The Empress embodies creation and abundance in all its forms, as the pulse beneath the soil and the steady breath of the earth mothering itself back to life. Reminding us that to nurture is both a gift and a responsibility, and that every act of care leaves a trace of renewal behind. The Pygmy Rabbit, the smallest of its kind in North America, shelters beneath the sagebrush., their burrows close to the roots of life itself. Once nearly vanished from the Columbia Basin, they remain woven into the sage and the shifting light. Much of the Imbalance of this ecosystem comes from the invasive Western Juniper, who drinks nearly 5k gallons of water each year from the dry earth, water that might have nourished the sage, the rabbit, and the many unseen beings of the desert. Fire pushes out and destroys these populations with climate change consistently elevating this to a new degree. The Empress’ embrace is a vow to restore the water’s path, to hold space for the return of life. Twelve stars of a crown, twelve seeds below, reminding us that all seasons are connected, that care, too, must be continuous. The sagebrush blooming in the shape of a heart as a gesture toward Virgo’s fertility, toward the endless labor of love. What will we water? What do we hold close? What can we release? Ways we can support local conservation efforts are supporting those protecting sagebrush ecosystems and endangered desert species, such as the Sagebrush Sea Restoration Program (https://tinyurl.com/sagebrushseas) and the Defenders of Wildlife (defenders.org). Volunteer for habitat restoration, plant native sage, and learn to identify and report invasive growth. Even small acts like choosing to grow native plants, reducing water waste and speaking for what is small and unseen can help mend the delicate web of reciprocity that sustains us all.