The Monthly Arcana: May 2026

Apr 30

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Guidance for the Month Ahead from Spirit Element

The Monthly Arcana has returned. It’s been a minute, I know. This year has been the hardest of my life and I don’t mean that in a hyperbolic way. Each year, I think it can’t get any harder but it does. It genuinely has been a rough road and I needed some space.

But I absolutely love my job. I love creating content, I love taking all of these photos and I love writing. So I’m really happy to be back.

This month, the cards not only for this reading but the Weekly Arcana as well have been about reconnecting with faith. And I don’t mean that in a religious way, unless that’s your thing. I just mean, connecting with spiritual support which includes connecting with yourself.

I know many of us are feeling lost, confused, scared and overwhelmed. But that’s exactly why we all need to return to our innermost selves. We all need to find that steady place inside that helps us to stay grounded when life tosses us around.

I hope these cards will guide you well this month. And know that I’m right there with you. Life has given me a fair dose of whiplash and I also need everything these cards have to give.

XOXO Lorriane

The Season - Oracle

Like Samhain, Beltane is a portal to the other realms. It thins the veil, allowing you to commune with ancestors, spirits and guides more easily. Receiving this card is confirmation that those beings who dwell beyond our world are seeking you out too. They want to speak with you and they want you to ask for their assistance.

But it’s not just about speaking to magical beings. This card is also about the need to build a practice of faith, prayer and connection. These words sound religious on the surface but it doesn’t matter if your faith is rooted in God or Hathor, Buddha or the four directions. What matters is that the faith is there. That you have something to go to for support and a listening ear.

Ask yourself this question truthfully: have you really been committed to your practice? Not just showing up and going through the motions but genuinely feeling rooted in a structure that lifts you up when life seems to break you down?

The energy we’re all leaning towards is belief in something greater than ourselves. It’s an ugly time in our existence which makes it far too easy to lose hope and inspiration. It’s hard to feel light when you feel fear, lack, judgment, and exclusion. It’s even harder to believe in a brighter day when grief lingers all around you or you’re struggling to take care of yourself and those you love. But your faith isn’t for the good days, is it? It’s for times just like this, when there’s no evidence light is coming. This is the time to dig in deeper, not give up hope.

This May, do your best to reconnect to something. Draw oracle cards, commune with trees and birds outside, or heck pull out your bible if that’s what feels right for you. Just do something to restore your belief that the world is a beautiful place.

Your Season - What is the state of your energy?

The Emperor

May feels like a “get it done” kind of space with the presence of the Emperor. You’re thinking about the future and what you need to do to make sure that future is successful. Often this card is associated with leadership which can certainly be represented here. But I think the more mundane expression of this card should be called “getting your shit together.”

This energy is more than authority, paternal parentage or leading others to victory. In the everyday, this card represents very adult things like paying bills on time, getting your doctors appointments done, your car maintenanced, and tackling repairs. It can also represent the need to be organized or getting your end of life planning done so that those tasks are easier down the road.

Ultimately, your energy right now is about discipline and taking control of your life however you can. Authority then becomes about knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it. Leadership starts to look like setting the right example rather than expecting others to listen to what you have to say. And structure is just that, structure. Laying the foundation from which you can stand for many more years to come.

Avoidance - Ace of Coins

What are you avoiding that is begging for your attention?

The Emperor means you’re thinking about stabilizing what you already have but, the ace of coins for this particular question means there’s new energy coming in too. A new idea or opportunity is knocking at your door and yet, you’ve been avoiding it. Perhaps you’ve been telling yourself there’s too much to be done already or that now isn’t the right time. But what if this new thing is here to help bolster what you already have?

Humans are complex creatures which means we're capable of holding more than one thing at a time. You can work on stability while always working on something untested. It may seem like the Ace of Coins and the Emperor are different energies but, there’s a lot of overlap here. Both the Emperor and the suit of coins represent long-term success, planning, vision, stability, and growth.

The Emperor encourages you to get it together so that you can focus on this new opportunity. But don’t miss out on a good chance at something that could provide for you long-term, just because you’re in the middle of getting your life together. Life is messy and there aren’t neat lines. Learn to do two things at once instead of missing out because of fear.

Authority - What do you already know to be true but are still seeking confirmation?

Judgment

The time has come for you to do the challenging task of aligning with your truest self. You’re being asked to stop seeking guidance from external sources. You KNOW what you need to do. You know what’s important to you, even though you pretend you’re ok if it doesn’t happen. You know what your values are or at least, what you want them to be. It’s time to stop hiding from yourself.

Stop asking others to validate your purpose or what you want out of life. You don’t need confirmation from anyone else but yourself. You don’t need a divine sign telling you what’s meant for you. You decide that. You decide where you’ll put your energy.

There’s no guarantee for you to find. No validation that any one path is correct. Any path you take is the path you’re meant to be on. Stop searching and start believing in yourself. Believe in your choices, believe in your boundaries, and believe in what you feel.

Practice - What can you do to better show up for yourself this month?

Seven of Wands

Showing up for yourself right now means holding your position. You’re just going to have to push back against people who don’t understand you, your vision, or your choices. This is especially true if they’ve done nothing to support you. If someone hasn’t given you a helping hand at any point from the start of your journey to now, then their opinion doesn’t count. End of.

Someone doesn’t need to understand to support you. They don’t need to have every detail of your plans to be there for you. Sometimes showing up for yourself means knowing others aren’t going to show up for you too. That’s a hard pill to swallow, especially when it's related to the people you love most. And I’m sorry for that. But right now, you’re going to have to go at it alone or at least with less than you thought.

If you keep trying to make someone understand and it's falling on deaf ears, then let them stay in silence. I’m not suggesting you cut anyone off. This card isn’t about that. It’s just about knowing you have the right to fight for your choices.

Anchor - What’s one thing to take away from this month to stitch into your life going forward?

Wheel of Fortune

There’s change coming and there isn’t anything you can do to stop it. Generally, when this card is upright, that change is positive but ultimately, this is not about good or bad luck. It’s about the inevitability that change will come for you, rather you’re ready or not. Something is already set in motion that can’t be altered. Your job, when this card appears, is to learn to be as adaptable as you can.

What is in your control today? This month? You’re going to waste a lot of time and energy on things that are beyond your control so why bother? Focus on positive ways to find joy, softness, or contentment. Life sucks at times and while there’s plenty to be angry about, there’s also lots of ways to find happiness if you’re willing to look.