Bee La Rosa is a diviner, spiritual content creator, and artist. She offers dream interpretation, tarot readings, and astrological consultations. Her content is here to support others on their growth journey through healing and inner work.
Greetings! I got an idea for a tarot spread to share with you all and I hope you find it useful. This spread is for evaluating a teacher-student type of relationship, which can also be generalized to therapists, coaches, mentors, or guides!
This came to me because I noticed I am coming up on a wall with one of my therapists. My therapist has been highly valuable to me and supported my growth in ways that I didn’t even conceive would happen when I started seeing her. Sometimes though, I hit a point where it feels like everything is redundant or not particularly productive – especially when I am fairly stable and there aren’t any crises afoot. I am currently in such a phase. This has happened before and it can be challenging to identify what is needed for a breakthrough, so I thought of using tarot to try and evaluate the situation. This is the spread that came to me:
This was a very helpful way for me to frame my situation with my therapist in a way that could provide insights into our dynamic. This could also be used to pre-emptively evaluate whether a potential teacher/therapist is a good match for you or can give you what you are looking for in such a working relationship. I made sure to frame #4 around what the querent can give to the work occurring between them and their teacher/therapist, rather than what they can give to the other person. This is because ideally these relationships are not about what the teacher receives – though they do receive something – it is not the student’s responsibility. The student’s responsibility is to the work that is being undertaken: healing, learning new skills, exploring new environments, challenging oneself. Through fidelity to the work the student is fulfilling their obligation to the spirit of the working relationship – in my view, at least.
I hope this spread can help others gain clarity the way it is helping me. Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts or experiences related to this spread!
Hello! I hope you are enjoying the transition into Autumn as much as I am. I really love the way the air becomes crisp around this time; and of course the colors of the leaves are beautiful. This full moon is occurring in sidereal Pisces, with Mars in combustion with the Sun. You might be feeling tired with power struggles occurring in your life. It’s a good time to reflect on where you are holding onto power unnecessarily, to the point where you are domineering the people you’re engaged with. You might also feel powerless somewhere, like you are under something’s thumb – consider if a discussion or departure may be in order. Pisces comes under the rulership of the expansive Jupiter, which is currently retrograding into Capricorn, its sign of debilitation. You could feel like you’re repeating cycles that you thought had ended by now; it could be time to take a practical approach to these issues without being impulsive. Let some time pass before making major decisions right now.
I am happy to be using some new decks I acquired this past week. They are the Osho Zen Tarot and The Four Agreements, of the book by Don Miguel Ruiz. I am really impressed by the artwork and messages of both decks and am excited to start using them more often.
Remember that these readings are for general purposes and are not meant to tell you what you should do with your life – you and your intuition and judgment are the best tools for making decisions in your life.
What is being released or called for forgiveness? Ace of Pentacles – Maturity
What is the full moon illuminating/revealing? Justice – Breakthrough
What comes next? Judgment – Beyond Illusion
Additional cards:
Fixed Moon – Hold Your Vision
New Moon – A new start is coming!
Be impeccable with your word – Enjoy heaven on earth
46 – Soak in a Bath
55 – Write a Gratitude List
This spread was really fascinating to interpret; my initial interpretation will become available on my YouTube channel! I’ll update this post with the link once it is ready for view. Let’s get into the reading:
This spread depicts a great emergence or breaching of a threshold, resulting in transformation. The first card is the Ace of “Rainbows,” intended as Pentacles, depicted as a serene figure enclosed in a rainbow-faceted lens or jewel, bordered by an ouroboros. The title is Maturity. Following this is a figure bursting through a wall with immense power and fiery colors, indicating passion and even aggression – Breakthrough. Finally, arriving at the butterfly-masked figure depicting Beyond Illusion. To me this is really telling a story of a big transformation. Maturity is like a dormant seed which has reached a state of maturation and met the right conditions to begin sprouting, prompting the visceral breakthrough of new life. Throughout the week I heard multiple people reference the process of a butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis and how important it is not to disturb the butterfly as it struggles, for the struggle is how the butterfly develops the strength it needs to use its new wings. If this process is disturbed then the butterfly will not be able to take flight and will ultimately die. In short, big shifts like this are not without their painful moments.
