This is a big week! The year as a whole is gearing up to get a lot more interesting, with the added advice that if you’re still feeling ungrounded at this point, find a way to stabilize yourself as soon as possible — be it a friend who always makes you feel better, a practice that centres you in a spiritual, physical (walking/jogging), or creative (art, music, etc) way (mine is tarot, astrology, and noticing/taking joy in things like clouds, birds, etc in nature). This will be of indescribable value as things start to feel more intense and off-the-rails as the structures we continue to cling to continue to fall away. This year started full of hope, and as it’s played out we’re finding that the “hope” is what we need to hang on to as tightly as we can, because life is working on our side to get rid of what absolutely is not!

Yes, there’s a lot going on this week astrologically — the Moon will be moving through Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries, finding us thinking about our place in society as a whole and using that first for creative inspiration, and then as fuel for some real action. And yet, this is a conflicting energy as this is also the week of the New Moon — our bodies and minds will be telling us to shut down, while the general energy is telling us to amp up and do, do, do! Do your best to find a personal balance here: do what you can, but go easy on yourself when you know you don’t have enough steam to finish something just yet.

On Tuesday the Sun sextiles the Moon around 10:11 am AST, in the form of you identifying an opportunity for personal growth — this may be something you just think on/incubate for a while as you gain a clearer picture of how it can and will play out for you.

On Wednesday the Sun squares Pluto at 1:54 am, closely followed by Venus trining Mars at 3:02 am; you’ll probably be asleep when these transits are exact, which could result in some intense dreams! Try recording them in the morning for answers to add to Tuesday’s inspiration, as you’ll gain a clear picture of what feels like it may destroy you, but with the bonus of seeing how you can use this to your advantage to actually make your life easier.

Thursday Venus sextiles Neptune at 1:26 pm, again providing a cool opportunity to “daydream productively.” You’ll be confronted with both your own fantasies as well as any lingering illusions, in such a way that you can process them better and start deciding what to do next.

On Saturday the week’s opportunities continue, with Jupiter sextile Pluto around 6:58 am — the realization connected with Sun square Pluto will prove its benefit today, and you will receive a massive opportunity to start your transformation’s unfolding. Goodness! Later that afternoon, Mars sextiles Neptune around 2:27 pm, taking Thursday’s daydream and breathing life into it, taking action on it much faster than expected!

Sunday, at long last, Mercury goes direct around 6:21 am — in combination with Saturday’s opportunities, Sunday you’ll wake up feeling like things are different. And they are! Sunday is also the New Moon, the time to set intentions for what to release for good, and the time for thinking about the new beginnings to come as this busy week ends and another begins.

…so many sextiles! Sextiles are the aspects of opportunity, and this week will be full of them, adding to the vibe of wanting to rest but knowing you need to keep going! With the Moon in innovative Aquarius, dreamy Pisces, and driven Aries for its waning period, this is a perfect time for pondering and planning for what’s next.

This week’s reading is drawn from the Druid Animal Oracle, the Druid Plant Oracle, and the Druid Craft Tarot. I’m surprised that I’ve never read with them together, and love how well they interact — even with one of my own cards thrown in (the oracle decks come with three blank cards to fill in with your own favourite animals/plants). This week’s reading creates such an interesting and cohesive visual story! I laid out a crystal grid of raw carnelian for creativity and full feeling of any emotions that come up, two magnesite to keep you thinking clearly and feeling protected by your connection with your Higher Self, a natural cat’s eye to help you maintain your balance and remain aloof as necessary, tiger’s eye for courage and personal power, leopardskin jasper for empowerment through understanding your personal patterns, falcon’s eye for far-sighted thinking and strong communication skills, and a little pink opal that I added at the last minute because it kept jumping out of its bag — a reminder to stay heart-centered and open against the odds <3<3

First, the Shadow cards, a look at the underlying them of the week:

Shadow Cards: Frog + Mugwort + 2 of Wands

This week you must, must, must trust that what was going on around the Full Moon two weeks ago is playing out exactly how it should, even if you feel like matters related to it are currently beyond your control. I posted an energy update on Instagram/Facebook (note to self, post those here too) urging you to know that any “wishes” sent out at the Full Moon have been heard and are in processing — allow that to be of comfort to you, and know that whatever is on your plate right now is exactly what you need to be focusing. You are transforming, you are pushing through the mud and muck, and magic really is happening in your life and all around you! You are approaching a massive and important portal, one that really will deliver you much closer to what you do want. Keep going, knowing that where you have chosen to focus your energy is worthwhile.

