My Planetary Week #2: June 2-8

[Nemia]

This is an invitation to work with one card deck for one week in a group reading.

You can pick any deck: tarot, Lenormand, Kipper, oracle or playing cards. From this deck, you'll draw one card per day - i.e., seven Daily Cards from your Deck of the Week that allow you to get to know the deck better, to hone your reading skills and get new insights about your life.

In a Planetary Week reading, we don't only draw a card per day but also give it a topic. We focus on motifs, topics, patterns in our lives, inspired by the planetary ruler of every weekday (for background information, look here).

On Saturdays, ruled by Saturn: Obstacles and Blockades,
on Sundays, ruled by the Sun: Inspiration and Goals,
on Mondays, ruled by the Moon: Dreams and Fears,
on Tuesdays, ruled by Mars: Conflicts and Challenges,
on Wednesdays, ruled by Mercury: Interactions and Change,
on Thursdays, ruled by Jupiter: Power and Influences, and
on Fridays, ruled by Venus: Love and Attraction.


The focus words I chose for each planet/day are not binding. Please don't limit yourself to the two short words if you feel other aspects of the planet are relevant to your reading.



There are different ways to perform a Planetary Week reading.

Traditional: draw a card per day and use the prism of the planetary influence to connect the card to your day and life.

Selective: select a card that suits the topic of each weekday and use it as affirmation and empowerment to improve your life.

Day-by-day: draw or pick your daily card one by one through the week.

Summarily: draw or pick all cards together before the week starts and treat them as a complete reading.

Share pictures if you can or want to.

No matter how we do it - by reminding ourselves of the planetary regents and their influence, we re-connect to the sevenfold cycle of time that our ancestors established, with their eyes to the sky.

Participants:

Nemia: Star Tarot
I Sunshine: Wild Unknown Tarot
CharlotteK: Victorian Tarot

[I Sunshine]

I'm in. I really enjoyed last week. I will use the Wild Unknown Tarot.

[Nemia]

Great

So, a nice quiet Saturday, but it's Saturn's day and the Mantegna Tarot's Saturn sits on my tarot calendar... and I think of the many obstacles and blockades in my life

But before I can get discouraged and pity myself, the Star Tarot gives me a very optimistic point of view. Yes, I may feel like I receded into the shadows for a while... but the Sun is still there, and it's still shining, and once I can bear it again, I can go back and have my place in the Sun.

This is especially apt because I'm thinking today about wasted opportunities in my profession. I really threw away many chances, and tomorrow, I'm invited to a place where I once had a huge chance and now come back in a much lowlier position. It's not a nice feeling, and there is no way I can blame anyone but myself. There is some blockage within me that holds me back from total success and by now it's a bit late anyway. But the Sun always gives me positive answers. So I didn't make a huge career like some of my friends did - so what? I'm happy with the choices I made. When I had important jobs, I didn't like it and just longed to get off the battlefield of intrigues and ego games. Missed chances seen from the outside - freedom from conventional choices seen from the inside.

This is an unexpected encouragement. Dear Sun card. I always associate it with my mother, a sunny character who radiates positive energy all around her. I'll phone her today and that will make both of us a bit happier.

What's the message of the Sun on a Saturday? The Sun shines also today. Tomorrow is another day. The Sun shines above the clouds. Call it cliches but it's all true.

Great card. I hope the Star Tarot will continue to encourage me

[CharlotteK]

Saturday - Obstacles and Blockades
Eight of Pentacles

What am I not getting better at because I'm not patient enough, not practicing enough, not paying enough attention to? What do I need to do more of in.order to get better at it, and why am I not doing it?

I'm away with my mum and sister this weekend and we've had a lovely time lunching and shopping but I am totally consumered out now. I brought the Victorian Tarot with me with the intention of doing some reading with it, getting into the book, going through the cards etc and I've not really looked at it.

I think this card is perhaps telling me today that I'll never get to know deck if I don't work with it and that I really should make the effort to practice with it.

[Nemia]

Tomorrow - Sunday - it's one hour before midnight here and I have to go to bed... but I'm curious.

Four of Cups. Oh, what a beautiful card. Eastern iconography, chakras, peace, introspection. I don't see the RWS passivity here but a Chariot-like focus and ability to see what is important. Nothing is stuck here, the waters are flowing... very nice card.

Let's hope I manage to do everything as I plan to.

My inspiration and aspirations - to be so focused, so clear, so aware of myself.

Obstacles - and the Star Tarot brings on the Sun.