These cards are further clarified by the Fixed Moon – Hold Your Vision and the New Moon – A new start is coming! The sense I get from this spread is that a lot of you may have made an attempt to advance a vision or plan, but it didn’t work out for one reason or another, so you made peace with it and got comfortable with what you have. This is where the figure from Maturity starts, serene and incubating. The conditions have come about to present you with that Ace of Pentacles opportunity you were searching for, even though you may have moved on and made peace with the situation not panning out the way you wanted. The opportunity is coming back around, now that the timing is right. There is an “enough is enough” kind of experience with the Breakthrough card – you’ve reached the limit of what you can get out of your present circumstances whatever they may be. Being this is the suit of pentacles it is more likely to be referring to job/career, home, health, or simply a physical environment you are in. Something has fulfilled its purpose in your life and it is time to blossom into the butterfly, to fly to new ventures. Something is pushing you from stasis into motion. Your vision is being drawn down to earth to manifest, after all.
The other card I pulled was from the Four Agreements deck and focuses on the first agreement: Be impeccable with your word. I recommend checking out this book if you haven’t – it is not a very long read and has a pleasant message. According to the author, be impeccable word means to “speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” Don’t forget the impact your word has on creating your experience of reality. If you always speak ill of others or yourself, you will feel like you are surrounded by toxicity and your satisfaction will suffer from it. Likewise, it doesn’t help you to depart from a job or experience harboring resentment or gossiping about the people you are leaving behind. In combination with the self-care cards, especially writing a gratitude list, realize that your experience served a valuable purpose in your life. It could be that all its challenges are what made it possible for you to dream of greater opportunities for yourself that you can now step into with confidence. There is always a lesson to be grateful for receiving from our experiences, and when you choose this perspective you surround yourself with abundance and create heaven on earth for yourself. Take some time to journal about what you are grateful for from the experience you are leaving behind.
Additionally, consider taking a cleansing bath as you transition into your new venture. My favorite way to do this is to create a mixture of milk powder, salts (epsom salt, sea salt, etc), and herbs that promote cleansing and protection (rosemary, sage, rose, etc) in a satchet that I put in my bath. In the past I have used tea bags from this specific tea to accomplish this. You want to submerge yourself into the bath and slide your body in the tub so that your body is “passing through” the water head to toe. You can do this several times, and then try not to shower after the bath (I shower beforehand on days that I do this). You can also include crystals and incense if you desire, just be careful and do your research on what crystals are safe to submerge in water. Many will rust or release toxic heavy metals that you do not want to be soaking in. In general, quartz is a safe bet for submerging in water.
A small note – I don’t usually pay much attention to numerology, but both the 46 and 55 of the self-care cards add up to 10, which signify endings or closing cycles in tarot (coming back to the moon in Pisces!) To me this reinforces the use of these practices as ways to close out an important experience in your life. Good endings make great beginnings, and this ending is in your hands!
Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed this reading. Thank you very much for stopping by. Please leave a comment with your feedback or your experience!
It’s time for another moon phase reading. Tomorrow we have a new moon in sidereal Cancer coming upon us. Cancer is ruled by the moon, so it being in its weakest phase – the dark moon – can be a challenging transit.
Before I get into details about the transit, I also wanted to make a small announcement that I am playing with videotaping my readings and hosting them on YouTube. If this is of interest to you, please subscribe to my channel! I will also be updating this post with the video once it is available. I also have artwork and readings for sale in my Etsy shop!
As for the transit info: Cancer is associated with the mother, comfort, home, nurturing, and your happiness. The dark moon represents the death of the moon, the waning of his power. After he fades away he regains his power through the waxing phase. The moon is vulnerable in the dark phase, even though he is in his home sign Cancer. It’s not a bad transit, it’s just that the boons of the moon take a different form in this phase. You may be feeling vulnerable yourself – anxious, easily triggered, withdrawn, or a general malaise. These are important opportunities to invite healing into your life. These dark moments can teach you a lot about your needs and what actions you can take to bring about your own happiness.