Oracle Cards: Water Dragon reversed + Bay Laurel reversed

Yes, this week will feel like an emotional challenge, with the “water rising” and tempers boiling over — stay focused by simply “keeping your eyes on the prize,” doing what you can to keep your head above water, and most importantly, trusting that the ball you set rolling a few weeks ago is still in motion even though the outcome is now out of your hands. Indeed, you made your wish, and now it’s time to do your part to “give it legs” — this is not time to rest on your laurels!! Maintain your momentum in the meantime by doing whatever small-yet-active things you can to feel like you’re still making progress.

Card 1: Focus for the Week: Ace of Wands reversed

This week has a distinct “frustration” to it, as you want to begin all these creative ideas but feel held in place by a lack of physical energy, as combined with the weight of the many other tasks that still need your attention. Let the ideas you want to be working on remain lit at your core, fueling you to get all the other cr*p done at whatever pace you can currently manage. Sometimes when we feel stuck in the mud, we’re stuck there for a reason — something in particular needs your creative attention in order to become un-stuck, and addressing then releasing it will help you feel more in control.

Card 2: Release: XIX – The Sun reversed

It’s really, really time to stop believing that you don’t deserve happiness — you do!! And it’s coming to you in a major way. This week will reveal to you the many deep-seated ways that you try to stop yourself, in turn providing the opportunities you need to see these setbacks as stepping-stones instead of blocks. This will require you to look at the past with honest eyes, accepting what has been in such a way that you in turn open yourself to accepting new, lighter, brighter ways of observing and working with your reality. Welcome the darkness to make room for the light — listen to what your Inner Child has to say when it’s decision-making time, and prepare for some incredible insights.

Card 3: Energy to Increase: 6 of Swords reversed

If only we could just “move on” completely when the going gets tough, without having to address the root of those uncomfortable conflicts! This week you realize the full and amazingly healing value of examining past wounds, identifying where your boat has capsized in the past, and finally figuring out a better way to proceed feeling more whole and more connected as a result of actually tying up some mental loose ends. This will continue to be a slow process, feeling like a turtle crawling through a vast excavation site, but you know that you’re not alone in the work that needs to be done and you are finally willing to rip off the bandaid because you also know that nothing can — or will –move forward until you do. Trust that poking this wound will find you feeling empowered, as it will come with some important personal revelations leading real healing.

Card 4: Advice: XX- Rebirth

Yes, this week’s story finds us first as the seed of passion being planted, then born as the Sun-child unsure of its direction, realizing what needs to be done, and stepping back out into the light of day — vulverable and naked, yes, but also upright and more assured of its purpose than ever before. You have been observing yourself and others, weighing your actions against theirs, comparing your contributions to your own expectations of yourself. You are ready to meet and then surpass your own expectations; this week finds you reborn, a fresh and new version of yourself who can be anything you want yourself to be. Do you want to be like your old self, or do you have a vision for newer and far better?

Now for the Higher Self cards, a message of hope moving forward:

Higher Self Cards: Fox + Cuckoo Pint + XXI – The World

This week holds its share of challenges, finding you needing to think cleverly. Know that any deceptions that have been lingering on will be illuminated, providing you with some of the answers you need to proceed wisely. Things really are coming in to balance, and what happens this week will equip you with all the tools you need to really start creating more, doing more, sharing your truth in a more physical, audible way. In the world card the Sun/Rebirth baby is fully grown, still vulnerable but positively glowing, ready to dance forth into the new cycle, aware of its truth and prepared to share it far and wide.

Truly, this week is a time to really work with what you have; no more wishing, it’s time for doing! …at least by way of planning towards what you now know unavoidably needs to happen. It’s a time to really look at what’s holding you back and consider how you can work with those blockages as you prepare to move away from them for good. Above all, keep your eyes peeled for the bountiful opportunities being served up by the Universe — things are absolutely working to your advantage, helping you to make choices that reflect your true heart and your true self. Be kind, be gentle as this process unfolds — change is uncomfortable and right now it’s happening to everyone. Conduct yourself from a place of love, trust, and openness to receiving what is best for you and yours <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

Decks used:

The Druid Animal Oracle. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, Illustrated by Bill Worthington. New York: Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 1994.

The DruidCraft Tarot. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. Illustrated by Will Worthington. St. Martin’s Press, 2005.

The Druid Plant Oracle. Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. Illustrated by Will Worthington. London: Connections Book Publishing, 2007.