Sun and inspiration - and the Star Tarot brings introspection and wisdom.

Very interesting dialogue here between the planetary rulers and those cards!

[CharlotteK]

Sunday - Inspiration and Goals
The Fool

What a wonderful card to have for inspiration and goals today. I'm driving my myself and my mum back today after our weekend away and should be home early afternoon. Time then I think for some clowning around with my son but I will also focus later on setting myself up for a good week - preparing my Tarot Space etc. I feel as this card is telling me to disrupt my routine a bit, be spontaneous, do something out of the ordinary. Not sure what that would be yet on a Sunday night. We will see

[Nemia]

Wow, Charlotte, that deck is so beautiful. You have such a great collection!

Tomorrow's Monday. I was born on a Monday at full moon. I like Mondays

The Star Tarot continues to play a little peek-a-boo game with me. On a solar day, it gives me a Water card. And on the lunar day, fiery Strength

I love this card, in every deck, it was the first card I fell in love with when I had my first reading all those years ago (Thoth Lust it was, bowled me over and I knew that this card is important for me). I ask about Dreams and Fears and Intuition - and I get this image of power, courage, a lion, Leo, the Sun... but look at this deck, look at what Cathy McClelland did with this solar card. She added the Moon. It's the crescent waxing moon, just beginning to grow after the New Moon. Power is coming back.

So my dear old fears, you are there and I know you. But the power of Strength works also on you.

What an encouraging deck this turns out to be. And I didn't even open the book yet. I'm totally in love with the images, and while it's nice to know that the book explains every symbol and every leaf on every tree, I can totally understand the messages of the cards.

And I know that the Star Tarot plays really well with the Planetary Week spread

[I Sunshine]

Have to start the week catching up. So..
Saturday ~ Obstacles & Blockades: 8 of Wands
Sunday ~ Inspirations & Goals: Daughter of Pentacles

Whereas I took the picture of the cards together, I will address them one at at time.
Yesterday (Saturday) was a big day for us. We have just added two new puppies to our family and Saturday we had a birthday party for my 8 year old granddaughter which was also, kind of, a going away party for her mother, my daughter. The party was held at a park and the day was beautiful. All this is like immediate background.

The image for the 8 of Wands is very intense for me. As this card is indicative of Mercury's mental realms in Sagittarius it is very like me ( I am a double Sag with also Mercury in Sag). To have this as an obstacle tells me that something in my very core nature is getting in my way. I can see this right now in my family situation. Especially in communications (Mercury again). So many times I am way too direct. Sigh. It is a good reminder for me.
Then for today, Sunday, the Daughter of Pentacles. This card corresponds to the page of Pentacles. Earth of Earth. I am going to apply this to my newly planted flower garden. I have not been a gardener and in the last year, since I retired, have tried a little this and that of planting. I have enjoyed it. I just planted quite a few flowers out back for our honey bee's ... also for us. So far so good. I do find it inspiring. Need to ruminate on what this gardening thing means for me spiritually.
Not a bad start to the week.

[I Sunshine]

Monday ~ Dreams & Fears, ruled by the Moon.

This is the one day of this spread that brings me some confusion. I have never considered dreams & fears to go together. So this is the day I need to stretch myself and learn to understand the connection.

I drew the two of Pentacles for today from the Wild Unknown Deck.

Ah. I think this card is lovely and the infinity sign with those pentacles inside is so obviously about balance. But this deck puts it on a butterfly and the book gives the key words balance & change. Now, I can easily see balance as being a dream of mine: perfect balance in all things, perfect harmony. And change almost always causes me some sort of resistance or fear, though not so much as I get older. I have to admit I am having a hard time putting that earthy balance energy onto the wings of a butterfly and letting it have flight. My mind (or heart?) is not stretching far enough to embrace this.
But on a more practical application, today I am home with both of our new puppies, alone for the first time. My partner, Paul, retires on Wednesday this week. So after that there will be two of us to train & tend these precious little girls (Kira, meaning Sun in Persian & Luna). One of the traditional meanings for this card is juggling different activities or playfulness at work! Well, now that is definitely going to happen in my life today. These two little sisters are 10 weeks old. They play like crazy. And just trying to get them to potty outside is still a challenge. They are adorable & a lot of work. But well worth it.

I am so much enjoying reading everyone's posts and getting a look at these different tarot decks. Nice!