As always, my readings are for everyone and very generalized. These are for fun – please do not use them to make any major decisions. They do not replace the advice of professionals like doctors, lawyers, etc. Use your best judgment for your own life. If this reading does not resonate with you, that is fine!
What is the final outcome of this moon cycle? 2 of Swords
I started with the first three cards before drawing additional cards to clarify the ace of wands. The overall tone is touching upon what I reviewed astrologically at the beginning. The message of the new moon – this is how you are feeling right now. A woman is depicted crying in bed. The bed is a place where you should be able to feel safe; sleeping is a vulnerable act where one lets their guard down for several hours at a time. A lot of fear and anxiety comes through in the 9 of Swords, but rest assured these fears are just your mind. You may be experiencing nightmares during this time. The final outcome of this moon cycle is referring to the summation of the last 28 days – the 2 of Swords. All these fears and doubts are culminating as ambivalence or hesitation. Are you planning on making a big change and are wondering if you can really do it?
The woman in the 2 of Swords is blindfolded and turned away from the ocean behind her. The ocean is not raging, but it is dark from the night sky. If you have ever been atop a body of water during the nighttime, then you know how scary it can feel because the gravity of the water seems so much more severe when there is no light to illuminate its depths. When you are in a state of ambivalence, it can feel natural to not want to face what’s bringing your doubts to the surface. You might feel that by exploring your negative emotions about an opportunity, you will lose that opportunity or come to find out that it’s not right for you. While that can be the case, it often isn’t as well. By experiencing doubts, you are being called to examine what you need to make this opportunity into a true success for you. Note that the color blue from the ocean still seeps into the woman’s skirt in spite of her best effort to pretend it isn’t there. Don’t be afraid to step into the water and trust your ability to swim. You may find some very valuable information about what you need from this situation to move forward in a confident, secure manner.
The Ace of Wands is an incredibly auspicious card to kick off this next moon cycle. I drew three additional cards to clarify what is coming into this phase and drew The Magician, the Page of Wands, and the Queen of Wands. The message is very loud and clear: you are receiving inspiration and being told to run with it. Be confident in what you want to pursue. The hand holding the wand is emerging from the storming clouds of the present. The flowers depicted at the feet of the magician also appear on the bedsheet of the woman in the 9 of Swords. There is a diamond in the rough here to be discovered. The Magician and the Ace of Wands both involve raising a wand to channel divine inspiration into intention and manifestation. The Page of Wands is looking forward into the future; he sees all the possibilities that are available to take. Let yourself play with some ideas; you may encounter a very creative solution to your ambivalence. The Queen of Wands holds a blossoming sunflower – a symbol of success and vitality. Your new path will reinvigorate your passion. The black cat at her feet depicts the power that comes to you when you embrace and integrate your darkness. This cat is a domesticated cat, this represents integration of the shadow aspects into harmony with the conscious life. You have immense inner strength.
From my Whispers of Healing deck I pulled two cards that represent what would be most beneficial to you to move through the 9 of Swords and 2 of Swords energy. Those cards are Intention and Grateful. The intention card speaks to all this wand energy arising to manifest – be clear about what you want. Set your intentions, but understand that setting an intention doesn’t mean controlling others or situations. You can only control your own actions and feelings. Focus on what you want to call into your state of being whether that is confidence, peace, gratitude, or abundance. Grateful is here to point out that even though things feel stressful, there are things to be grateful for if you look for them in your life. Be grateful even for the sad and unfortunate moments in your life because of the teachings those moments bring into your awareness.
Other cards from the Self-Care deck include Journal and Alone Time. I think journaling is an important exercise for intention setting and recognizing gratitude. For the next couple weeks, set an intention and write it into your journal. Also try gratitude journaling exercises and note how it impacts your state of mind moving forward. I always do gratitude journaling when I am experiencing challenges to bring some positivity into my mindset. By practicing gratitude you will feel more capable of enduring whatever comes your way.
Alone Time depicts a woman standing on a stone in the ocean; it reminds me of the imagery of the 2 of Swords. In this card, the woman is naked, hair loose in the wind, and embracing the expansive water that surrounds her – not hiding from it or ignoring it. She has moved from the shore in the 2 of Swords and into the ocean – but she is centered upon a rock, she isn’t in danger or drowning. How do you think she got there? Spend some time alone with yourself – this can be while journaling but I think also it is beneficial to carve out time and space to just be alone and not doing anything. Sometimes the greatest ideas bubble to the surface when we pause.
