News & The Kemmyrk Blog

Monday, February 24, 2025
Waning Moon
Mars DIRECT as of yesterday
No retrogrades

We have a brief 5-day period without retrogrades until Saturday, March 1, when Venus goes retrograde until April 12. If you want to make a radical change to your look (as I do), wait until Venus goes direct again in April to make sure it’s the right choice and you pick people with the right skills to help. We also have a new moon in Pisces on Thursday, February 27 in the evening. Time to cut away what doesn’t serve us early in the week to make room for fresh creativity.

Last week’s reading gave some me valuable guidance. I had to rely on communicating, even when there were hard conversations needed. Otherwise, I would have been in limbo. I didn’t always get the answers for which I hoped, but at least I have information necessary to make the decisions for the next steps.

For the weekly readings in February, we are using the Cozy Witch Tarot by Amanda Lovelace, with art by Janaina Medeiros. You can learn more about it and buy it here. Several people recommended this deck to me, including my friend, author and tarot reader Jameison Wolf. I love the way it reads, although my interpretations are sometimes different than what is written on the card. I do sometimes worry that it doesn’t delve deeply enough into uncomfortable emotions, but it states clearly that it is meant to be cozy and comforting. February is a difficult month for me, anyway, often; it seems like winter will never end. And with all the stresses around us, I’m opting for cozy for us in these weekly readings.

To dig deeper, when necessary, I’m using the Shadows of Light Oracle by Haley Clare. I’m not sure if I received this deck from Goddess Provisions or Tamed Wild, during the time I had subscription boxes from them. The deck and I are becoming reacquainted, and it works well with this tarot deck.

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

Apologies that the photos aren’t as sharp as I would like.

The Collective Energy of the Week – 5 of Wands
This is a card about a group struggling to come to consensus, with each person holding onto their position as part of their identity. With all the chaos going on, it makes a lot of sense. Let each person have a say, and then talk through the issues. See where there is room for compromise, and where you need to draw boundaries. But do so from a place of kindness and compassion whenever possible, rather than from anger, or it will just escalate.

Digging deeper into this energy with the oracle, the Foundation of this is Challenge: Opposition. Again, that makes sense to the tarot card above it. We are being challenged inwardly and outwardly. We know we need to work as a group to solve the issues, but we each have different approaches, and finding a way to integrate the best of these so we can move forward as a collective is difficult.

However, the Growth from here is Creativity: The Alchemist. If we put in the (often exhausting) work. Like the Magician card in tarot, this card is about taking action to turn creative potential into reality.

By working together, listening to each other, and weaving together different facets of people’s ideas, it’s possible to create a strong solution.

The Week’s Challenge – The Patient Witch
This is called The Hanged Man in many other decks. It’s about patience, sitting with uncomfortable emotions, and looking at things from different perspectives. This challenge ties into the previous card, the 5 of Wands, and the cards below and above it. It won’t be easy to come to consensus. Also, with Mars turning direct, even though he’s not at full speed yet, and only 5 days before hitting another retrograde, there’s an anxious energy to want to pile as much into this week as possible. This card warns us to slow down. Rushing now will have a high price later.

The Week’s Opportunity – 9 of Pentacles
I love this card. It’s about living the life you want, the life you’ve created yourself. If we don’t rush, if we listen and work together, we can take moments this week to savor what we’ve done, and that will build toward having this good life in the long run. Spend time every day with your gratitude practice of choice. Use that gratitude as part of your patience and your listening.

The Week’s Stretch – The Broom
This is the Death card in other decks. Those new to tarot often find the Death card uncomfortable. The card in this deck is somewhat gentler, showing both physical and emotional cleansing related to the home rather than a skeleton and those symbols that often cause distress. Don’t forget that your body is your home. This week is a good time to start your spring cleaning, especially before Thursday’s new moon. Make space for new possibilities, both physically and mentally.

