussed in 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 – Knight of Pentacles
The Knight of Pentacles makes progress, but it’s slower and more methodical than many of the other knights. He takes his time, considers every angle, and makes measured decisions. Reliable, loyal, and patient, he takes longer to get where he’s going, but it’s worth it. After last week’s Eight of Wands quick-moving energy, a slower energy this week is a welcome relief. It allows us to enjoy the energy of the herb Elecampane, which keeps us grounded and reminds us of our inherent worth and beauty.

The Week’s Challenge – The Lovers
This is an interesting card to have in the “challenge” position. The Lovers often demands a decision. The previous card, the Knight of Pentacles, reminds us not to make hasty decisions that may bring regret. Look at both sides of the issue (taking both of the Lovers into account) and make a balanced decision. Don’t allow a partner to push you into a decision before you’re ready. Parsley is the herb associated with this card, balancing yin/yang energy. If you’re eating with others this week, add a little parsley to the food to keep things in balance.

The Week’s Opportunity – The High Priest
The High Priest is about traditional, institutional structure. It’s about teachers, both inner and outer. This week, there’s a chance to learn something from someone who has a traditional background, but you can funnel it through your own inner teacher to process it. Maybe use some sage for this, the herb connected to this card. Whether you burn some sage or sprinkle fresh or dried sage on your food, connect with the herb as you process new information slowly (Knight Pentacles) and don’t rush into a decision.

The Week’s Stretch – Eight of Pentacles
The 8 of Pentacles is about showing up and doing the work, whatever that work may be. Take pleasure in your skills and your craft. With the new knowledge you gain this week, and the time you want to take to process it properly, you still have to show up for your commitments. Enjoy the work this week. You may be distracted and feel like you just want to sit and think. Build in “sit and think” time, but also do the work you have to do. The herb associated with this is ginger. Ginger’s warmth will help fuel the fire in your work. It’s also considered a money-drawing herb (cinnamon gets more attention for this, but ginger works, too).

The Week’s Comfort – Five of Cups
Again, an odd card to turn up in this particular position. The 5 of Cups indicates loss and grief. However, although two cups are spilled, three are still intact. Grieve the loss, acknowledge your feelings, but also look to what’s left and what you can create out of what’s left (cups are creative vessels as well as emotional). Horsetail, the herb associated with this card, makes room for the grief, and also helps it flow through. The loss you might mourn this week may be an old one, not necessarily something that occurs this week. Give yourself the time and space for that mourning, while also looking ahead to the creation of the next cycle. Take your time, look at issues from different angles, be willing to learn from others and process that learning through yourself, show up and do the work, and integrate the grief and loss and you prepare for the next cycle.

Did anything in particular resonate for you in this reading? Or did you get something else? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Monday, July 21, 2025
Waning Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury Retrograde

We are in Mercury Retrograde, and, with the other retrogrades, it’s making us slow down. A lot. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Check and recheck everything.

I have more thoughts on Mercury Retrograde and how it often affects me in last week’s post. I’m also seeing a lot of astrologers online gleefully telling us how much the next few months will suck, with the retrogrades.

Here’s a thought: How about if they don’t?

Yes, things will be more complicated. But what if we choose not to buy into the hype and panic? What if we are more careful in thought, word, deed, and slow everything down? When we hit a challenge or an obstacle, we say, “okay, not thrilled with this, but this is how we’ll deal with it” and then we do?

I have no idea if I will succeed in this intention, but I at least want to set it and try!

I took great enjoyment in both the Star and the Moon last week, even though there were some obstacles in the week.

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 and about Candis here. You can buy the deck here.

Since I am not a certified herbalist, I will focus on the spiritual meaning of each herb rather than the medicinal. 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 – The Eight of Wands
This card was the collective energy card back in the July 7 reading. It’s about things in motion. Once they start, their momentum accelerates, and things move quickly. Other decks have all eight wands flying in one direction. This deck has four and four pointed toward the center, which means things are moving fast, so focused attention is required. Sassafras connects to the throat chakra, helping with communication (always a good thing when Mercury is retrograde) and protection from negative “thorns” coming your way.

The Week’s Challenge – Two of Wands
The two of wands is about planning with purpose. The figure holds a globe, looking for their place in the world. Why would this be a challenge? Because planning with purpose takes time and focus, and the previous card suggests things may be happening quickly that want to pull our focus from this planning. In other words, we may have to deal with something happening quickly when what we want to do is sit down and make a plan (either on what’s happening quickly or on something else). However, this is a two, which is a card of balance. Basil is also the herb, an herb of love, prosperity, healing, and harmony. A chef with whom I studied once said, “no one ever sends back a dish for having too much basil” so liberally use basil in your cooking and around your home this week!