Also available on video:
Thank you!
That concludes the reading. Please let me know in the comments if this resonated with you or leave your feedback – I really appreciate it. If you have any questions about my readings or how to use tarot and oracle cards, I would love to answer them. Have a wonderful time and I will drop in again at the new moon!
Welcome back – it feels like the new moon was only yesterday and now here we are. This current full moon is in sidereal Capricorn – conjunct with Saturn. Are you feeling wounded? Particularly sensitive to burnout? Has all your blood, sweat, and tears caught up to you this week? Moon with Saturn can do that. Don’t be too hard on yourself during times like this!
I am still playing around with how I would like to photograph my readings. Today I photographed the whole spread and then did individual shots of the cards I pulled from my Whispers of Healing deck – those cards have so much rich, visual detail that I feel they deserve their own shots. Please let me know what you think!
Remember that these readings are for general purposes and are not meant to tell you what you should do with your life – you and your intuition and judgment are the best tools for making decisions in your life.
What needs to be forgiven or released? Gibbous Moon – You’re very close to achieving your goal
What is the full moon illuminating/revealing? New Moon in Leo – Confidence is your key to success
What comes next? New Moon in Cancer – You and your loved ones are safe
I drew additional tarot cards to clarify the gibbous moon – and to just give a whole picture of what’s being conveyed. Pictured are the 7 of cups, 8 of cups, ace of swords, and two of wands.
I’m seeing a picture of a person who was struggling with feeling distracted from their goal and this caused a lot of tension and disappointment. You may have been on a path and experienced an event that made you doubt your choice, and so you spent some time with the 7 of cups – imagining different possibilities and enticing ideas that could take you out of this stressful challenge to your commitment. In the end we see the figure walk away from this confusing distraction in the 8 of cups – leaving the mess and the doubts behind. The ace of swords is introducing new clarity or a new way of thinking about the challenges that lead you to doubt your path. We then end with the 2 of wands where that same figure is gazing out onto the world they left behind, reflecting on all the steps and choices that have taken them to this moment where plans are being put into motion.
Relating back to the Moonology cards, what is being released is the moment of hesitation you experienced towards advancing your plan. I think you’re experiencing a huge shift and it’s natural to run into challenges when you head into a completely new direction from what you’ve previously done – I base this off of the fact that the ace of swords and the 2 of cups follow the 7 and the 8 of cups. It’s as though there was a mid-course correction on your journey, such as changing careers or moving to a completely new city. I don’t think that what you doubted was the thing you are moving towards in the 2 of wands, but moreso the steps you are taking to get there. This goal is something you’ve wanted for a long time. This is where the new moon in Leo and Cancer cards come in. You are allowed to believe in yourself and approach your goal with confidence – you and your loved ones are safe, there’s no need to panic. The gibbous moon is reminding you that you set out to achieve this goal of yours a while ago and you are very close to achieving what you needed to make it happen.
The other cards that accompany this reading are Sensitivity, Unexpected, and Transform. With the cups cards and cards such as the gibbous moon and new moon in Cancer, it’s worthwhile to explore how your emotions have been impacting you recently. Are you standing in your own integrity, or are you taking on the thoughts and feelings of people around you? Don’t be hard on yourself if you have – it just happens sometimes. The nymph depicted in this card is surrounded by a lush grove – go back to what makes you feel centered. The Unexpected card depicts a girl walking down a staircase and happening upon an unexpected, dazzling castle – this is you as you move through these doubts and challenges and discover that everything is going to be alright in the end. This girl is transformed by this discovery into the grown woman depicted in Transform, peering into the cloche dome as she lifts it and frees the butterflies trapped inside. This confirms the powerful shift you are experiencing. Transformations can feel like you are dying, even if it’s taking you to new heights. Hold your ground and use your intuition to identify what you need to make it through the bumps in the road. You are manifesting what you wanted!
Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed this reading. Thank you very much for stopping by. Please leave a comment with your feedback or your experience!