[Nemia]

Monday is the day of the Moon - and I added "Dreams and Fears" only to give some focus to the Moon topic (influenced by the Moon tarot trump but also the mythological and psychological role of the moon). You are absolutely free to change to focus of that card. I think I have to add that to the spread description. If you want to think about Intuition, the rhythm of time, reproductive health - the Moon can have so many different associations.

I didn't want to limit participants, and this is only the second week we're trying this spread. Would it help if I add three dots to the focus words to open them up and make readers use them freely? or would that be confusing?

[Nemia]

So we're moving towards Tuesday - Mars' day, when I want to focus on the conflicts, tensions, dissent and all the other unpleasant things in my life but maybe also on the energies of assertiveness that I need to make some bubbles burst.

Oh, wow, another great and meaningful card. It's the Nine of Wands, one of my favorites. It sits on Yesod, maybe my favorite sephira, it's associated with Sagittarius, my ascendant sign, it connects Tif'eret with Yesod and it shows the inner resilience I'd love to have. I do feel under attack sometimes, I'm too sensitive, I take things to heart which I shouldn't - but somehow this card tells me that it's okay to be like that, that I can find strength and assertiveness in conflict in spite of all this.

This card is SO beautiful. The Sun in Tif'eret, the Moon in Yesod - Thoth shows the connection, the Tabula Mundi does, and the Star Tarot, too.

A very powerful and encouraging card. I'll have another difficult day tomorrow, no conflicts expected but lots of hassle, but this card gives me a feeling of strength. Oh, and I had Strength yesterday.

I didn't touch the book yet, I'll have to do it before this week is over.

A very calm and focused deck, in spite of the many symbols and the business of the art. But it's all in harmony and speaks with one rich and harmonious voice.

I know i have to learn not to be afraid of conflicts any more. And this card tells me that I can indeed do that.

[I Sunshine]

Thank you, Nemia, for your explanation of the focus words. I was thinking that is was hard and fast emphasis's. I will be a bit more open & gentle.

So on to Tuesday, ruled by Mars. Conflicts & Challenges.
And the Wild Unknown is throwing a curve ball at me. Makes me laugh. I drew the 3 of Cups!!

I swear this deck wants me to have to think hard. I am not going to get to just look and accept the well known meaning for the card that I draw (and seriously, I was concentrating on conflicts/challenges).
Well, first off, in my past experiences of 3 girls together (and this goes back to grade school), it seems that they do a two against one thing and I see this in the way the birds are sitting. It is a relationship dynamic that ebbed and flowed back then. I have not experienced this as an adult. And overall this seems to be a joyous card.

In my own personal life right now, I have had a conflict with my daughter over her move to Florida and with my best friend, whom I asked for help and she let me down. Both these situations are trying to mend, but still strained. What is this card trying to tell me? That close attachments can be challenging? To enjoy the warmth of the sun, relax and sing my song? That a beautiful song can come out of differing pitches and I need to learn to harmonize?

[Nemia]

The Three of Cups might simply mean that right now, there are no conflicts in your life that you have to deal with - or that you don't have to deal with them using Mars' harsh weapons...

The King of Swords for tomorrow! The day of Mercury, the day of interaction, communication, swift movement, messages going to and fro, and the latent ability to dig very very deep if necessary...

Oh how I dislike activating my inner Kings. I'm so much more comfortable with my inner Queen, with all this pleasing others, agreeing, letting others take control. How many times have the cards told me to be more assertive, analytical and cool in my communication style? Queen of Cups out, King of Swords in. What can he teach me? Everything I don't know. How to keep a cool head in a heated discussion. How to skillfully steer a discussion into the waters I find comfortable. How to be immune towards manipulation.

Thinking of Mercury, I always see the Magician - it's such a good fit, that planet with that card. And sending the King of Swords to do my Magician work - that's a stroke of genius. Isn't it a bit too late already? No, many battles have been fought and many discussions are through - but there will always be new ones.

[I Sunshine]

The Three of Cups might simply mean that right now, there are no conflicts in your life that you have to deal with - or that you don't have to deal with them using Mars' harsh weapons...

Thank you Nemia. I like your take much better!

[CharlotteK]

I'm so behind!! I will have to catch up this evening

[I Sunshine]

Wednesday, ruled by Mercury ~ Interactions, change, communications, messages

I was not going to use reversals for this planetary week spread, but today I must. It is fitting.

