Oh how I would love a storm right now! After the driest, hottest summer for decades here in the UK, with most of the country in drought, a storm would be sweet relief - rain to nourish the earth, respite from the heat, a break in the relentless summer. 

The Storm Cloud asks you, what would you like to nourish? What do you need a break from right now? If a storm came and cleared the air, what would you like it to wash away and what would you like it to give life to?

Leo - The Pentagram

Reading: Leo, you are being called to draw a boundary line this dark moon. A line of protection around yourself, around a space, or perhaps around something you hold sacred. Everyone needs a realm of their own - a shelter in the storm, so to speak. Whether your sacred space is your home, your office, a quiet corner of woodland, or a stolen hour in the day - draw that boundary and let others know they may not cross it.

Virgo - The Ouroboros

Reading: The Ouroboros: a serpent devouring itself, an endless circle, tail to mouth, no beginning and no end. It is the most ancient of symbols. This card is a reminder that every cycle continues. Nothing is a single event. Each chapter feeds the next. What is happening now that may be the seed of something greater? What butterfly is already flapping its wings, quietly brewing a future storm?

Libra - The Magpie

Reading: A storm clears the air, Libra, and in the stillness that follows, it becomes much easier to see what actually matters. You have been chasing the glint of one shiny thing after another, sketchbooks full of half-finished ideas, a carousel of reinventions that never quite settles. This dark moon asks you to let a storm clear your mind, let the winds of change sweep through and decide - what is it you're really looking for?

Scorpio - The Poisoned Chalice

Reading: Scorpio, you have been drinking from a cup that does not nourish you. A fantasy, a longing, a story you return to because it is safer than facing what lies beyond it. Some poisons taste like honey. You know this. Use this eclipse as a chance to really examine the things that you find comforting and ask yourself honestly - are they actually hurting you?

Sagittarius - The Death Grip

Reading: The Death Grip urges you to hold on to what matters most. Your beliefs, your values, your vision. Others may try to sway you in the chaos - the noise will be loud, the pressure to let go immense, because surrender is always the easier option. But you know what you are made of. Don't release your dream simply because the road is hard. The hardest roads lead to the most extraordinary places.

Capricorn - The Scythe 

Reading: The Scythe offers you a welcome chance to release what no longer serves you. Every crop that is planted must be harvested at the right time — leave it too long and all your efforts are wasted. What do you need to cut down to make room for new growth? The blade is sharp. The timing is now. Trust the blade, dear Capricorn, and cut.

Aquarius - The Swarm

Reading: The Swarm warns of overwhelm — too many voices, too much outside noise, a hum so constant you can no longer hear your own thoughts beneath it. Aquarius, the hive mind has its uses, but this is not one of those moments. The wisest counsel you can receive right now is your own. Take this dark moon to step away from the opinions, the commentary, the endless input of others. 

Pisces - The Broken Mirror

Reading: Pisces, something in your self-image needs to be re-examined. You may be holding onto a false reflection - a distorted belief about who you are or what you are worth, built from old wounds or harsh words. The Broken Mirror invites you to rebuild your reflection with compassion. You are often your own harshest critic. Are you being too hard on yourself?

Aries - The Upside Down Horseshoe

Reading: Aries, you may be leaking energy, time, or resources without realising it. The upside-down horseshoe is a quiet warning: your good fortune is spilling out unnoticed. Where is your attention going? Are you giving too much away? To others, to habits, to the endless scroll? Shore up your boundaries. Protect what is yours. Turn things around before the luck runs dry. Ask yourself honestly: what in your daily life is nurturing you, and what is simply draining you?

Taurus - The Skeleton Key

Reading: Taurus, the locks that once held you back (fear, doubt, limitation) are no longer keeping you in. The doors ahead are many, and you hold the means to open every one of them. This is a card of freedom, of empowerment, of aligned opportunity unfolding in front of you. You can step through whichever door calls to you. Or, should you wish, you can lock one shut for good. The power is entirely yours. You hold the key.

Gemini - The Wilted Rose

Reading: Not everything worthy of love arrives in full bloom, Gemini. The Wilted Rose asks you to look again at something (or someone) you may be overlooking. Just because it does not match what you have been sold as beautiful does not mean it is not worth your devotion. Dead roses endure far longer than the first bloom. Perfection is fleeting, if it is possible at all. Are you asking too much of someone? Or perhaps, even of yourself?

Cancer - The Crow

Reading: Cancer, the crow remembers everything. Every kindness, every slight, every gift given and every one withheld. This card arrives to remind you that you make your own luck - and that every action has a consequence, every word leaves an imprint. Would your behaviour today warrant a gift tomorrow, or a grudge? What you put out into the world will find its way back to you, so make sure it is something you would want to receive.

The first edition of The Storm Cloud Oracle deck is now sold out, but will be back in September with a revised edition available in major bookshops and back at Bonearrow.com in August.