It’s almost the end of February! Have you noticed the days starting to get longer, the mornings getting brighter, and the general feeling that Spring really will come again? Yay!! This “fresh start” energy is very appropriate as we start the week with the Waxing Crescent Moon in Aries, moving through the first four signs as the week progresses — that means that this week is all about “getting back to basics,” finding ways to rediscover and integrate our selves to feel more able to connect with others when next week rolls around. Not much is happening with the outer planets, further supporting this vibe of resolidifying our sense of who we are and what we’re here to do.

In favour of connecting with our “animal natures” in this way, I drew this week’s spread from he Animal Totem Tarot, along with Astrological Oracle Cards and the Druid Animal Oracle. I laid out a simple crystal grid with some heavy-hitting stones: malacholla, a stone that combines malachite and chrysocholla, supporting protection of your heart and what you love while also allowing you to express yourself clearly; nuumite, a powerful healing and grounding stone; and lilac lepidolite, a calming stone that helps to release anxiety and see yourself from a balanced perspective, in favour of self-love “pockmarks and all.” To get a good picture of the energy surrounding this week I’m using my “4-Card Focus Spread” — although I did have two jumpers! The Animal Totem Tarot had a lot to say this week!

First, we’ll look at the Shadow cards for this week:

Shadow Cards: Taurus + Earth Dragon reversed + I – The Magician

Yes, this week will very much be about regaining stability after the tumultuous eclipse season vibes we’ve been muddling through the past few weeks! The Moon is in Taurus from Tuesday afternoon at 3:12 AST until 8:07 pm Thursday, and this will be the main timeframe for the “re-grounding” activities that this week promises. Earth Dragon reversed tells me that getting back on top of things will require a readjustment of how you thought things would look, but The Magician confirms that either way, it will come together beautifully — either way, you will find yourself with everything you need — time, resources, energy — to get what needs to be done, done! Seeing the fox in this card pouncing around makes me think of “looking in different places,” so if something seems not to be working this week, redirect and try something different — that is where the breakthroughs will appear. Slow and steady, slow and steady: stay calm and keep at it!

Oracle Cards: Neptune + Moon Moth

An “ending” is fast approaching — something you’ve been avoiding or having a hard time facing will be thrown into sharp relief, and it could even be pretty uncomfortable! However, this falling away will prove to be the final shackle that was holding you in a place of cold and darkness, and once it’s been addressed you will find yourself feeling light, free, and ready to soar to new heights of creativity and inspiration. There is beauty to be found in this process, and seeing what’s happening for what it is will provide even more fodder for your creative process.

Card 1: Theme of the week: 6 of Pentacles

The overall energy of the week is represented by the Hen: life in general is very much about give-and-take, balancing what we offer out with what we receive, and making adjustments when imbalance is found. this week, take a look at what you’re giving out — does it match up with what you find yourself receiving? Are you proud of your part in the equation, or is there something to be desired? As we know, this week is about self-connection — instead of blaming other people for what is or is not happening, zoom out to see if there’s anything more you could do to effect the results you seek. If you’re a farmer and your hens aren’t laying, they need something, and it’s up to you to figure out how to get them back to their egg-laying happy place! On the other hand, maybe you’re the hen stubbornly hanging on to what you’ve got — either way, take a look at the way you’re contributing to your environment, and take a position of leadership where it comes to seeing things through and keeping everything running like a well-oiled machine.

Card 2: Release: XI – Justice + 4 of Wands (jumper)

I had to laugh at this combination — indeed, since you’re “getting back to personal basics” this week, there is vast potential for some rather childish foot-stomping and the sense that things are “not fair.” As we saw with the 6 of Pentacles above, this week will be all about perspective, and asking yourself “did I do the best I could?” If the answer is yes, then fantastic, but if you know there were a few more details that needed attention, it’s probably time to go do just that. The only way to get a return on your investment is to make it in the first place — no more time for holding back and going over the “what ifs!” It’s time to go for it, because there is never a “perfect time,” and this week the only person you have to answer to is your Self!

Card 3: Increase: 5 of Cups

In accordance with that urge to foot-stomp will come some very real emotional currents. This week definitely has a challenging tone to it, combined with the promise that fully committing to “looking on the bright side” will absolutely find you making progress towards the better side of things, the shinier side of the coin, and truly, far less choppy waters. If you find yourself stopping to stare at what’s not working, what’s already been lost, immediately acknowledge what you’re doing and know that you can decide to “swim away.” There is so much that is going right, including new opportunities presenting themselves this week, so it will be very important to catch yourself if you start ruminating on the past — especially the parts of it that you have been consciously working to let go of in favour of self-improvement and true peace of mind.

Card 4: Focus/Advice: Page of Cups + VII – The Chariot (jumper)

When those waves of challenge start to swell this week, choose to lean in to them, embracing the emotions that come up and allowing yourself to feel them through. Primarily, know that it is safe to do this because at this point, you know exactly what you want — your vision is as black-and-white as it’s been in ages, and this release from the fog has you determined to push through and get what you want no matter what. Above all, find the fun in the moment, remember to laugh with yourself when you’re swept away by an unexpected emotional current! Take interest in the direction your subconscious sweeps you, listening within for little clues about what you’re trying to tell yourself about your surroundings in such a roundabout way, and allow yourself to be inspired all over again by the answers you receive and the directions they tug and toss you.

Now, a message of hope moving forward — the Higher Self cards!

Higher Self Cards: Sagittarius + Swan + 5 of Pentacles

These cards really reflect the variable, but ultimately positive energy of this week! This is definitely the week that you touch on something you can’t ignore, that sends you shooting off excitedly in exactly the direction your heart and your passion have been pushing you to turn. It is a week of beautiful transformation, and while it won’t necessarily be easy, it will be rife with opportunities to examine the stories we tell ourselves about what we do and do not have, what we do and do not want, how we are living and how we want to be living. You’ll be dropping off a huge load of past cr*p at the figurative dump, releasing that which holding on to was robbing valuable energy that can now be used to reestablish your connection with your self and your purpose, allowing you to make new waves in your life. The change you’ve been waiting for has arrived!

This will be a week of vulnerability, but allowing yourself to be raw and open will propel you towards that which you’ve been waiting so long to fully embrace. You really are moving towards what you know will truly make you feel happy and fulfilled — when you feel the opposite way, try treating yourself like a child, or the way you wish you’d been treated as one. Go easy on yourself through the emotional challenges that arise. This is a week of finding balance, starting inside and working your way out — you are connecting with your calling, and everything else is lining up accordingly, exactly as it should <3<3

This is an example of the $25 4-Card Reading in my Etsy shop! If you’re interested in a full month of personalized readings like this, feel free to use the coupon code 4WEEKS25 for 25% off the purchase of four 4-Card Readings — the 4th week is free! I look forward to working with you <3<3

Animal Totem Tarot. Leeza Robertson and Eugene Smith. Llewellyn, 2016.

Astrological Oracle Cards. Lunaea Weatherstone and Antonella Castelli. Llewellyn, 2012.

Druid Animal Oracle. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington. Touchstone, 1995.