Greetings honey hunters! I am back with another reading for you all. This spread will focus on what is manifesting amongst the collective during this current waxing phase. If you haven’t looked up in the sky recently, we are just moving through our first quarter moon of this lunar month. A quarter moon often acts as a climactic point where there is conflict or surging events that become resolved with the final moon phase – in this case, the upcoming full moon.
Decks used: Golden Art Nouveau Tarot, Moonology, Sacred Self-Care Oracle, and Whispers of Healing Oracle
1. What is rising up in the collective between now and the full moon? 4 of Pentacles
2. What solutions are available for challenges that may arise? 8 of Cups
3. Advice to follow? The Hermit
4. The final outcome? The Empress
This spread has some information that you may not want to hear. The 4 of pentacles depicts a man who is clinging to a gold coin – he doesn’t appear very pleased, but more like he clings to it because he is afraid not to. This coin is not really doing anything for him; he is dressed plainly and surrounded by humble dwellings. There is so much more out there for him to obtain, but he is afraid of letting go. There is a rising realization that this state of being is stagnant and unfulfilling – as told by the 8 of cups. The man turns his back on material security and makes his way for the mountains in search of something more. You also have the power to do this. Note, that the cups that are left behind are not broken – this doesn’t necessarily mean you must destroy or remove this source of material security from your life, though you may decide to.
Ultimately the message here is that there is more to life, to you as a person, than getting your material needs met. Perhaps there is some fear associated with discovering what more there is for you out there, because it may take you to places where you stand alone like The Hermit does. The Hermit is the man in the 8 of cups leaving everything behind and seeking out what’s true to him, which may not make sense to the people he’s left behind. His experiences age him and leave him wiser. He is guided by his own light, which appears to lead his gaze to the empress. Is he returning to the environment he previously left, with a new perspective?
This journey ends with The Empress – abundance, fertility, creativity. When you heed the calling of the hero’s journey, you find a kind of lush depth of plenty that you can’t experience when you live life as the man in the 4 of pentacles. Whatever you end up doing, it’s going to sustain you in a way that knows no bounds. Your cup will always be full. For some, this could also mean finding a partner (your own empress), but I’m feeling more that it’s about finding what drives you creatively, or possibly looking at what you’ve got with a new kind of appreciation that isn’t stifling or spiritually empty.
When I pulled a card to summarize the reading, I pulled “Show the world the real you.” This goes back to the man in the 4 of pentacles, transforming into the hermit. You have more to give to this life. It’s okay to stand out.
Other cards include Breathe and Aromatherapy. It can be scary to decide to turn away from something and face the unknown, or admit that something important in your life isn’t making you as happy as you thought it should. Breathe through it; use incense, essential oils, or your favorite scents to ground yourself in your body. Movement also appears to encourage embodiment. Chanting is another powerful tool for becoming aware of your body as you feel the vibrations of your voice project out. Allow more sensuality into your day to day – like the empress.
The last two cards I want to focus on are Compassion and Kindness. Compassion speaks particularly towards being patient with yourself. It also suggests that you depart from unfulfilling circumstances with compassion towards who or what’s being left behind – they served a valuable purpose in your life.
The image of Kindness is particularly symbolic when considering the words of Joseph Campbell:
The whole cycle of human life from childhood to old age has in its middle the period of participation in the historical society into which you have been born. The child is prehistoric in its character and has not been inducted into the way of its particular historical condition. The aged person, who has disengaged from the toils, concerns, and the prejudices of this particular society, again has gone back into the realm of the universal. So that figure of old age looking at childhood that we still use to symbolize one year passing into the next is one eternity looking at another, and in between is the time of historic action in the field of history. … What the cornucopia represents is that vessel of our own psyche out of which the crop must come, out of which the flower must bloom, and the figure carrying it can either be the child,…or the old man.
Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine, ch. Mystery Cults
What a fascinating message which is so synchronous with this reading. This card can be taken to represent The Hermit looking back on the figure from the 4 of pentacles, who is naive to all that his life will offer him, represented by the flower. Reflect on the symbolism of the cornucopia, the flower, and The Empress. When you look at this card, who is giving the flower to whom? What things do you think the old man might have to say to the child, or the child to the old man? Make note of what comes up for you, and remember to be kind to yourself.