The Week’s Opportunity – King of Swords
The King of Swords ends a cycle, by rationally cutting away what is no longer necessary. This week contains the last few days of the waning moon, with the moon turning new on Thursday, the 24th. What do we need to cut away, once we’ve analyzed it and decided its purpose? The herb associated with this card is St. John’s Wort, one of my favorites. It aids in calmness and clarity, and protection. Somewhere in this week’s challenge of wanting to plan while things are moving swiftly, we have the opportunity of clarity and cutting away something that is no longer needed to make room for better as the moon turns from dark to new.

The Week’s Stretch – The Hermit
We are in the Year of the Hermit, so this card comes up frequently. This indicates that, with all of the three previous cards demanding our attention, it will be a stretch to build in the quiet time we want and need. But we should do it anyway. We can’t light the path for others if it’s still murky to us. Licorice is the herb with this card. I, personally, am not a fan of licorice and rarely use it in my own work, but it’s another calming, clarifying herb. If you enjoy it, make some time this week to sit on your meditation cushion and chew on a stick of licorice as you think things through.

The Week’s Comfort – Ten of Wands
Another wand card. How can the 10 of Wands, a card of carrying so many sticks, be a comfort? Because it indicates nearing the end of a cycle. Just hold on. You’re almost there. I know, in my case, I have to soldier on until Aug. 2, and then I can finally rest for a day or two, before picking up my next batch of sticks! Stick to priorities, avoid distractions, and keep on keeping on. We’re almost there! Prickly ash bark helps one transition from feeling like an overburdened victim to a rooted sense of responsibility and coping. I’ve used this herb as a tea, and I’ve also sat in meditation with bits of the bark in my hands.

This week’s reading has three wand cards, a court card, and one Major Arcana. The focus this week is on the daily details with passion and commitment to your true self. The Hermit demands that you block out some time to sit and think, but the rest of it is about balancing priorities and making decisions as things move quickly.

It has the potential for being the good kind of busy!

Did anything in particular resonate with you? Or did you get something different from the cards? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Monday July 14, 2025
Waning Moon
Pluto, Neptune, Saturn Retrograde

Happy new week!

In addition to Pluto and Neptune Retrograde, Saturn joined them yesterday. Saturn is the planet of life lessons. It’s about direct responsibility for action. If you keep making the same mistakes without growth, Saturn retrograde is when you will get a good slap about it to make you pay attention. Saturn is a strict teacher. Saturn demands you pay attention, learn, and then APPLY what you learn moving forward. It’s less about what you want than what you need.

On Friday, Mercury goes retrograde. It’s been in shadow for a couple of weeks already, and has been kicking my ass. I generally try to ignore the shadow period of Mercury Retrograde, or else there would be six months of the year going cattywampus, and who has the time or energy for that? This time around, though, I’ve been struggling since the pre-retrograde shadow began.

My mantra for Mercury Retrograde is, “Stay low, stay quiet, go thrift shopping.” For me, I need to be even more careful in listening (it’s a time for miscommunication). It’s a time to be simpler and clearer when I speak (for the same reason). It’s a time to stay quiet unless what I have to say matters in the moment (for the same reason). Travelling somewhere? Give yourself lots of extra time on both ends of the appointment, because travel tends to get messed up. Don’t stack appointments. Back up all your tech. Confirm and reconfirm appointments and meeting plans. WHEN they get messed up (and it will be ‘when’), take a deep breath and start over. Don’t snap at someone for getting confused. If they get grumpy with you, this is a time to let it go and let it flow. When it comes to shopping, it’s a great time for sales and thrift shopping. It’s a terrible time to buy any big ticket items, tech toys, a car, a house, a washing machine, a computer, etc. Try not to sign any contracts. If you have to, take extra time to read the fine print. But try to put it off until after Aug. 11, when it turns direct.

Mercury is in Aquarius in the first house of my birth chart, so when it goes retrograde 3-4 times a year, things really go haywire. I try to clear my calendar as much as possible, put my head down to work, and isolate. I can’t this year, because I have commitments that require creativity, communication, short travel. So I just have to adjust.

Last week’s reading resonated. Things happened fast, I had a small victory, there were multiple frustrations that needed to be looked at from a different perspective, so I didn’t chafe about someone else’s control, and I felt, in some respects, that I was building a solid foundation. How did it shake out for you?

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 and about Candis here. You can buy the deck here.

Since I am not a certified herbalist, I will focus on the spiritual meaning of each herb rather than the medicinal. 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 – The Star
I’m always happy to see the Star in a reading, because of its message of hope. Energies are flowing, and they’re doing so in harmony. Red denotes vitality and blue receptivity, so our figure contains both. She sits on earth near the water. The star in the sky illuminates the work, leads the way, and promises hope for the future. This deck encourages meditation for inspiration in connection with the Star. Skullcap is a calming herb, and can aid in meditation. This card gives me a sense of peace and purpose. For the collective, we could certainly use some hope this week, so let’s be on the lookout for it!

