The fiery energy highlighted by the Five of Wands earlier this week is still very much in play. The difference is that it’s now more focused and much less chaotic. That being the case, you’d think taking a bold step would be as easy as pie - but the worldly-wise King of Wands knows it’s easier said than done. The King is as bold and confident as they come, yet his experience has taught him not to act in haste. A fear of failure is a major stumbling block for you at the moment, because you know exactly how it feels when things go wrong. Just like the King, you’ve encountered the highs and lows of life, and that’s why the current situation feels so difficult. What if it goes wrong again? The King can’t guarantee success, but with his energy and the emotional intelligence of the Pisces Moon, he believes the time is right to give something a try.

Yesterday, the Five of Wands highlighted some lively and erratic energy that could ruffle a few feathers. Today’s card offers insight into where any differences of opinion are likely to be felt most strongly. The Lovers suggests that important choices will soon need to be made concerning key relationships - the plural is important here. This card speaks strongly to emotional decision-making, especially when the warm desires of the heart come into conflict with the cooler, more practical considerations of the mind. This theme will be further enhanced at the weekend, when the still-retrograde Venus moves from fiery Scorpio back into fair and balanced Libra. This return "home" by the planet of love should ease some of the emotional tension and allow for clearer thinking. In this calmer atmosphere, you’ll be able to focus more on where your true loyalties lie, and less on what certain people expect of you.

21/10/2026 - Moon enters Pisces at 12:34 UTC. Under the influence of the Pisces Moon, the boundaries between intuition and reality soften. You pick up on subtle feelings, hunches, and emotional undercurrents more easily than usual. Let kindness and compassion guide your choices now, while you maintain real, healthy boundaries. Decisions that feel right in your heart are likely to unfold with surprising ease.

The Five of Wands points to an atmosphere of lively, scattered, or even argumentative energy as the pull of the upcoming Mercury retrograde grows ever stronger. Multiple priorities, clashing opinions, or people all pulling in different directions at once are the sorts of things you should expect at this time. Thankfully, any conflict is likely to be minor and extend to nothing more than a difference of opinion, not a clash of heads. Despite the imagery, this card does not suggest that people will literally come to blows. It will simply feel like too many voices talking at once, with energy spent on trying to be the best instead of building something together. The good thing is, if handled well, this fractious energy will sharpen ideas, reveal the strengths and weaknesses of opinions, and, most importantly, clear the air.

Monday carries the energy of moving on. Something that has felt heavy, confusing, or emotionally demanding is beginning to loosen its grip. The Six of Swords is a clear sign that you're in the process of moving away from choppy waters that have felt emotionally or mentally challenging to something a lot calmer. The swords are still with you - the lessons, the memories, or the emotional scars of a testing time - but you're no longer allowing them to dominate like they used to. This card is full of hope, and you should be too. It doesn't promise overnight success, but it does promise slow and steady movement in the right direction.

19/10/2026 - Moon enters Aquarius at 01:39 UTC. Sudden flashes of insight arrive: “There has to be a better way.” Old patterns begin to feel restrictive and outdated, while innovative ideas flow with surprising ease. Connect with people who think differently, experiment with an unconventional approach, or simply give your mind permission to wander. When you stay open and curious, the right solution often clicks into place with elegant ease.

"You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?" These lyrics from the song "Happy Talk" are perfect for today’s reading - they say it better than I ever could. They're particularly relevant given how convinced you are now that a wish is never coming true. In light of the recent let-downs, and changes that have triggered this loss of faith, the Star brings a burst of restorative, forward-looking energy. Expect a sense of clarity or renewed optimism as you head into the new week - perhaps through a conversation, a spark of creativity, or simply a feeling that things are actually looking up. The Star is not a promise that your dream will come true right here, right now, but it is a reminder of why it’s so important to hold onto it.