Thank you!
Please let me know in the comments if this resonated with you. I appreciate feedback! I hope you all have a lovely week and full moon.
Hello, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done any public card readings! If you are new here – welcome and thank you for stopping by the moon hive. I am the bleeping bee and the is a place where I like to post moon cycle tarot and oracle readings, as well as other content that I find supportive to inner work and spiritual development. Please consider signing up for email alerts if you like what you see!
Today I am excited to use my new ring light setup I just received today. Having the right light to photograph the cards I draw was actually somewhat of a hindrance in the past – I often felt a pressure to do readings by a certain time when the natural light for photography was best. Now I can do it whenever I feel like it and still achieve aesthetically pleasing results! Let’s get to it.
Decks used: Golden Art Nouveau Tarot, Moonology, and The Sacred Self-Care Oracle
Before I dive right in, I’d like to explain that these readings are for fun and aren’t specific to anyone in general. That means if you don’t find that it resonates with you, then it doesn’t! If you get something of value from this reading then that’s wonderful. Whatever your experience is, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Let’s get to it.
Card 1 – What needs to be forgiven? 8 of cups.
Card 2 – What is the full moon illuminating? 7 of cups.
Card 3 – What comes next? 9 of wands.
What I got from this reading is that issues of abandonment are coming up for a lot of people. Perhaps you were abandoned by someone, like a family member or someone you looked up to. Maybe you are considering abandoning something you’ve put a lot of work into or that took up a large part of your life and even produced a lot of good outcomes for you. This full moon is revealing to you that you have a lot of choices for how to proceed. Another phrase coming up: forgiveness is a choice. I’m feeling very drawn to the cloaked figure radiating from one of the cups in the 7 of cups – the choice that feels right to you might not make a lot of sense or the details for how to make it happen might not be clear yet. Go with your gut feeling – what feels empowering to you. Empowering doesn’t necessarily mean free of fear or that it’s going to be easy – look at the figure in the 9 of wands. What you’re moving towards may have been on your mind or been developing for a long time now. You might feel confusion or self-doubt, but your position is secure. You can handle whatever challenges might come up during this waning phase!
I drew the following supporting cards – you are good enough and alone time.
Whoever abandoned you, their actions don’t reflect on your worth. Your choices do not have to be perfect either. If you are choosing to learn a new skill, accept that you are not going to be exceptional at it right away and love yourself for taking up a new challenge. You will feel connected to your inner strength through overcoming this challenge. Make some time to be alone with yourself, with no expectations, just listening to your body and what desires and drives surface when there aren’t any people or responsibilities around to distract you. Consider how alone time makes you feel – get curious. Are there any emotions or memories that come up? Consider journaling about your experience.
Thank you!
I hope you enjoyed this reading! I greatly appreciate feedback and would love to hear your thoughts. Happy full moon!
Welcome back honey hunters! Today I will be diving into the recent new moon. As always I am using Yasmin Boland’s Moonology oracle deck and Giulia Massaglia’s Golden Art Nouveau tarot deck! Please refer to my first post for a rundown of my reading ritual.
To get in the mood for this reading I did some painting and depicted the new moon! Lately I have been paying attention to the gradient of darkness in the sky as the sun sets and wanted to depict that in this piece. I also got to play around with some of my iridescent paint pans and silver and gold inks that I recently purchased. If you enjoy my artwork, please consider supporting me by making a purchase through my redbubble! On to the readings.
What is rising up within us? Full Moon in Leo: Don’t let pride get in your way.
What is the main message this new moon? Mutable Moon: Nothing is yet set in stone.
The final outcome. Waning Moon: What do you need to release?
The new moon happened to occur in sidereal Leo this month, conjunct with Mercury. Every new moon is a conjunction of the Sun and the Moon – the Father and the Mother or the Masculine and the Feminine. The presence of Mercury could represent an exchange (commerce) between these two dynamics, or learning from one another. Mercury can also represent a youthful/playful presence, perhaps the three planets together represent a family or triad. Whatever is happening right now, it is a good idea to act from your heart and communicate with the people involved in your current situation. Is pride holding you back from making concessions that could invite harmony to your situation? Is it possible to make some space for others during this time? The mutable moon tells us that it is not too late to change directions and let go of grudges or emotional baggage. The card itself depicts ocean waves – are the tides changing? The spread itself is fairly ambiguous about where things are heading, and I take this to mean that right now it’s important to turn your attention inward and reflect rather than worry about the outcome.