I drew the 4 of wands, reversed. And in the one instance I am going to really accept a reversed card as meaning the opposite of the upright. No celebration here today, no stability except in how I am handling the situation, no outpouring of excitement.
Today, within the last hour, I had to set fairly harsh boundaries towards my middle son, who is a drug addict and by his actions, it would seem that he has started using again after quite awhile clean & sober.
Life is handing me some shit and I swear I will compost it.
The stability is that for the first time ever, I feel the strength to not be co-dependent. To stand fast, with my boundaries, in tough love. Not to play the game, not to participate, but still not to cut off positive support if it should be requested. This is not a young child I am dealing with: it is a man of 32 years of age. I dealt differently when he was a teen and I fought hard for his life to be sure he had the tools to overcome his addiction.
I look at this card and it feels like a shield to me, strong and protective. The blue in the center represents hope. I will not give up hope but I will stand solid behind the shield of my boundaries. So mote it be.

[Tomatosauce]

New here, jumping in late. Using the Numinous Tarot by Noel Heimpel.

Wednesday's card is... The Hermit!

What does The Hermit have to say on a day dedicated to interaction, change, and the messenger of the gods?

I'm in a volunteer role in my community right now where communication, and moderating others' communication, is my job. There's a lot of conflict going on as there's a big of a crisis happening, and the constant monitoring in case I need to moderate the forum, the constant need to parse every word being exchanged, is starting to wear on me. There's a lot of noise.

The Hermit invites me to pull back from all of it- not to neglect my responsibilities, but to search for the quiet inside myself and be nourished by it, even as commotion swirls around me. I have a responsibility to this group, but I also have one to myself. Pick up your staff and lantern, she says, and in the circle cast by the light, you are alone and can hear yourself think. Lean on the staff as you walk forward, bringing your little circle of quiet contemplation along with each step. This Hermit's staff reaches up to the heavens and down into the earth, bringing these energies together to rejuvenate and heal.

Mercury is the planet closest to the sun, so it feels the heat most acutely. I'm there, Brother Mercury, because I feel like in some ways I'm the most visible community leader because of my role. But Mercury also gets the most brilliant light and the starkest shadow; the Hermit suggests that I should feel empowered to switch from one to the other as I have need.

[Nemia]

For today it's the Five of Pentacles. What I see on this card is beauty ruling the world even when we don't see it and are focused on our journey with its hardships.

Instead of a tired couple, the Star Tarot has a hermit-like wanderer accompanied by a huge watchful loyal wolf - a bit like in Game of Thrones Life is hard but there are loyal friends and beautiful stars in heaven. Wonderful card.

Today is Thursday, the day of Donar, Thor or Jupiter - the powerful king of the gods, beneficial most of the time but always aware of power relationships.

So where is the Five of Pentacles in power relationships in my life? I feel isolated, yes, and a bit depressed, too, and I avoid power struggles. Often, that has served me well, but i have misse chances in my profession when I didn't assert myself. And also in my personal life.

[I Sunshine]

Ahhh Jupiter! The planet that rules my Sun sign & my Rising sign. I see power, expansion, abundance and yes influence here.

I drew the 2 of Wands:

But before I drew I had a jumper. Haven't had one in a long time, better pay attention to it, yes?

I am only going to talk about the 2 of wands here. I went to the Wild Unknown Book on this one:

This is not the way I have looked at the 2 of wands before, but I like it. And I went out to my hot tub and meditated on it. Ended up doing a chakra meditation for myself and each of my children. When I came back in & looked at the cards again, I can see why. All those chakra colors but in two different arrangements. I find them interesting, and will use the meditation I did today to be gentle/positive/kind to myself on my journey.

If any of you have insight into my jumper (the 10 of pentacles: I had to look hard to find the 10th one), please feel free to share.

[Tomatosauce]

Thursday - Jupiter - Power and Influences

I too drew the 2 of Wands (Candles!) from the Numinous Tarot.

What I'm seeing in this card is influence exercised through the power of passion and charisma. The figure on the left, the one with the flame atop their head symbolizing their spark, is explaining their idea to the figure on the right, who listens eagerly. They're doing a walk-and-talk down the hall, suggesting that they're feeling the urgency of their conversation and can't wait to get to work. The figure on the right is holding a book (In this deck, the Pentacles suit is Tomes), so I feel like the figure on the left is the Idea Person and the figure on the right is the one who makes it happen. But look how harmonious they are! Plans are being made, a team is being assembled. Each one's enthusiasm feeds the other's, and individually they'd be the poorer for the lack of the other.

The advice today is to keep seeking collaboration- maybe I'm the one with the idea, and maybe I'm the one who executes, but I need to get out of my own head, and find a sounding board. Twos are about balance and the value of multiple ways of approaching a problem, so I need to stop being an island and find myself an accomplice.