The Week’s Challenge – Two of Pentacles
The 2 of Pentacles is about balancing the inner and outer worlds. Dance to integrate them (either literally or figuratively), and let them flow to feed each other within the infinity symbol in which they rest. That’s a more holistic choice than having the inner world in conflict with the outer world. Don’t get so caught up in one that you forget the other. Even though this is a pentacle card (earth), there is water in the art, tying it to the earth, water, and flow of the previous Star card. The challenge this week will be to dance with the flow, rather than to get stuck either in your head or in the practical details of the day-to-day. Give yourself room for both.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Moon
The moon is about understanding the difference between intuition and illusion. I’ve seen far too many interpretations over the past months focusing on the negative side of the card and illusion. Illusions can serve as inspiration, as long as we stay grounded, and don’t let those put on us by others be used to manipulate us. Moonlight illuminates differently than sunlight, and we can see things from a different perspective. Moonlight can also create illusions that come from our subconscious; understanding and interpreting them can be useful. The moon is also deeply connected to intuition. Intuition has come up in these readings time and time again over the months, with the message: Trust your intuition. Our opportunity this week is to understand the root of our illusions, use them for inspiration, and then trust our intuition above what others try to impose on us. The herb associated with the moon is lemon balm, which is one of my favorites. I love to have it growing because of its calm beauty, and I enjoy lemon balm tea. It’s good for getting back into emotional balance.

The Week’s Stretch – Queen of Wands
The Queen of Wands is confident without being arrogant. She knows who she is, and she creates from a deep place of passion and identity. The white cat approves! White cats often symbolize positivity. Raspberry leaf is a wonderful, gentle herb, and makes a beautiful, restorative tea. It’s also tied to intuition, supporting the previous card. The reason it’s in the stretch position this week is, with Saturn going retrograde, there will be times you need to remember who you are. Stand in your power unapologetically. That will help you while inspiring those around you.

The Week’s Comfort – Knight of Cups
The Knight of Cups brings joy, compassion, and creativity out into the world. It’s time to move forward to bring dreams into reality. The warning of this knight is to avoid getting caught up in immature relationships that will pull you off course (lean into the Queen of Wands energy to help with this). When you start to feel overwhelmed or unsure this week, dig into the creative, compassionate energy that makes you uniquely you, and find comfort in that. On a spiritual level, Sarsaparilla allows you to clear emotional energy and express your feelings.

Two Major Arcana cards, two Court Cards, and only one Minor Arcana card, the latter of which encourages balance. It’s definitely a week to enjoy the positives of retrograde energy, which is about slowing down and paying attention.

Did anything in the reading resonate with you, or did you get a different interpretation? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

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!

Monday, June 23, 2025
Day Before Dark Moon
Pluto Retrograde

Hello, my friends! I hope you had a wonderful Solstice. Today is the day before the dark moon, my lowest energy day of the month. Tomorrow is the dark moon – let go, banish, protect. On Wednesday, a new moon in Cancer begins, which nourishes us.

How was last week? Mine was more stressful than I would have liked, mostly due to factions outside of my control. There was a lot of 7 of Swords energy. And yet, there were also moments of Queen of Pentacles and 3 of Pentacles, which helped a lot.

This month’s tarot deck is the wonderful Everyday Witch Tarot with support from the Everyday Witch’s Familiars Oracle. Both are by the wonderful Deborah Blake with art by the terrific Elisabeth Alba. You can visit Deborah’s website here and visit Elisabeth’s website here. Both decks are available from Llewellyn Worldwide.

I am a huge fan of both of these creators. No, I don’t get a kickback from them or from Llewellyn, and yes, I bought both these decks!

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 – Seven of Pentacles
The 7 of Pentacles is about patience as you continue to put in the work. It feels like the end of a project keeps getting farther and farther out, like one of those long hallways in a horror movie. But what you’ve planted and nurtured and worked on is progressing, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Patience and persistence will get you farther than pushing too hard. Keep up steady work. Which is something for us to remember on a larger, societal level, with war looming over us. It doesn’t have to be this way, and persistence will get us where we need to be.

The Week’s Challenge – Page of Wands
The first thing I thought when I saw this was that I need a vacation! This month, all the pages have turned up, one week or another, which indicates that June had a lot of new beginnings involved. This card is yet again, about a new path. There’s a new path opening as the work being put into the projects of the previous card is close to fruition. You may not be able to start down it immediately, but get into discussions and possibilities with an eye to keeping this opportunity open while you wind up the other work. Let things overlap a bit, instead of finite boundaries.