This waxing phase spread contained the following positions:
What is rising up between now and the full moon? Ace of Swords
How can any challenge that arises during this time be resolved? King of Pentacles
General advice. Ace of Wands
The final outcome. 10 of Swords
First off, this spread has a lot of masculine energy in it. We see the Ace of Swords and Ace of Wands – hands holding phallic objects, as well as the King of Pentacles. In the 10 of Swords we also see a man on the ground, defeated by 10 swords. There is also a kind of tension between there being aces and 10s and a king – the bottom of a suit vs the top of a suit. It can represent a period of great creative potential, transitioning between different phases. Aces represent new beginnings, or raw potential, while 10s represent finality and conclusions. The kings of a suit are very experienced and rule over their suit with authority – they’ve seen it all.
We can also look at how the images on the cards appear together as a kind of storyboard or complete picture. First, the hand in the Ace of Swords appears to be holding the sword towards the King of Pentacles. Where did this sword come from? Was it plucked from the ground of the 10 of Swords? Is the sword being offered to the king, or is it being held to strike at the king? Likewise, the Ace of Wands appears to be looking towards the man in the 10 of Swords. Does this hand mean to offer the man the wand as a tool, or does it intend to beat a broken man? Was this wand sent by the king? What kind of exchange is happening? The man is merely dressed in a common robe, while the king is dressed lavishly. Likewise, the Ace of Swords depicts a barren landscape while the Ace of Wands depicts flourishing river with a castle or town in the distance.
With all this being said, the spread itself can be interpreted a number of ways, and I encourage you to try out your own interpretations (and share them in the comments!) I believe we are seeing an exchange between the defeated man and the king. What is rising up? The Ace of Swords – cutting through the bullshit and the facades, posing serious inquiry to the king, who possesses the solution to the challenges that have left this man strewn on the ground. The king has achieved material success and enjoys great security, not without hard, patient work. I believe the advice is to take what he is offering – perhaps the wand can be used as a walking stick to help the man pull himself up off the ground and limp to his next venture. The outcome remains the 10 of swords, because it may take longer than the waxing phase to pull ourselves up off the ground. The pentacles are a slow suit that require much patience and commitment to obtain their bounty. It’s okay to hurt for a while and be still; sometimes that is what is necessary to discover creative motivation. As the new moon spread revealed, some reflection is necessary right now while we traverse this sea change. We may need to wait for the full moon to shed light on a dark period.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading my article and I hope you enjoyed it. If you enjoy this kind of content please comment below or follow me in the upper right corner! If you have any questions about my readings or how to use tarot and oracle cards, I would love to answer them. Have a wonderful time and I will drop in again at the new moon!
Greetings honey hunters. I’ve decided to start sharing with you all an exercise I’ve been doing – lunar tarot readings! These are spreads that I use every full moon and new moon as my own lunar ritual. I am using Yasmin Boland’s Moonology oracle deck combined with Giulia Massaglia’s Golden Art Nouveau tarot deck! The spreads I use come from the Moonology booklet. My goal is to share my readings in a way that is instructive to how I interpret cards so that others may find some guidance in how to do this for themselves!
Before I dive into the readings, I just wanted to mention that the moon was gorgeous last night! I went to the park to watch the moon rise over the mountains before my reading and it was so worth it. When the moon rose, the sky was a soft cornflower blue and the moon was a vibrant tangerine – and HUGE! I felt so amazed and lucky to live just a block away from a park that gives such gorgeous views of the mountains. Here is a beautiful photo of last night’s moon by Josh Jones of Everett, WA:
My lunar readings follow the same format every time. They are two sets of spreads tailored to either the new moon or the full moon. The first spread is always a 3-card spread, which I prefer to use the Moonology deck for. The second spread is a 4-card spread, which I prefer to use a traditional tarot deck for.