The Foundation for this card is Cycles: Ouroboros, which makes sense to set the foundation for the Broom/Death card. We all live in cycles, by the month, by the season, by the year, by the time in our lives. Do we simply repeat the same cycle over and over again, or do we use each cycle to build something better? It’s our choice. Those choices are, however, often influenced by systemic oppression, which makes it important to relate back to the 5 of Wands in the first position, listening to each other and working together so we CAN make the next cycle better.

The Week’s Comfort – Justice
Being honest with yourself is the foundation of being honest with the world. What is your truth? Where is that in conflict with societal truth? Where is there common ground? Where is there not? Where are you being a hypocrite? Take some time, in all the listening, patience, cleaning, and gratitude practice to really define yourself and your values. The cleansing in the Broom/Death card will help with that.

The growth from doing so is Unity: The Sacred Paradox. If we are honest with ourselves and know our own truths, we can take it out into the world in a positive, compassionate way to work for collective justice through unity. Every choice we make has a ripple effect, because of the connection between us.

Although the week suggests the possibilities of challenges (again), there are also bright spots of connection, gratitude, healing, and cleansing, if we take advantage of them.

Did anything resonate for you in this reading? Are you sensing different meaning in any of the cards? The oracle deck, in particular, often works with sacred geometry.  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Next week’s reading is in a new month, which means we’re using different decks! Stay tuned.

Hello, there, my friends! How are you navigating the three days of the full moon? We move from Leo into Virgo today, from standing in the spotlight to focusing on the small details.

I see a lot of material making the rounds about how the full moon is to release what you no longer need. If you’re doing that and it works for you, well done! Magic is energy in motion, and we each build our own relationship to it.

My training is slightly different, and I will share how I was trained and how it works in my practice. If it resonates, feel free to try it yourself. If it doesn’t, feel free to keep doing what you’re doing that resonates with you.

In our training circle, and in circles after initiation, we worked with moon cycles in terms of waxing, fulfillment, and waning. We’d choose something to work on at the new moon and do the increase work as the moon waxed. The increase work is often a mix of visualization, attraction work, and physical actions to bring us closer to the intent.

On the full moon, we would release the energy we raised so that what we worked on could MANIFEST. We found that building up the energy, and then sending it out into the world without micromanaging it worked best for our manifestations.

During the waning moon, we focused on removing obstacles.

The dark moon was, for us, releasing what we no longer needed. Which then freed us, on the new moon, to begin again.

Some workings take more than a month. Again, it’s more about working on the energy and the physical actions to bring it into being and then letting go without micromanaging. We were told that once we released the spell to manifest, we had to stop thinking or obsessing about it. It can’t grow if you hold it too tightly. Think about the negative aspects of the 4 of Pentacles, when you hoard. If you hoard the energy, it doesn’t have the room to grow and manifest. Energy needs to stay in flow, in motion. I have made mistakes trying to micromanage the universe, mostly out of fear, and did not get the hoped-for results.

I have tried both ways of working with the full moon. In my own work, I find releasing to manifest on the full moon, and releasing to remove on the dark moon work better for me.

Have you tried different ways of working with the full moon? What have you found best, or do you change the way you work depending on need? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Monday, February 10, 2025
Waxing Moon
Mars Retrograde

Last week, I kept remembering the King of Cups card, because regulating emotion was difficult. As often as possible, I tried to tie it into the 10 of Pentacles energy, being grateful for what I have. I took the King of Cups advice and attended a friend’s art opening last week. It definitely soothed my soul. It feels good to have only one retrograde at the moment, but Mars slows things down, and it’s difficult not to get impatient. We have two more weeks of the Mars retrograde, so take a breath and do your best to be patient, while setting up the plans so that you’re ready to move forward when it’s possible.

The Full Moon is on Wednesday of this week, and, being in Leo, can be challenging, depending on where Leo sits in your natal chart. There’s a sense of “look at ME!” that can make us forget there are other necessities on which to focus.

For the weekly readings in February, we are using the Cozy Witch Tarot by Amanda Lovelace, with art by Janaina Medeiros. You can learn more about it and buy it here. Several people recommended this deck to me, including my friend, author and tarot reader Jameison Wolf. I love the way it reads, although my interpretations are sometimes different than what is written on the card. I do sometimes worry that it doesn’t delve deeply enough into uncomfortable emotions, but it states clearly that it is meant to be cozy and comforting. February is a difficult month for me, anyway, often; it seems like winter will never end. And with all the stresses around us, I’m opting for cozy for us in these weekly readings.