The Week’s Opportunity – The Star
This is our only Major Arcana card this week, and it’s in the opportunity position, so it’s a good idea to pay attention. It’s tied to the challenge and to the collective energy. The Star offers hope, flow, and balance. It indicates that yes, you can complete the work needed on the 7 while still keep the Page’s new path open. It will work out, as long as you keep channels of honest communication open and work with integrity.

 

The Week’s Stretch – Nine of Cups
With all this going on, trying to balance current work with new opportunities, it might be a stretch to luxuriate in the 9 of Cups. There’s a lot of really good stuff in our lives! This is the wish card, so a wish is about to come true – if we don’t drop the ball of the 7 of Pentacles. There’s still work to be done, but you can whistle while you work, so to speak, enjoying what you have and what’s on the way, while still doing what needs to be done for completion.

 

The Week’s Comfort – Seven of Wands
This is a strange card to have in the “comfort” slot, since it’s a card of potential conflict. When things go well, we often wait for the other shoe to drop, or worry about those who do not wish us well. We’ve also been living on high alert, in an unhealthy way, since January of this year, and for good reason. The comfort here is telling you to trust your instincts when something feels off. Pay attention, without getting paranoid. Not everything needs an immediate fight or flight response. Be aware of everything going on around you, but pick and choose your battles so it doesn’t interfere with the work you need to get done in the 7 and the 9, or obscure the new paths in Page and the Star. Trust yourself.

Did anything in particular resonate with you? Or did you get something completely different? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Monday, June 9, 2025
Waxing Moon
Pluto Retrograde

Hello, friends! June is just barreling along. Lots going on in many directions. This week’s reading has a lot of swords in it, which means intellectual challenges and possibly overthinking. Remember to take a breath and a minute to decide whether the thoughts you’re struggling with are genuinely your reality in this moment, or what you fear.

This month’s tarot deck is the wonderful Everyday Witch Tarot with support from the Everyday Witch’s Familiars Oracle. Both are by the wonderful Deborah Blake with art by the terrific Elisabeth Alba. You can visit Deborah’s Etsy here and visit Elisabeth’s website here. Both decks are available from Llewellyn Worldwide, with the tarot deck here and the oracle deck here.

(Note: when I tried to link to Deborah’s website, it didn’t work, so I’m giving you her Etsy link).

I am a huge fan of both of these creators. No, I don’t get a kickback from them or from Llewellyn, and yes, I bought both these decks!

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 – Six of Swords
The 6 of Swords is about travel, leaving a situation that’s not working. It’s often shown as travel by water, but in this card, the figure travels over land, with others, and there’s a sense of escape. Here in the US, with our government using violence against its citizens, let’s hope we can collectively escape (and more important stop) the violence being used against us. It’s time to be strategic in our planning, not go it alone, and make a smart (and necessary) escape.

 

The Week’s Challenge – Nine of Swords
When the 9 of Swords comes up for me, it often indicates self-imposed anxiety. There’s a feeling of overwhelm and not knowing where to turn. Again, for me, I suspect it’s a combination of what’s going on politically in the larger landscape this week along with the personal challenges. I have to remember to stop and ask myself, “is this my reality in this moment? What is real and what is a fear that I can take action against?” Not getting mired in the fear will be a big challenge and key this week.

The Week’s Opportunity – Queen of Cups
Amongst all this fear and angst this week is the Queen of Cups. She reminds us that, even in the midst of stress, we can be loving towards others, and we also need to be around those who are loving towards us. Pay attention. Any opportunity this week you can hold the door for someone, say “thank you” for anything, pay a compliment, offer a kind word – do it. The bigger changes we need are built on these small moments.

 

The Week’s Stretch – Ace of Swords
Here we have another sword, but this one is a positive one! The Ace is about new ideas and fresh viewpoints. It will be a stretch this week to look beyond the fear and anxiety, but when we do so, we come up with potential new solutions that are better than what we thought we sought. It’s about clarity, and then taking action.

 

 

The Week’s Comfort – Eight of Wands
The 8 of Wands indicates that things are moving quickly. This ties into the 6 of Swords at the beginning of the reading, and the Ace in the previous position. Fresh perspectives and escape will overcome the anxiety, and moments of kindness will lift things out. Be aware of what’s around you, and when the time comes, MOVE!

The week has the potential to need quick action and decision-making. Do as much as possible from a place of kindness, but be ready to act when necessary. The Queen, the Ace, and the Eight suggest a potentially positive outcome, if you don’t get mired in the 9.

Did anything in the reading resonate with you? Or did you get something very different? I’d love to hear it in the comments.