Since I drew the same card as I Sunshine, I'll take a crack at the jumper, the 10 of Pentacles.

Look at the perfect order and harmony in that Ten! The Ten of Pentacles is about having all your ducks in a row, everything firing on all cylinders, and feeling on top of things. It's the feeling that comes from having checked off everything on your to-do list, the house is clean, dinner is in the crock pot, the bills are paid, your desk is clear at work and now you can just... relax and enjoy it with the people you love.

Oh wait... that's not you? Let's be real- is that anybody, ever? But sit with that feeling for a minute...

This card jumped out and announced itself while we're thinking about Power and Influence, for which we drew the 2 of Wands. Look at the way those colors from the 2 have been drawn into a circle in the Ten, and then the first 9 pentacles are gathered into a grid with the 10th pentacle at the center. The Ten is desperate for you to know that the power and influence you are exercising over yourself by being intentional in thought in the Two of Wands has a purpose, even if you haven't considered what it is.

What are you gathering up? To what do you dedicate your time and treasure? The Ten calls you to define your sacred purpose; the Two will charge off in the direction you set. How do you arrive at that feeling of having fulfilled your purpose, of having dedicated your resources (financial, physical, emotional) exactly where they need to go?

[CharlotteK]

I am not even going to attempt to catch up on days I've missed so straight to today Thursday, power and influences.

This is an alternate lovers card and according to the deck authors (as well as being visually obvious I think) this one is all about sensual love and the deepest bond between two people. It can only be my husband, the second most important person in my life next to my son. I've hardly see him today but I did phone him earlier, on my way home, just to hear his voice. Dont know what I'd do without him.

[I Sunshine]

Wow, Tomatosauce, that was quite a reading on that jumper. I love it.

Those two cards (both 2 of Wands): How very different. But how nice to see the nuances of meaning come through. I have a feeling the jumper was as much for you as for moi!!

[Tomatosauce]

Wow, Tomatosauce, that was quite a reading on that jumper. I love it.

Those two cards (both 2 of Wands): How very different. But how nice to see the nuances of meaning come through. I have a feeling the jumper was as much for you as for moi!!

*blush* I usually don't use people-less decks because I find that I riff on them foreeeever to find a connection. And usually my group Tarot reading practice is via Twitter (the #TarotToo hashtag) so I'm limited to 280 characters.

[CharlotteK]

Friday - Love and Attraction

King of Swords.

Hmmm. This is me in my workplace at the moment. I'm not entirely sure how it reflects my lovelife. Unless it suggests I am rather in love with job and my leadership role and that I find the positional power attractive! Perhaps I do. I do rather like being 'in charge' and I'm quite good at it. The King looks weary though as though he has paid a price. I know how he feels. Its tough near the top, the stakes are higher, the support networks are scarcer. I'm having a fairly hard time of it at the moment but I'm very committed.

Ok so that's what I'm going with today. A recognition that being the boss is difficult and at times costly but a reminder that I do it because deep down I love it.

[Nemia]

Wow, Charlotte, this deck is blowing me out of the water - it's oop, isn't it?????

I apologize all around for the date mix-up - I'm horrible with numbers and have to get it into my head that the planetary week starts with the most distant planet, Saturn, and goes from Saturday to Friday.

My love life - and the Four of Swords. Calm, peace, introspection, also healing. A very beautiful card - again. I have the book now next to me and I simply love the detailed explanations for each symbol and element in the card.

And it's simply true. My love life focuses on my husband, for a number of decades now We feel now that as empty nesters we rest and re-discover ourselves as a couple. This morning, one of our adult children left. On the one hand, it was sad - but much less sad than I would have thought. I confess that we totally enjoy our time together just doing nothing. And I see him now not far away from me, stretched out on the sofa in just the same pose like the man on the card, and instead of bears, there are two black cats sleeping on the backrest of the sofa. Only the salmon is lacking (there is one in the fridge though, poor thing, we had meat-eating friends for dinner some days ago and this leftover will make the cats happy).

And there is more to it for me. Venus is "my" planet, I greet her when I see her, I always follow her position in the sky, and in a way, the Friday card is always the most important card for me. It's the ME card, where is my treasure and my heart. And in the middle of some troubles, my relationship, my home and my husband really give me a point of rest and healing.

I must say that this week was very enjoyable and thought provoking and reassuring and empowering. Everything this deck is. I have now the book next to me and will go over my cards for the whole week.