To dig deeper, when necessary, I’m using the Shadows of Light Oracle by Haley Clare. I’m not sure if I received this deck from Goddess Provisions or Tamed Wild, during the time I had subscription boxes from them. I love the back of these cards. They can also serve as a meditative tool. The deck and I are becoming reacquainted, and it works well with this tarot deck. You can learn more about it and buy it here.

If you’re new to the weekly readings, this is a spread of mine, that I’ve developed over months. 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 – 8 Pentacles
The 8 of Pentacles is about showing up and doing the work. Sometimes the work is the daily details that keeps everything running. It’s not always the most creative aspect of what we need to do to manifest, but every time we show up, we’re helping the work become a reality. This is true in our work, our creative life, our emotional life, and our political life. Show up. Do the work. Learn the skills you need to learn to make your world and THE world a better place. We’re all exhausted. Show up and do the work anyway.

The Week’s Challenge – The Magician
Especially here in the U.S. these past few weeks, we have been pummeled daily by bullies. The Magician reminds us that, although it’s often challenging, what we need to defeat them is already within us. We have access to the elemental powers and ideas that we can transform through our force of will and manifest into tangible realities.

This is reinforced by the oracle card below it, Turmoil – The Storm, in the position of the foundation of this challenge. There are stormy seas and a shark below the water in a position familiar to many of us. But look at the waves between the shark and the struggling sailboat. There’s a face. There’s magic there. How will you face the uncomfortable parts of yourself? Where do you need to bring the shadows forward to survive and manifest what needs to happen in order to survive and thrive, and still retain compassion?

These three cards are very clearly stating that we must take action. Sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do it, or for the turmoil to pass us by, will not work.

The Week’s Opportunity – Page of Cups
The Page of Cups is curious, creative, dreamy, and caring. Taking action this week, showing up to do the work, offers us an opportunity to learn new skills and to be creative and surprised as we take positive action.

To go deeper into this card with the oracle deck, we have the card in the future position to this card, where this Page of Cups energy could lead. It’s Now – Seize the Moment. This ties into the Mars retrograde energy of being patient. Instead of looking at what you want 10 steps down the path, what can you enjoy, explore, and amplify in the moment? There’s a balance between the labyrinth below and  the stained glass window above. It’s a card balanced between what is without and what is within.

The position of these cards in our Opportunity slot this week asks you to pay attention. Every day, take a few minutes to stop and appreciate the moment in which you currently stand.

The Week’s Stretch – The Sun
This week has the potential to be rocky. It may be hard to remember to search for and experience joy, and that there will be extended periods of joy to come. Tap into the Page of Cups/Now energy and seek moments of joy throughout the week, even when it’s difficult. Look at all the sunflowers in this card. Sunflowers symbolize good luck and good fortune, and they are “kissed by the sun.”

The Week’s Comfort – 3 Swords

How can the 3 of Swords, a card of despair, loss, and separation, be a comfort? Shouldn’t we explore this card further with oracle cards? Feel free to do so. To me, it ties back into last week’s card in the same slot, the King of Cups. Last week, we were advised to regulate our emotions and seek comfort and pleasure. This week, we are advised that, to find comfort, we need to release our emotions. Cry if you need to cry. Rage if you need to rage. Sleep if you need to sleep. All of these are ACTIONS, and thereby ACTIVE, tying back into the energy for the week, the 8 of Pentacles. This is where the art of a card becomes important. The figure walks down the steps from the Library — which is positive. It is the cover of the book that has 3 Swords through the heart, suggesting that the individual uses art to release emotions. The swords are not driving through the figure itself.