The 3-card spread is focused on the immediate situation – the night of the new or full moon, and what’s going on right now. It tells us about the moon. The 4-card spread deals with the specific lunar phase for the next 2 weeks. A full moon is the start of a waning moon phase, and a new moon is the start of a waxing moon phase. I use this spread to get a general idea of how to approach the next 2 weeks. I like that it’s a specific range of time that isn’t too long or too short.
Before I start reading, I meditate to clear my mind and develop a connection to my intuition. You can do whatever feels comfortable for you – but I especially love going outside when the moon is out to do this. I have a space at my dining table where I always draw my cards. I sometimes light candles or sage my space before reading. Once I am settled in and able to focus on the reading, I begin shuffling my cards.
Everyone shuffles differently, but this is what I do: I first hold the deck in my hand and then cut it, allowing the cards to slide over each other from one hand to the other, similar to the overhand method. After that, I then perform a Mongean shuffle. I repeat both of these methods for every question/position in the spread and focus on the question while I am shuffling. When I finish, I cut the deck one last time into three piles. From there, I proceed with drawing the cards – but I don’t draw from the top of the deck. I close my eyes and focus on my question, and then I intuit where I should cut the deck and then draw the card that is there (sometimes I feel that I should draw the top of the deck, too).
On to the spreads!
The full moon spread is as follows:
What needs to be released? Disseminating Moon: Take time to breathe out
What is the full moon illuminating? New Moon in Sagittarius: Luck is on your side
What comes next? Void-of-Course Moon: Nothing will come of this situation
You may be feeling tense right now – something has been consuming your attention that causes you to worry and forget to breathe. We often hold our breath when we are in a state of high stress and adrenaline and feel compelled toward action, but know that the situation has peaked. The full moon in sidereal Capricorn brings a kind of foreboding pressure with it – but the moon travels quickly, and the feeling will pass soon enough. Release your breath, as the disseminating moon suggests, and be at ease. The new moon in Sagittarius is here to show us a new path or vision. Jupiter, the Guru, is currently retrograding into sidereal Sagittarius – his own sign. This transit brings fortune and rejuvenated enthusiasm to those experiencing it. The void-of-course moon adds that it could be a good time to abandon old plans and try something you had not considered before. Or, it could mean that the worst case scenario you have been agonizing over is all in your head and will not come to pass. It’s okay to take a detour off the beaten path.
The waning phase spread is as follows:
What needs to be released or surrendered? 10 of Pentacles
Available help. 8 of Pentacles.
How to surrender or find acceptance? Knight of Cups
The final outcome. The Empress.
The 10 of Pentacles depicts a scene with an old man gazing on towards a young couple. The card traditionally represents achieving wealth and prosperity – the kind that leaves a legacy for the next generations. The 8 of Pentacles depicts a man working diligently to craft 8 pentacles – he may be an apprentice, he is devoted to improving his craft. Then we have the Knight of Cups, a gentle idealist who offers out a cup. Finally, The Empress is a major arcana that represents sensuous femininity and motherhood.
Taking the entire spread into account, we see the old man, the apprentice, and the knight looking towards the right – perhaps to the future? Or perhaps the old man and the knight look towards the apprentice, who is focused and absorbed in his craft? Who is the knight holding the cup for? Is it leading him?
The 10 of Pentacles is in the position of what needs to be released or surrendered, paired with the 8 of Pentacles I wonder – is it time to pass on the mantle? Is there someone in your life that could learn from your experiences, that you could mentor? Or maybe you are the budding apprentice here, who has outgrown their mentor. Perhaps you are ready for the next level. The Knight of Cups calls on you to follow your heart. Knights can also bring about a change. Harkening back to the full moon spread, it could be that the path you have been on has run its course, and you have achieved all that you can. While you reflect on your next steps, take pleasure in the comforts around you. Right now is a fertile time for new ventures, give yourself permission to treat yourself as new desires and ideas gestate during this period.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading my article and I hope you enjoyed it. If you enjoy this kind of content please comment below or follow me in the upper right corner! If you have any questions about my readings or how to use tarot and oracle cards, I would love to answer them. Have a wonderful time and I will drop in again at the new moon!
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