I have not used this deck in quite some time. I am not sure why, as it is a beautiful deck with which I have read well in the past. It is also a small comfortable deck to to hold and shuffle, something I truly appreciate.

The spread for this month is a simple one.
Three cards.

Position 1 in the center, Focus.
Position 2, to the right, Blessing
Position 3 to the left, Challenge.

We have two nine, indicating nearing the end of a situation. A need for integration and give and take.

My focus for the month is indicated by The Moon, card 18, which reduces to 9. The element is water.
I have meant for a while now to become familiar with the Moon. To understand her cycles. Why? Because I keep noticing the picture of the moon in the cards while I read. I have been busy though and I have not researched the moon yet. Since I do not believe in coincidences I think this is a reminder to do so.

As I look at The Moon card in front of me what do I see?
A strong lady dressed in green holding a pose, like we do in Yoga.
Her right hand holds the moon resting on her head and the left hand is resting on her hearth.
Everything here reminds me of intuition. Her thoughts are connected to the moon, maybe indicating her dreams. Her left hand on her heart is perhaps an attempt to stay in touch with her heartbeat and what is going on inside her. Breath, remember to breathe and everything will slow down a bit. I feel bad for the big red crayfish hanging by her dress. It has come out of the water, (memory, emotions)and it is hanging out of its element. How long can it last? How can the lady be so oblivious to it?
I think I get it. We are definitely in the realm of dreams. That is the only place where someone can hold the moon and don’t cringe when a crayfish climbs all over her.
I do dream a lot. I have always had. Some dreams stay with me for a few hours and others stay with me forever. I think my dreams this month will try to remind me of experiences from my past. Lessons that I have learned only in part. It would be wise for me to pay attention so that I can understand those messages before I forget them.

The blessing this month is represented by the 6 of swords, air.
In this card a family travels  over dark water on a small boat that looks like the moon and by the light of a full moon. The man stands with his legs wide in a strong stance, the same as the warrior in the 9 of wands. Boats stand for journeys and moving away from difficulties and danger. So the blessing will be an improvement in a challenging situation where emotions and motives are unclear. Taking a stand for clarity and clear communication will be helpful.

The challenge this month comes from the 9 of wands, fire.
The cards is mostly red, intense. Passions are high. Anger is present. Ego may be in charge.
The warrior in the center of the card has 4 wands behind him, 4 in front of him and he is holding one in a show of force, like he cannot wait to do battle.
This is the challenge.

I have an idea of what the issue may be. If I am correct, it is a problem that goes way back and where I am not one of the main players. As a matter of fact, I have been watching uneasy from the side line for a while. I am one who likes to take action and this position of passivity has been wearing me out, but the situation is not clear to me and I fear getting involved.
I am like the woman in the Moon. My head is telling me something, but my heart is telling me something else and so I stay still. The blessing is that I am geographically removed from the situation, the challenge is that I feel strongly about it.

In conclusion…I am going to read about the moon cycles soon. I am also going to keep a diary close to my bed, where I will write down fleeting memories from my dreams. If developments come up with the issue that I have been observing for a while, I will try to look for facts and clear communications and keep anger and emotions in check.