This week has 2 Major Arcana cards, one Court card, and 2 Minor Arcana, and we’ve explored two of the cards with oracle cards. I look at Major Arcana as the big energy, and Minor Arcana as the daily details to fulfill or turn away that energy. Both Major Arcana cards contain energy into which I want to tap and fulfill this week, and I hope to do that by showing up to do the work, crying if needed, and staying curious and in the moment as much as possible.

What do you get from these cards? Does anything here resonate, or do you get something very different? I’d love to hear your responses in the comments.

Monday, January 20, 2025
Waning Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde

We’re back this week, with a reading. The wildfires are still causing pain and loss in LA. The United States is moving into a dark, tumultuous era. So it’s up to us as individuals to do what we can, and then band together to support each other.

This month, we are using the Rackham Tarot, with art by the illustrator Arthur Rackham, and text by Lunea Weatherstone. The deck is available from Lo Scarabeo. If you would like to learn more about Arthur Rackham’s life and work, you can do so here.

This deck was a gift from a friend a little over a year ago. I use it primarily for dreamwork, so it will be interesting to see how it works in community readings for the month. The suit in this deck is marked with a symbol in the center bottom, and the number on top. The Major Arcana cards have their number on the top and the bottom. It can take a bit of concentration to get used to it.

If you’re new to the weekly readings, this is a spread of mine, that I’ve developed over months. 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 – Ace Wands
The ace of wands is about a fresh start and new inspiration, especially when it comes to identity and passion. Here in the US, we are entering a new era that often feels hopeless. The ace is telling us not to give up so fast. See the rising sun peeking out from behind the tree? Let the magic reawaken inside.

The Week’s Challenge – 3 Wands
The 3 of Wands is often about taking the first steps after making a plan in the two, once the passion has been ignited in the ace. However, take a look at this card. Instead of looking out into the world and the new path, as in many other decks, the woman in this card has turned her back on the view. She rests against the railing, pulling inward for more reflection before moving forward. Remember, we’re still dealing with retrogrades in Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars, meaning individuality, expansion, and forward momentum are slowed down. Take a breath and assess, rather than just leaping into the first inspiration.

The Week’s Opportunity – The King of Cups
The court cards are difficult to discern in this deck; you have to sort it out between the design on the top of the card and then the suit design on the bottom. The booklet is no help with this, you have to set out all the court cards and compare. In any case, this is the King of Cups. In this case, he’s staying out of the emotional  fray. With all the chaos going on this week, consider ways to step back and not get sucked up into waves of exhausting emotion that are created to be a distraction, rather than something real. Take the time to see where someone is trying to whip up your emotions for their own agenda, and what you actually think and feel.

The Week’s Stretch – The Moon
This is a week to rely heavily on your intuition. Connect with the waning moon and intuition. This will help you see where others are trying to deceive you, or to convince you that illusion is reality. In the past couple of years, I’ve noticed that the interpretations of the Moon card skew more and more negative, disavowing the positive potential. I disagree with that. Moonlight can illuminate, and heighten intuitive powers, allowing us to recognize deception.

The Week’s Comfort – 8 Pentacles
Show up and do your work without distraction. Take pride in your skills, and how they are growing. This ties into all of the earlier cards about attempts at distraction, new paths, and taking a breath before moving forward. Show up and do YOUR work, both physically and spiritually. That will help clear your path.

Does this reading resonate with you? Or do you get something quite different from these specific cards? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

I’m not posting a community tarot reading for this week. With the LA fires going on, it feels wrong. I don’t have the answers; I have many questions. Rather than positioning myself as though I have guidance, I want to spend the week listening, creating space and care for those who grieve, and helping however I can.

I remember the 10 of Cups from last week’s reading, the need for community, and the Strength card, both of which are relevant to me during this time. I will be doing personal readings and draws, but not public ones. If you work with cards, oracles, runes, etc., I suggest connecting with them this week. Each of our paths through this is different, but together, we can help those who need it.

There’s been a lot of toxic positivity and a lot of quasi-spiritual blame gaming posing as support with which I strongly disagree, and I don’t want to contribute to it.

Tell those you love that you love them this week, and help however and wherever you can. The full moon is in Cancer today, which connects to deep emotion.

Peace, my friends.